Norwood Roses (Toowoomba, QLD)
Location: Toowoomba, Darling Downs QLD
Sleeps: 2 guests
Bedrooms: 1 bedroom
Built in 1895, Norwood Roses has been faithfully restored into one of Toowoomba’s most dreamy Queenslander cottages – along with an award-winning rose garden. Originally a corner store, it is now a beautiful, light-filled getaway perfect for couples.
Norwood Roses is filled with natural light, cottage flowers, art, antiques, vintage furniture, and plenty of gardening books to ensure your stay with us is romantic, cosy and full of little luxuries.
Sink into our dreamy clawfoot bathtub with a glass of bubbles or enjoy a cuppa on the verandah together, looking out to the private garden. Our fully equipped kitchen is stocked with coffee, tea, sugar, salt, pepper, olive oil and treats, as well as all the utensils and equipment you need to rustle up any meals. Our antique double beds are made up with 1000 thread count sheets, feather and duck down pillows, mattress toppers and old-fashioned quilts. They are a dream to sleep on all year-round.
The cottage is warm in winter and cool in summer with reverse cycle air conditioning and insulation. We have high speed internet and Netflix for those nights you want to stay in together and put your feet up, and we’re central enough to be close to anywhere you’d like to visit – popular cafés, homely pubs, trendy cocktail bars and fine-dining restaurants.
Norwood Roses is a luxurious and relaxed base for a romantic retreat in the Garden City.
About your local community:
If you want to relax and enjoy the benefits of being in the largest town on the Darling Downs that features breathtakingly beautiful gardens, award winning restaurants and large markets, Toowoomba may be the place for you. Norwood Roses is situated in easy walking distance to town.
As the owner, what is your favourite thing to do at this property:
I love to walk through the garden and spot something new in flower, although we have four seasons here on the Darling Downs there's something in bloom every day of the year. Another of my favourite things to do is sitting on the back verandah with a freshly brewed cup of tea and listening to the birds.
What is your favourite trip close by:
I love to visit some of the great gardens and nurseries we have in this region. I've included a guide on things to do while in Toowoomba for guests staying at the BnB.
Guests should not forget to pack their…. A good book to enjoy reading in the garden.
How did you come to offer regional accommodation?
In 2016, I had just returned from living in America. I had no idea what was next, when the old corner store in the same street as my family home came on the market. It was dilapidated and I was in need of a project. Having never restored a home before, I had no idea what was involved so blissful ignorance was involved when I put my hand up on auction day. What was meant to be a quick turnaround turned into over a four-year project with me falling in love with both the old corner store and gardening along the way.
Sam had just moved to Toowoomba when I had bought the property. Having lived on a farm his whole life was not used to living in town. He and I became friends and he offered to help me on the weekends. Sam came over every weekend without fail, and we learned together, building and designing what you can see here today. Sam stuck around and I’m so grateful he did, Norwood Roses wouldn’t be finished if it wasn’t for his newfound carpentry skills. The shop/house had been guttered years before, but anything original we kept including the original “Cigarette & Tobacco” sign out the front.
Once we started in the garden, we were both hooked. Sam’s mum owned a nursery when he was growing up and my family are all keen gardeners. It was inevitable that we both got addicted. Sam is the rose man and I love the rare an unusual, as well as the dahlia collection you will see in Summer. The garden has been a labour of love. For us, it is all about the plants. You will spot many antique perennials that you may remember from your childhood. The reclaimed brick paths add to the ambiance of the garden.
We hope you love it just as much as us.
Book via AirBnb
Instagram Handle: @norwoodroses
Photography by Hannah Puechmarin
