By Arabella Peterson and Sukriti Wahi Interiors 22.06.2026

Meet the Vintage Bridal Entrepreneur Working From a Haunted 19th-Century Mansion

Why closing up her city store to live on an off-grid farm was one of the best decisions of Tara Rowe’s life.

For a passionate retailer, giving up a decade-old flourishing brick-and-mortar store to run an entirely vintage-led business from the heart of regional South Australia mightn’t seem like the obvious choice, but Tara Rowe, owner of Call Me The Breeze, knew it was the right one for her.

Calling it “one of the best decisions of my life”, Rowe closed her physical multi-brand store in Port Lincoln in 2024, after COVID put strain on in-person retail. She set up “shop” in rural South Australia, where, between running a thriving business, raising three kids and hosting guests in an off-grid train-turned-Airbnb, no two days are ever quite the same.

“I work from either my home or showroom depending on the day,” says Rowe, who has become especially well-known for her vintage bridal collection and restoration prowess.

“Even though I do live in an area most people would consider very isolated, I don’t feel restricted by distance at all. In fact, the space is something I really value. I can do 90% of my work from my phone in between school pickups, sporting commitments, sourcing trips, maintaining the carriage… Whatever the day holds!”

Operating out of an (allegedly haunted!) heritage 1870s mansion with some 17 rooms, the place became an unexpected source of inspiration for Rowe’s photography and styling, despite her discovering it in a decrepit state when she first moved her showroom there a few years ago – complete with “pigeon feathers everywhere”.

“It is a bit hilarious at times… At the time that I moved my showroom there, the whole upper level was in an absolute state of disarray: chandeliers on the floor, pigeon feathers everywhere, crusty furniture,” she tells Bed Threads Journal.

“It even has seaweed as insulation, apparently a common thing to do at the time it was built in the 1870s. So I stuck to my room and rarely ventured beyond it.”

Since then, it has been completely restored with all the original details that define it now intact, the grounds also doubling as a wedding location.

“The property itself coincidentally acts as a wedding venue with the building as the backdrop and the cellar as the after-party location. It is an incredibly beautiful, heritage-listed building with very unique features that I make the most of in my content. From the chapel windows, antique tiles and original green wallpaper. It has really become part of my brand DNA,” she adds.

Photography by Mikaela Frick

It’s a fitting location, given that much of Rowe’s success and the upward momentum of Call Me The Breeze has come from her work in collecting and lovingly restoring vintage wedding dresses. Documenting the process for her followers to see – one TikTok video alone amassed 13 million views – it’s a move that has seen her grow a dedicated online community.

“People are drawn to vintage bridal, whether in their bridal era or not. Every dress has a story. Where did it come from? Who wore it before? Was it damaged, and how has it been restored?” says Rowe.

“Bridal traditionally is showcased in such a polished way; I really felt that I wanted to pare that right back with my content. Not so staged. I also have been recently sharing the restoration process and laundry tips, which is a universally loved topic for anyone who has felt the joy and reward of removing a particularly stubborn stain!”

On the video that racked up over 13 million views, she credits her friend Bek, “who completely brought the dress to life.”

“It was such an honour to find this dress for her, for her to choose it and then be at her wedding to watching her get married in it. It certainly cemented that people love a ‘before-and-after’ transformation,” says Rowe.

“They want to follow the journey all the way from the discovery, restoration and alterations, to the wedding day. It really helped build that trust within my community, which is so important, particularly when selling something as special as a wedding dress to a bride.”

Rowe’s love of vintage, with its lived-in feel and unique details, also echoes across her interior design style, spilling over into her home and the Airbnb, an antique converted train named The Greenly Carriage (which Rowe affectionately calls "The Carriage") that she hosts on the property.

“Hunting for rare and unique pieces (interiors and fashion) is certainly a passion of mine, so there was some crossover, creatively speaking,” she says.

“I would say The Carriage is just an extension of my aesthetic. Most of the furniture is vintage or has been repurposed in some way, like the old timber workbench that has become the kitchen.”

Like The Carriage, Rowe’s own home is warm and eclectic, rooted in natural materials, and, of course, vintage furniture and art.

“I think overall, the interior design inspiration comes from a similar place. My husband Luke and I gathered a lot of inspiration while traveling through South America. We were drawn to the idea of a quaint cabin filled with trinkets and curiosities,” Rowe tells The Journal.

“We’ve channeled this in both The Carriage and our straw bale house. They are filled with lots of earthy textures like stone and timber, plus mostly vintage furniture that we’ve collected over many years, topped with a sprinkle of sea-themed vintage oil paintings.”

When it comes to work, Rowe likes to maintain some separation between her home and work life when she can, emphasising the importance of spending time with her family at home.

“I think, naturally, being a parent, you are forced to slow down and be present with your kids, because it is just so utterly impossible to work while you’re all home together. So, although I do work fleetingly whenever a window appears amidst the chaos at home, I mostly save it for the showroom,” says Rowe.

Residing on an off-grid farm with no neighbours around for miles, life in regional South Australia has proven equally refreshing and fruitful when it comes to both Rowe’s home and work.

“I am a huge homebody and love my own space. The remoteness of where I live is so refreshing, and to be honest, it has never felt too isolated to me. It is so easy to stay connected with technology the way it is these days,” she tells Bed Threads Journal.

Accessing vintage collections she mightn’t find among metropolitan sellers, Rowe says living rurally has allowed her to uncover an oft-forgotten treasure trove of pieces, and that she is often spoilt for choice.

“There certainly is an untapped resource in rural communities where people have collected valuable pieces over many years, stored in farm sheds and forgotten. Then suddenly it becomes overwhelming and difficult to begin the downsizing process,” she says.

“I am working with some of these collectors, and it really is all about timing. Knowing what to pull and when, and knowing what people want to buy right now. It’s an ever-changing climate. Every time I visit, with months in between, I find something spectacular that I had previously not seen. It really is so much fun, and I just adore the people you meet, who feel so sentimental about their collections, and hearing their stories.”

Photography by Mikaela Frick