At the heart of a changing Noosa Heads stands Halse Lodge – a guest house whose patinated timber and layered histories have been reinstated under the deft hands of CLO Studios’ founder Chloe Tozer. An attuned response to place, material and the lived experience of a house long devoted to travellers, Halse Lodge – erected in the 1880s – has been a quiet witness to Noosa’s evolution.
“Halse Lodge is an icon of our town, a place for shelter and community, not only for international travellers but locals too,” says Chloe Tozer, Founder of CLO Studios. “The restoration process had to be handled gently, so we assembled the best local team that understood the importance of the lodge within its community. We kept the authenticity of the lodge at the forefront while breathing in new life and celebrating the beauty of Australia.”
Engaging with the vernacular of the site, the interiors articulate a studied reference to 1970s Australian surf culture — an epoch of ease and irreverence. “The central theme of the design was focused around memories of growing up by the sea and a nostalgic remembrance of summers spent at the lodge,” adds Tozer. “We applied laid-back finishes inspired by [the aforementioned aesthetic], including textures such as cork, rattan and striped fabrics for a ‘caravan’ vibe.” Marigold and salmon pinstriped curtains bracket recessed hand-built bunk beds with a private cubby, where a wall light and charging ports were added.
Original timber flooring has been repurposed, its grain bearing the imprint of decades past, while cork flooring is deployed in spaces where timber had been lost. \ Tozer explains that it was used “also as skirting and taken up the way to frame the beds, while bright glossy feature paint in red and yellow was used on the ceilings rather than the walls.”
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Above, the ceilings depart from restraint, rendered in high-gloss swathes of yolk yellow and lacquered red, an intervention at once idiosyncratic and poised. A procession of dolphin-hued velvet sofas anchors communal spaces, their forms suggesting permanence and ease. The main dining hall, now an extended bar, houses a burlwood Art Deco sideboard, atop which a restored vintage record player sits in quiet conversation with the lodge’s original 1880s piano, which remains unmoved. “In the communal record and lounge area, you’ll find vintage books of iconic Australian animals, fishing guides, dolphins and old-school road maps. The essence of ‘holiday’ and the sea is present in each room, with styling details of framed vintage postcards, conch-shaped ceramics and sailor striped fabric.”
The presence is compounded by its engagement with local artisans and designers, whose works serve as a tactile continuum between past and present. “It was important for the Halse Lodge team to invest in a quality renovation, and we used the best local team in the restoration process,” Tozer explains. “All our works were passed through heritage architects and, while there were no structural changes, restoration works included repairing and conserving as well as adding cosmetic refinishing in areas. The build was run by Tom Robilliard of T Casa Projects, and he and his team were the true artisans in the restoration.” As for the devil in the details, archival photographs of Noosa, punctuated by postcards amassed from Tozer’s own travels, further root the lodge in a broader narrative of memory and place — gestures that render it more than accommodation, but rather an heirloom of collective experience.
“The beauty of the lodge is that it’s a place for everyone. The public spaces merge travellers and locals — it’s a place for people to come together and experience a piece of Australian history and Noosa’s laid-back lifestyle. The chances are, if you grew up in Queensland or other provinces of Australia, you have a sun-soaked memory attached to the halcyon landscape. For Tozer, “growing up in Noosa, Halse Lodge was the place! After long days swimming at Noosa Main Beach, our parents would drag us up to the lodge for a feed, a cold glass of lemonade and a game of ping pong.”
An edenic destination for habitués and visitors alike — notorious for hosting the Noosa Festival of Surfing, serving as every local surfer’s barefoot backyard and the spot where Tozer herself had her first beer — Halse Lodge is an elysian retreat that CLO Studios have made cool again.
Next up: A residence by BUNSTON where “the significance and history grew as the project unfolded”