Miss Midgley's isn't simply accommodation inside an old building. Staying here means becoming part of a Brisbane story stretching back more than 160 years.

Built in the 1860s as Cairncross House, the remarkable stone property has lived many lives, private residence, orphanage, hospital and, from 1903, the home and school of artist and teacher Annie Midgley.

Mother-and-daughter architects Lisa and Isabella White have carefully restored that history rather than designing over it. Original stone walls, ornate plaster ceilings, stained glass and fragments of hand-painted wallpaper now sit alongside contemporary interiors across five individually designed, self-contained apartments.

Each has a full kitchen, living and dining areas and its own outdoor space. Ground-floor apartments open to courtyards or gardens and welcome dogs, while upstairs stays offer verandahs and elevated outlooks. Guests also share a heated outdoor pool surrounded by tropical planting, and every apartment includes off-street parking.

Book one apartment for a private Brisbane escape or reserve the entire house for up to 18 guests, creating an extraordinary setting for families, friends, intimate weddings and small gatherings.

Then there's the location.

Step outside and you're directly on James Street in New Farm, surrounded by some of Brisbane's best-known restaurants, cafés and boutiques, with New Farm Park, Brisbane Powerhouse, Howard Smith Wharves, Fortitude Valley and the river all close by.

Historic, intimate and wonderfully individual, Miss Midgley's feels less like checking into a hotel and more like being handed the keys to one of Brisbane's most fascinating old homes.