A Remarkable Restoration: The Byng Street Boutique Hotel

Byng Street in Orange, NSW is one of those streets that no matter how many times you walk it, you’ll always spot something different to admire. Behind the shady, mature trees lining the street lie beautiful historic homes with striking architecture. One such home was Yallungah, an original homestead built in 1896, yet despite its heritage value had fallen into disrepair. Kristen & Thomas Nock had already fallen in love with Orange’s vibrant landscape and heritage architecture - so in 2014, when the chance to acquire Yallungah arose, it was the opportunity of a lifetime. The Nock family shared a vision to restore the homestead to its original grandeur, and create a unique boutique hotel for the local community & visiting guests to enjoy.

Now The Byng Street Boutique Hotel, the building was faithfully restored to highlight its period detail, including slate roof, internal and external timber joinery and characteristic buff brickwork, which are recognised as significant in defining the neighbourhood character. Yallungah had good bones, but there was water damage in the roof, and additions made during the 1950s that had to be removed. The process of bringing the building back to its former condition took just over a year, with painstaking work undertaken by local craftsmen. Salvaged materials were used wherever possible - timber from the rear of the building was repurposed to replace damaged floorboards.

Mayoh Architects were engaged to design a new rear section, based on their experience in bringing together old heritage buildings with stylish modern additions. Their vision was to bring life into the building that would intrigue guests. Inspiration came from the quirky, unique architectural details of the original homestead, local artists, the surrounding landscape and history of the region. Peter Mayoh grew up on a five generation farm in Crookwell, so to restore a heritage country property in NSW’s Central West that would also generate employment opportunities in Orange made this a deeply rewarding project.

Interior designer Louise Spicer from Onefour Interiors was invited to create a bespoke, stylish hotel with a playful design and bold use of colour & pattern. The striking, uplifting interior breathes new life into this heritage building, and creates a cohesive connection with the modern extension, fusing new with old. Originally from Orange, Louise spent 15 years working with some of the world’s leading high-end design and architecture firms in Sydney and London. She took pride in ensuring the story of the building was considered throughout. The original owner, William Lamrock, was a local builder who constructed Yallungah using materials obtained from his other projects. The Nock family wanted to pay tribute to William’s legacy by incorporating handcrafted elements throughout the interior, including artwork by Lara Scolari, and woven art by textile artist Natalie Miller in the Yallungah Dining Room, created using hand dyed, Australian-grown & milled wool.

Garden designer Christopher Nicholas was given the task of transforming the garden from a wild jungle of overgrown plants, untouched for years, into a stunning outdoor space for guests to enjoy. The original garden was carefully inspected to see if there were any plants that could be salvaged and also repeated in the new garden design. Many plants were saved and transported for safe keeping to the Nock’s home until the renovation was complete. While colour and texture were a focus, Christopher also wanted the garden to be easily maintained and drought tolerant. The end result is an outdoor sanctuary that no matter what time of year, will delight guests as much as the hotel itself.

The Byng Street Hotel has been a labour of love for all involved. The end result is a sophisticated, luxurious boutique hotel with a warm & welcoming family feel. It’s a great example of preserving and enhancing heritage architecture, while at the same time, bringing it forward into the 21st century. The end result is a building that can be admired once more, and that will now stand proudly in Orange for generations to come.