Under the Oaks ✳ 2024
History, reimagined in the Adelaide Hills
A restored 1858 church photographed as part of a passion project documenting heritage spaces turned into boutique accommodation.
The Brief
Personal project exploring the meeting point between history and design. The focus was on preserving character while showing the calm, contemporary experience that defines this luxury stay.
Project: Under the Oaks
Location: Hahndorf, Adelaide Hills, South Australia
Type: Boutique accommodation photography
Purpose: Portfolio project — short-stay and architectural imagery
My approach
Under the Oaks is a study in contrast. A heritage church reimagined as contemporary accommodation without erasing its soul.
The bones of the building remain. High ceilings. Arched doorways. Old beams above a four-poster bed. A black bathtub against white walls. A fireplace anchoring the living space. The restoration honoured the past while creating something current.
I photographed the relationship between heritage and modern design. How shadows fall against stone. How textures carry stories from both eras. The balance between reverence and renewal.
Natural light did most of the work here. Soft, patient, revealing each surface slowly. The gallery feels intimate without being small, spacious without being cold. Much like the stay itself.
