Mrs Robinson

A roughcast cottage on State Highway 8 might seem an unlikely place to find designer fabrics, but then, you haven’t met Mrs Robinson, an eclectic Tarras abode brimming with vintage homewares, basketry, furniture and fancies.

And yes, there really is a Mrs Robinson. Fiona opened the shop in 2008, and it’s still a family affair. Her love of fabric goes back to childhood afternoons spent matching up patterns from her nana’s sewing stash, and her keen eye for wares has been honed ever since. These days daughter Milly also looks after decorating clients, and together they send curtains, blinds, furniture and accessories right around the country.

Out front, clipped box balls, lollipop trees and galvanised planters line the building, while an old iron-wheeled cart loaded with baskets waves in passing traffic. Inside, visitors often say they’d happily move in, which is fitting, given the shop doubles as the Robinsons’ home. Willow-bough wallpaper sits above white panelling, a gilt-framed portrait hangs in the hallway and antique dressers present blue-and-white china and striped Cornishware. Who would’ve thought that in Tarras, of all places, you’d find leopard-print lampshades, floral headboards and ruffled cushions galore?

Almost everything in sight is for sale, so the layout gets a shuffle whenever a big piece heads out the door. The cushions and shades are custom-made in fabrics from the likes of GP & J Baker, Sanderson, Schumacher and Colefax & Fowler, while Klippan wool throws hang from hooks and antique prints and paintings line the walls. Back outside, the garden is covered too: glazed pots, iron planters and peony supports made by son Hamish, plus cane baskets, including beds for four-legged friends.

A stop at the shop pairs seamlessly with a road trip over the Lindis Pass or a burning desire to kit out a cottage. Though, truthfully, anyone with an affinity for stylish, curated wares had better pay Mrs Robinson a visit.