Visiting Canberra

We made a quick trip to Canberra, Australia's capital city, over the Christmas and New Year period. If you like your fix of mid-century modern then Canberra should certainly be on your list of destinations to visit.

Our short holiday mainly centred around the major tourist attractions for the children. This included a visit to Parliament House, The Royal Mint, Black Mountain, the Australian War Memorial and Questacon. We did manage to squeeze in a mid-century house sticky-beak in the suburb of Forrest with the assistance of a self-guided tour thanks to the Canberra House website.

Looking up through the glass ceiling at Parliament House

Looking towards Parliament House from the Australian War Memorial

Telstra Tower on Black Mountain. The view from here was amazing

Pillars of gold in Civic Square

ACT Legislative Assembly Building in Civic Square

It was a nice gentle family destination and we really enjoyed all the sites. Canberra has an interesting genesis as it is a planned city. It was designed by American Walter Burley Griffin after he won an international competition in 1912 to plan Australia's capital. It is surprisingly easy to get about with a rental car...we only got lost twice which is actually great since I am a dreadful navigator!

Canberra House is a fantastic resource and if we had more time we definitely would have done a more comprehensive tour of Canberra's residential architecture. There is a plethora of fabulous homes to drool over.

Sadly, one of the homes we could visit inside was closed. The Robin Boyd designed Manning Clark House, which is now a museum/community centre of sorts, is where the late historian Manning Clark penned his famous A History of Australia. We contented ourselves with an exterior stick-beak only.

Manning Clark House 1952 in Forrest

Here are a few notable mid-century modern  homes we saw on our brief tour of Forrest.

Sir Roy Grounds designed Forrest Townhouses 1959

Malcolm Moir designed home 1935

Robin Boyd designed home 1952/53

Hopefully our next stay in Canberra will be a little longer and we will be able to spend more time exploring this gem of a city.

Five years of Fun and VJs

Who knew five years ago when we wrote our first blog post on Fun and VJs we would still be plugging away today, even after a house move? Ha! Clearly I need another hobby...and Jason needs a DIY break!

Cheers to five years of blogging! Martinis in our mid-mod house.

It's been terrific fun to have a platform like blogging to chronicle our DIY adventures. From renovating our old interwar Queenslander - the Sow's Ear - to now, restoring a mid-century modern home in suburban Brisbane...it's certainly an evolution of sorts.

Moving to a different style of home and restoring it sympathetically is presenting a whole new set of experiences for us. It's not as straightforward as you might expect given it is a younger house to the Sow's Ear. There is such a lack of appreciation and awareness of mid-century housing in Queensland. We hope by writing about our attempts to preserve and respect the original architecture of our home, we will provide some inspiration for others wanting to do the same...particularly when the norm is to just throw out the old and modernise completely.

Hopefully, some things we have written on this blog over the past five years will resonate with readers. Perhaps you're in the midst of renovating an old Queenslander or you are just about to embark on mid-century house renovation project?  We've never put it out there that we are experts...far from it. We make mistakes all the time but we like sharing information which might be useful to others...even if it is learning what not to do!

As you can see, Jason still insists on painting at night...

Although we have never reached uber-blogger status (except in our own minds)...it still amazes us we have such a large audience from all around the world...who are not just spammers!

Thank you so much for reading Fun and VJs. We hope you'll stick with us while we restore our mid-mod home.

xx

Full circle, a new beginning

I've been deliberating for a few weeks on how I would write this blog post...

Firstly, let me share with you the very long awaited photograph I received through the distant relatives of the original owners of the Sow's Ear...

Yes, that's the Sow's Ear when it was being re-stumped to accommodate a new garage and under the house area...I'm not sure who is in the photo but I assume it would be Zoila...

We had always wondered what the front verandah looked like and were curious to see what the original stairs were like. Sadly, this photo doesn't show the style of stairs but we are so happy to see a record was kept of the evolution of this home over the past 85 years.

