THE CLOTH & CO. WOMAN
INSPIRED BY SERIES
Welcome to our Inspired By Series, a celebration of connections with like-minded individuals, spotlighting inspiring women, entrepreneurs, and change-makers who are shaping a positive impact in their communities.
MEET PHOEBE WHITE
In this edition, we had the privilege of chatting with the inspiring Phoebe White, the visionary founder behind Woolooma Glass House.
Nestled in the breathtaking Upper Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Woolooma Glass House is a unique blend of luxury and remoteness, offering an escape that reconnects guests with nature, creativity, and tranquility.
Phoebe’s approach aligns beautifully with Cloth & Co.’s ethos of creating purpose-driven impact. Her commitment to community, sustainability, and creative collaboration is evident in every facet of Woolooma Glass House, from its Artist in Residency program to its thoughtful integration of local craftsmanship. Guided by her grandmother’s vision of the house as a sanctuary for inspiration, Phoebe has nurtured a space where creativity flourishes and stories unfold. It was an honour to sit down with Phoebe to explore her journey, her dedication to preserving a family legacy, and how Woolooma Glass House continues to inspire and connect people from all walks of life.
What led you to start The Woolooma Glass House? Tell us about your journey to creating the business that you have built today.
My Grandfather and Grandmother built the house in 1973, which was used as a private family retreat away from the busy working farm below. My father, Peter White was handed the house some years later, when he opened it up to global tourism. In 2017, my father handed the mountain and the house to me, at which time we embarked on a renovation project together, using my eldest brother's building company Mable Projects. Our goal was to preserve the original structure and style as much as possible, but to refresh and renew the concept of a remote luxury accommodation offering in rural NSW. Today, Woolooma Glass House maintains the original architectural design of John Suttor, with its floor to ceiling glass windows, and sunken conversation pit around a vintage gas fire cauldron , but has welcomed new Australian interior furnishings and artworks. The business opens its doors to both tourism and commercial opportunities.
As a female entrepreneur, what challenges have you faced in building your business, and how have you overcome them?
The biggest challenge we face is understanding our niche market. The concept we offer, lends itself to a very small market of travelers. It is embracing and balancing this niche market, with diversifying the property with commercial partnerships that make it work, on a business level.
Can you share a pivotal moment in your entrepreneurial journey that shaped the direction of Woolooma Glasshouse?
The vision my grandmother, Dr Judy White shared with me, was that the house would always be somewhere for people to visit, to hopefully be inspired, and create their respective art forms. Whether that be writing, drawing, painting or music. It was incredibly important to me to preserve this vision, and continue the theme of the property being a place of inspiration to many artists, so we welcome artists from all over introducing the Artist In Residency program. Many of these artists now have pieces within Woolooma Glass House to add to the tapestry of the story, such as the sandstone stools (ONE STONE by Tom Butterworth), the mother earth feminine ceramic pieces by Sophie Nolan Ceramics, and the bedside tables mimicking the house architecture by Haig+Smith / Ben Haig-Smith.
PHOEBE IS STYLING THE MILK CAMISOLE & SILK PANT (LEFT IMAGE) & THE CROPPED SHIRT & DRAWSTRING TAILORED PANT IN STORM (RIGHT)
What advice would you give to other women looking to start their own businesses in creative industries?
Identify what is true to you, your point of difference, and keep that the focus of all the future directions and decisions you make.
How do you balance running Woolooma Glasshouse while raising a young family, and what have you learned from that experience?
It certainly takes a team to run Woolooma Glass House! It is a 30 minute drive up the mountain to the property, and guest schedules are never concrete, so a plan ALWAYS has to be fluid, and have a backup for every potential curve ball!
PHOEBE IS SEEN STYLING THE MILK CAMISOLE & SILK PANT
What role do community and collaboration play in your work, and how have they contributed to your brand’s growth?
Community and collaboration is a HUGE part of our story, we lean in to the artist community at Woolooma Glass House, to hold strong the vision of my Grandmother. Due to this engagement, we have expanded our reach to some incredible people from all over the world, that may never have been exposed to Woolooma Glass House in more traditional marketing strategies.
What are your hopes for the future of Woolooma Glasshouse, and how do you see your business evolving over the next five years?
One of the biggest hopes we have is developing our philanthropic arm, being able to give back to specific communities such as charities, environmental initiatives and art foundations. One initiative we got off the ground in 2024 is the annual ‘The Woolooma Classic’ which invites athletes to come and be involved in an adventure challenge, to showcase our protected Australian landscape and to support a fantastic charity THE KIDS FOUNDATION https://www.kidsfoundation.org.au/ You can see more about this event and how you can support it here: https://www.wooloomaglasshouse.com/the-woolooma-classic-adventure-run
PHOEBE IS STYLING THE MILK CAMISOLE & SILK PANT (LEFT IMAGE) & THE CROPPED SHIRT & DRAWSTRING TAILORED PANT IN STORM (RIGHT)
How do you stay inspired and maintain creativity while managing the demands of both family and business?
This business is a very fortunate culmination of things that are profoundly important to me, family, adventure, nature, creativity and travel, so I guess it keeps me inadvertently inspired.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
I have always been inspired by my natural surroundings for health, style, interiors and travel.
What are your go-to wardrobe foundational pieces?
A good white shirt or t-shirt, denim jeans. A white set is also a regular go-to!
Who are your style icons?
Elle Macpherson, Sienna Miller
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Family & Health First
PHOEBE IS SEEN STYLING THE CROPPED SHIRT & DRAWSTRING TAILORED PANT IN STORM (RIGHT)