Brixton Cottage, Leura review: Toasty charm, no chintz

Jacqui Taffel enjoys the warmth both inside and out at a Blue Mountains cottage with a sober heritage.

KNOWING a house was built by the Temperance Society, a movement that frowned on drinking alcohol and other forms of indulgence, you might expect the place to be a bit austere or unwelcoming.

Brixton Cottage is the opposite. This cosy little timber property, between Leura and Katoomba, is toasty warm when we arrive. The gas heater has been left on for us and the slow-combustion stove is ready to light. Two heaters might seem like overkill for a spring weekend but there's still a chill in the air and we do end up lighting the fire.

Built in 1906, Brixton is now owned by Elizabeth Walton, an artist and writer. Inspired by Australian cottage garden pioneer, Edna Walling, Walton built the pretty front garden and planted it with heritage roses and a weeping cherry. A pot of purple pansies sits on one side of the front steps; on the other is a fragrant bush of daphne. Sprigs have been placed on our towels.

We instantly feel at home, with the stacked bookshelves, sofas with lots of cushions and a furry throw rug. Painted a cheery lemon-curd yellow, the walls are hung with artwork a hefty cut above the usual holiday-house prints. The rooms are comfortably furnished with a well-chosen mix of old and contemporary and there's no television. The dining room has a proper, clothed table and chairs, and a day bed in one corner, where our son sleeps. In the kitchen cupboards are such staples as Dilmah tea, Vegemite and olive oil.

The claw-foot bath in the small, timber-clad bathroom dates from about 1911 but we are thankful for the modern touch of electric blankets on the double bed, as the heating doesn't flow into the main bedroom. It's a classic mountain cottage, cute but not chintzy, in a quiet spot opposite a park. The noisiest things are the cockatoos flying over in the mornings.

We are also quietly triumphant because the sun is shining. For the past three years, every time we've come to the Blue Mountains, it has poured. It's become a running joke with friends who live here. But the bad-weather spell has been broken, so hopefully it will be sunny for the next three years of visits.

There's another breakthrough when we take our three-year-old son out for dinner with friends. He is so entertained and distracted by their two older children, we are able to eat without rushing or one of us leaving early with him. The venue is Leura Garage, a new restaurant occupying the site of Leura's former garage where, until recently, locals took their cars to be serviced.