This next photo shows the house bricked in under with the new garage, new brick stairs, closed-in front verandah and side extensions on the left (our master bedroom has a bay of windows). My guess is this photo is from the 1950s?...

Uncannily these photographs arrived the day we received word another house we put an offer on went unconditional. Yes, we've bought another place. We're leaving the Sow's Ear and will be moving house in the next fortnight.The timing could not be any eerier.

Nonetheless, I could not find a more fitting end than this. We are still keeping the Sow's Ear and have found the loveliest tenants who will appreciate the old house as much as what we did.  I guess we're not ready to say a final farewell just yet.

And so starts a new adventure in another home - an architect designed mid-century home with wonderful restoration potential. I hope you will keep reading the blog and join us in this next chapter of life.

A nook in our new mid mod home

Good-bye

Last week we said farewell to Jason's grandad who died at the age of 87. It is never easy to say good-bye.

Jason wrote a loving tribute to his grandad that he read out to family and friends at the funeral - it was on behalf of the 17 grandchildren who had special memories of a most excellent grandfather.

The recurring theme among the grandchildren was a memory of Grandad's warm laugh and his love of a joke. He was also remembered as a good decent working man and a exemplary role model for his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. How lucky we were to have him in our lives.

Grandad will be greatly missed.

Grandad in his RAAF uniform when he served as a mechanic in WW2

Birthdays are fun

It's been a bit quiet around here on the blog because I've had a fun week celebrating my birthday...yay!

The boys thoroughly spoiled me and I've been in heaven with a new Bose music system which replaces an old CD/radio/tape deck I bought when I was in my early 20s...and is still going strong. Loyalty is one of my strongest points...clearly.

The new system can play CDs and has digital radio. It also came with a Bluetooth device which can pick up the tunes from our iPhones and other devices. We're so far behind the times around here...but we're getting there.

I've put the new system in the kitchen as it is quite compact - we can listen to the radio while entertaining and cooking. It's so good. There has definitely been a lack of music in the Sow's Year and 2014 is the year to change that sad fact.

I was also the happy recipient of a toy monkey. He's been swinging all over the house.You have to agree: he's pretty damn cute.

A bottle of Mumm champagne from the kids (actually it was Son #3 who insisted that I get alcohol...and my own wine glass - he's an intuitive soul) was another lovely gift and will  be enjoyed on the weekend with some friends.

Here's to another year of getting older and fun birthdays!

Christmas 2013

I'm just stealing a couple of moments today to wish you all a Merry Christmas.

I hope it is a day full of love, laughter and calm. 

Once again we'll be enjoying the serenity of the Sow's Ear. Roast turkey and rum soaked Tiramisu are on the menu later today, so I better get a wriggle on to make sure that eventuates...

Have a good one! xx

Hula hooping through Christmas

We've downed tools for the past couple of weeks - we're planning our next lot of projects for the Sow's Ear in 2014 and we hope to let you know what we have planned in the New Year. It's been rather nice not to feel pressure to do anything on the Sow's Ear and we've just been enjoying an easy and fun life...

What fun! At the tender age of 40, I am in possession of my first ever hula hoop. Talk about making amends for a deprived 'hula hoop-less' childhood.

And I am hula hooping like there is no tomorrow...mostly as I am not terribly good and I am determined to be able to keep that damn hoop up for more than a few measly rotations!

We were at a friend's house for Christmas drinks when I got my hula hoop.
Yes, I was drink hula hooping...

Next year I am planning on doing a hula hoop class with some friends, just for fun and fitness (apparently hula hooping is good for your core strength and abdominal muscles). In the meantime I am practising for about 10 minutes every day...and fortunately it is paying some dividends as there have been some improvements. The hoop is staying up longer but it's hardly anything to crow about. My waist is also bruised from all the practising...ouch!

The very sad thing is Son #1 who has never 'hula hooped' is a complete natural and can whip my arse in a 'hula-off'. We've been having hula duels since I received my new hoop and he's won every one! I have to say, it sucks being beaten by a kid...

