Within the limits imposed by its heritage significance, new tenants Jane Kerr and Cathy Wade laboured almost every day for seven weeks, from 7am to 7pm, to spruce up the inside and the outside, finally laying down their paintbrushes and hammers on November 18 to host an opening celebration for family and friends.

It’s a dream come true for both women, who became friends after realising they had a lot in common while working together at Real Estate of Distinction in Sawtell.

They are both 57, they are both country bred (Jane is from Gunnedah and Cathy is from Bingara), and they both shared the same secret ambition.

“Cathy and I were chatting one day, and I happened to say that the one thing I have always wanted to do was to open a homewares store,” Jane said. “And Cathy said, so have I!”

The pair started having clandestine coffee meetings, talking excitedly about the idea and finally deciding – why not?

When McNally House became available, the possibility of running a shop together turned into a plan.

Cathy noted that they had reached a point in life where they could put their own desires first.

“As mothers and partners, we’ve always worked to support somebody else’s business, somebody else’s dreams,” Cathy said. “It’s time for us to do what we’ve always wanted to do.”

McNally House has had many facelifts over the years, and since the shop opened to the public on Monday, people have been dropping in as much to see what has happened to the building as they have to see what’s for sale.

Bernard and Mary McNally were among the earliest settlers of Bellingen, having left Armagh in Ireland during the potato famine.

A history of the family notes that when the McNally’s cottage was erected “there were but four humble huts in the clearings hereabout, and the whole of the valley was densely timbered …  there were no roads and the properties were only served with rough bush tracks which led down to the riverside, where boats picked up produce and conveyed it downstream.”

More ease and comfort is available in the current incarnation of the house, with quiet spaces on the verandah to relax while enjoying a coffee and home-made cakes and slices (the cafe section will open in a week or so), and two rooms full of decorative and useful items to admire and purchase, including rugs, sofas, lamps, jewellery, some children’s toys, linen and cotton clothing, condiments and skincare products. 

The women’s skincare range is KORA Organics by supermodel Miranda Kerr, who is Jane’s niece, while fruit chutney, jams and relishes will come from Nana Kerr’s Kitchen in the Hunter Valley, which is run by Jane’s nephew Matthew Kerr.

Cathy says the products at Brush & Twine will have “a Hamptons style” and will include distinctive products from micro businesses.

“We’ll be sourcing those products that are a bit different, really good products that are being done on a small scale – it’s nice to get those in there and include the stories behind them,” Cathy said. “It won’t be mass manufactured stuff here.”