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After speaking to Tasmania’s leading creatives and small business owners for this travel series, one theme keeps coming up: how much locals appreciate the island’s calming energy and lifestyle.
It’s one of the reasons interior designer Rose Kiselev and her husband Dmitry packed up and left the Gold Coast for a new life in Tasmania in 2020, despite having never visited before.
‘We originally met in Whistler, Canada, and were completely obsessed with the cold, the snow, the mountains, the wineries and the views,’ Rose says.
‘We still wanted to live in Australia, so we started researching and somehow landed on Tasmania as the closest Australian equivalent to Whistler.’
While there’s not enough snow to rival Canada, Tasmania did have beautiful landscapes, incredible food, historic streetscapes, and best of all, the ‘slower pace of life’ they’d been dreaming of.
After months of driving around, they fell in love with a block in Sorell, a town about 20 minutes from Hobart that felt ‘quiet and unassuming, but also full of potential’. The move also unlocked an impressive new chapter in Rose’s career.
Shortly after crossing paths with fellow designer Kate Moss, the duo co-founded their studio, This Vacant Space. And after being inspired by Tasmania’s creative scene, Rose launched We Ponder, a lighting brand that collaborates with local makers, including the likes of ceramicist Ian Clare and skilled glass artist Keith Dougall.
‘Lighting is one of those elements that can completely shift a room, but I felt there was a real gap in the market for lighting that was Australian-made, warm, tactile and a little bit playful,’ Rose says.
There’s a clear commitment to craftsmanship behind every piece Rose creates. And even though she only moved there six years ago, her community-driven approach feels distinctively Tasmanian, in the best way!
We asked Rose for the five places she’d take a visitor for the ultimate weekend exploring Tasmania’s south-east. Find her recommendations in her own words below.
