Cottage Built from Boat Shed on Australia's Coast

Sheet metal structures in the outback of Queensland are typical for rural areas across the country: you expect to see a garage or a fisherman's storage shed. But once you push aside the sliding door, there stands a house worthy of admiration. Unique.

To be precise, Bruce and Liz Willement own two former sheds on a three-hectare plot. But let's go in order.

Liza and Bruce are from Brisbane. After the birth of their fourth child, they decided to move closer to the quiet coast of Sunshine Coast. Liza wanted a more measured lifestyle and to work nearby.

Three years ago, the shed housed a boat workshop where boats were built. The Willements initially thought they'd buy the shed for just a couple of years at most. They had plans for their dream home.

Meanwhile, Liza divided the open space into several zones to accommodate a large family. Her professional skills in decoration and props helped her transform the spacious corrugated box beyond recognition: useful items left by the previous owner, a boat builder named Frank, were also incorporated.

Improvised bookshelves for the family library made from an old ladder and several planks. In the living room, boat oars, modern artist paintings, and linen canvas prints hang side by side. Fishing nets hanging from the ceiling visually define the zones.

Rent prices rose, and time passed: gradually they set up the kitchen, bathroom, three bedrooms… and realized that another house wasn't needed anymore—they already loved this one.

The family has a child-friendly untranslatable English term for shouse: a hybrid of shed and house.

There's enough space for the children: son Sebastien and three daughters, Matiss, Paris, and Anais. There are also pets—one of them is Koah, a border collie and kelpie (Australian cattle dog).

The large dining table, of considerable age, was moved here with the owners: they were given it as a wedding gift. The furnishings, despite their diversity, harmonize well with each other, as befits a big and loving family.

The high ceilings allowed Liza to place much of what she needed on the mezzanine during reconfiguration.

The fireplace in the living room, furniture, wooden surfaces, and other building and finishing materials were sourced from free online classifieds—very budget-friendly. They blend organically with vintage items and art pieces in the interior.

The youngest daughter Anais, whose birth prompted the move, is proud of her bedroom. The wardrobe unit, made from an old branch, is suspended from the ceiling by rope. A homemade hammock in the garden: here the girl spends much of her time. There's plenty of land around the house to plant citrus trees, grow vegetables and herbs in a garden.

Liza and Bruce are creative people, and their children grow up in the most suitable environment. It's just ten minutes to the nearest town, and around the backyard firepit it’s easy to imagine oneself among the first settlers.

The kitchen is bright despite the dark lighting fixtures and cabinet doors. The combination of textures and colors highlights the relaxed, warm atmosphere in the home.

The rustic vanity top was bought at an online flea market. Liza sewed the linen curtains in a gingham style herself. The linen French tablecloth in Liza’s hands became a quilt cover for the guest bedroom. The homeowner jokingly calls herself a ‘furnisher’: hunting for interesting items with stories is her true passion.

Liza’s dream of working from home has come true. Remember the second shed?

This is where their family business resides: Atelier 34 serves as a meeting place for artists and creatives. Fellow enthusiasts and friends exchange ideas and techniques: painting, ceramics, textiles and weaving, floristry.

Music often plays. Space for pottery workshops fills up quickly. Liza decorates rooms with compositions of plants. Uniqueness emerges through hands and, certainly, the heart.