Villa Daylesford wasn’t launched by locals Michael and Paul as a business strategy so much as a sensation; “a space that felt layered,” they say, “a place where people could take a piece of that feeling home.” When they first stepped into the historic Frangos building, the emotion was immediate and disarming. “It felt undeniably bold,” they admit. “Especially at a time when many businesses were pulling back.” But hesitation never had much of a foothold. “The ‘why’ was clear,” they say. “Villa Daylesford was always part of the vision: a tactile extension of our aesthetic and philosophy.”

They could have opened anywhere. There were easier locations, less complicated leases, rooms without ghosts. But none of those places spoke. “The Frangos building has soul, history, and patina, refined yet warm, European-inspired yet unmistakably Daylesford.” It wasn’t simply charming; it felt inhabited by its own memory. “That kind of character can’t be manufactured,” they say. “Instinct told us it was the right canvas. Purpose reminded us that creating something enduring in a digital world truly matters.” They shrug at the risk. “Yes, it was a risk - but it was also ‘us.’”

The philosophy behind the store emerged from the way Michael and Paul think about objects. “For us, a story is the character and origin of an object; the hands that made it, the materials chosen, the feeling it brings into a home.” They source pieces from Daylesford makers and from Europe, the UK, Japan, wherever intention lives. “Authenticity and thoughtful craftsmanship matter,” they say. “Items that carry history or inspiration, from tradition or nature.” Their selection process is emotional rather than algorithmic. “If a piece sparks curiosity or an emotional connection, it’s one worth sharing.”

Inside the shop, every choice slows the pace. Villa Daylesford is meant to feel lived in, not styled. “Stepping into Villa Daylesford is like slipping into a quiet, layered story,” they say. “Every homeware and beauty product carries a narrative, crafted to be experienced, savoured, and taken home.” Retail here is not transactional; it is conversational. “Visitors often arrive decompressing or on holiday, so interactions are personal.” Michael and Paul refuse the distance that comes with modern retail. “We don’t work from behind a keyboard; we work in the store, alongside our customers.” The connections formed; small observations, casual stories, shared appreciations: “help the space feel alive and authentic.”

The way they describe it, running the space is an act of deep listening. “Retail here isn’t about volume, it’s about depth.” They curate slowly, with intent, letting the store shift with light and season. “We create meaningful moments and let the space evolve with the seasons.” The conversations that happen around the shelves and tables have begun to shape the store’s personality. “The conversations forming around the store, the shared appreciation for beautiful, purposeful things are becoming a defining part of our identity.” Growth, for them, is a kind of unfolding. “We’re listening, learning, and letting the direction unfold organically.”

Yet behind the calm surface lies constant calibration. “There isn’t a single secret,” they admit. “It’s a constant negotiation between aspiration and practicality.” Elevated design must meet the needs of locals. “Elegance and timelessness must coexist with the needs of a regional audience: how they shop, what they value, what feels familiar.” Sometimes this means indulgence; sometimes restraint. “The trick is knowing where to invest and where to scale back.”

They talk of “materials that feel luxurious but withstand local conditions,” and of adding “small, authentic regional cues so the space feels rooted in community.” In the end, they say, “Embracing constraints as tools, not limits, gave Villa Daylesford quiet confidence: both elevated and genuinely local.”

And though the store already feels settled, composed, assured, Michael and Paul insist they’re still at the beginning. “Even after only a year, it feels early to define the next chapter,” they say. “The journey has just begun.” They look ahead without rushing, open to what might arrive. “We’re excited, open to new materials, ideas, collaborations, and especially the community spirit that has already begun to shape us.”

For now, they keep returning to the same belief: that a shop can slow time, that objects can hold stories, and that in a world moving too fast, a place like Villa Daylesford can invite people to pause; to look, to touch, to breathe.

Villa Daylesford 82c Vincent St, Daylesford villadaylesford.com.au

VILLA DAYLESOFRD
STORY BY MAHMOOD FAZAL
PHOTOS BY AMBER GARDENER