Art House Townhouses

Enter a curated world of design, art, and atmosphere at Art House Townhouses, Bright — High Country Victoria’s newest expression of contemporary, architect-designed accommodation.

Nestled in the heart of Bright’s vibrant food, wine, and distillery precinct, this intimate collection of five luxuriously appointed townhouses redefines designer living. Each residence pairs refined comfort with thoughtfully curated collections of fine Australian art prints by celebrated contemporary artists Margie Sheppard and Dean Bowen.

The architecture speaks with a distinctly modern European accent — a striking interplay of timber, stone, and steel. Inside, the design narrative softens and deepens. Interiors are composed around the artwork itself, with layered textures and muted tones that echo the colours, moods, and quiet power of museum-quality pieces displayed throughout.

Three townhouses pay homage to influential figures in Australian art history: Joy Hester and Sunday Reed, pioneers of the modernist Heide movement, and iconic landscape painter John Olsen.

The remaining two honor contemporary artists Margie Sheppard and Dean Bowen, celebrating their modernist sensibilities and reflecting owner Kathleen’s long-standing admiration for their work.

Based in South Australia’s Adelaide Hills, Margie Sheppard has cultivated a practice spanning more than 30 years. Renowned for her large-scale, richly coloured etchings, she spent many years working exclusively as a printmaker. More recently, she has returned to oil painting, now dividing her time between both disciplines — each offering its own distinct and equally compelling pull. While her imagery has evolved from figurative forms to strong, simplified compositions, her work retains its luminous colour, stillness, and dreamlike quiet.

Kathleen, owner of Art House Townhouses, has followed Margie’s artistic journey for many years, drawn to the enduring sense of calm and contemplative beauty that continues to define her work. “I love them,” she says simply.

Melbourne-based artist Dean Bowen brings over four decades of creative exploration to his multidisciplinary practice, spanning painting, sculpture, and printmaking. His work evolves through what he describes as a prism of humor and optimism. For more than 20 years, one recurring motif has taken flight — the bird. Inspired by the rhythmic sound of birds dancing across the metal roof of his studio, Bowen’s birds are rendered in a bold, naïve style — vibrant, joyful, and richly textured.

Kathleen’s connection to Bowen’s work began with a daily walk past the Printmaker Gallery in Fitzroy. “They looked so joyful,” she recalls. A quiet fascination grew into a collection — and eventually, into a home where art is not just displayed, but lived with.

Kathleen has long held a deep admiration for Joy Hester, John and Sunday Reed, and the remarkable circle of artists associated with Heide — including those of the Angry Penguins movement. Years ago, she volunteered at Heide Museum of Modern Art, immersing herself in its tranquil grounds and relishing the privilege of experiencing exhibitions as they were thoughtfully curated. Those days were spent learning — reading widely, absorbing the stories of the artists, and gaining insight into the creative energy that defined the Heide circle and Australia’s contemporary art scene of the time.

She was also fortunate to encounter the art beyond gallery walls — glimpsing works in the very landscapes and environments that inspired them. It was an experience she considers incredibly rare, and deeply formative.

When Kathleen and her husband Steve began conceptualising the townhouses, Steve suggested she might like to curate the artwork for the spaces herself. Her response was one of unrestrained delight — and unmistakable excitement.

Each artwork selected is a limited-edition print, chosen to imbue the spaces with a quiet sense of rarity and individuality — that subtle, unmistakable feeling of something truly special. And so, Art House Townhouses found its name.

Each individual residence — Sheppard, Bowen, Hester, and Reed — unfolds across two light-filled levels, showcasing curated collections of limited-edition art prints alongside refined contemporary living.

Interiors feature expansive modern kitchens with porcelain-topped waterfall island benches, butler’s pantries, and generous living areas.

Master bedrooms offer king beds convertible to twin singles, and private ensuites, complemented by a second bedroom with a queen bed and a second bathroom with integrated laundry facilities.

Polished floorboards, flat-screen televisions in both living spaces and bedrooms, complimentary Wi-Fi, and carefully selected European and Australian designer furniture and soft furnishings complete each residence.

At the front of the complex, the Olsen Penthouse occupies the entire upper level, offering a heightened sense of space and light. It features three spacious bedrooms, each with its own ensuite, a large contemporary kitchen with porcelain-topped waterfall island benches, polished floorboards, flat-screen televisions, and a generous living area styled with the finest European and Australian designer furnishings.

Raising the bar for Australian contemporary accommodation, Art House Townhouses, Bright delivers an uncompromising luxury living experience — where architecture, art, and comfort exist in quiet, effortless harmony.

I have been thinking a lot lately of how many worlds there are contained in very small spaces and how every person is really one world to himself unconnected by anyone or any thing.

– Joy Hester, 1947