So, this Christmas I'm going all out to perfect the art of hula hooping in between mouthfuls of turkey and plum pudding and planning the next lot of renovations to the Sow's Ear.

Can you hula hoop?

Steam Train Sunday

We had the best time on the weekend, in between the blocked sewage drain fiasco at the Sow's Ear...We went for a family ride on a steam train.

The trip was mainly for the children's benefit but I have to say Jason and I enjoyed it just as much as they did. The steam train runs one Sunday a month, departing from Roma Street station for a 1 1//2  hour train journey to Pinkenba and back.

Steam train pulling in to the station

Sadly, Steam Train Sunday has finished its run for this year but you can visit the Queensland Workshop Railway Museum to find out if there are any other events planned over the school holidays. I'm already planning our activities...

Beautiful details in the carriage

The train is a restored Queensland Rail steam locomotive that pulls about 10 vintage rail carriages - the carriages are all completely different. You kind of feel like you're in one of those old country and western movies, as you can move to the different carriages while it is travelling...don't think I didn't pretend I was escaping from the baddies in a shoot out...! Ha!

And you can stand outside on the back or front of the carriage as the train is travelling from station to station. You can literally see the smiles on people's faces when they see the steam train approach.

Lino floors and gorgeous timber seats

We were allocated seats in what we thought was one of the prettiest carriages - it had pressed metal ceilings, timber panelling and lovely heritage wall lights. It's great that these carriages are beautifully restored and are now being put to good use. Steam Train Sundays are a really popular event and you need to book to secure a seat.

It was a fun morning out and about in Brisbane. 

Sydney trip

This weekend I am heading down to Sydney. I haven't been to Sydney since 2001, in my life before children.  I wonder if much has changed in the city? Is the monorail still chugging along?

Anyway, it just so happens that my trip coincides with the opening of the Danish Design at the House which is part of the 40th anniversary celebrations for the Sydney Opera House. And given that I am the same vintage, it's only fitting that I continue the forty festivities!

Danish Design at the House is a conceptual exhibition that presents a foyer and six windows of Danish design, art and architecture. Think Georg Jensen, Lego, Scanpan, Louis Poulsen and Bang & Olufsen - all of my favourite things and more! The exhibition is free and is on until 11 November.

While in Sydney, I will also be visiting a few modernist homes which I am thrilled to be seeing in the flesh. On the list is Jack House in Wahroonga, Rose Seidler House and a Beachcomber project house in Avalon. I'm very much looking forward to getting my fix of house porn this weekend. Yay!

Jack House image from here

If you want to join me on my trip, make sure to follow me on instagram here. I promise not to take snapshots of food, okay?

City Hall

The other day we all trekked to the city centre to visit the newly refurbished Brisbane City Hall. It was such a fantastic morning out and makes a great school holiday destination for those, like us, staying close to home for the September break.

Brisbane City Hall

We visited the re-opened Museum of Brisbane which is a fab space located on level 3 of the building. Admission is free and there is currently a walk-down-memory-lane exhibit of Expo '88 focusing on the daily lunch and night time light parades. I felt like I was 15 years old again wearing stone wash denim and and a bandanna around my wrist. Jason's only hazy memory of those six months of the World Exposition was of the Munich Festhaus...

The Museum has a very contemporary feel and is a nice juxtaposition to the neo-classical style of City Hall's architecture.

Museum of Brisbane sitting area

From level 3, you are also able to book a tour to the clock tower which we found out is the largest clock in Australia. Who knew? I hadn't been up to the clock tower for about 25 years, and Jason and the boys had never been. You are transported in the old cage lift, which was originally the maintenance/service lift, to the viewing platform where you get a lovely view of Brisbane. The tour runs at 15 minute intervals and the kids really loved it. Again, admission is free.

View from the City Hall clock tower. The curved building in the centre is by the modernist architect Harry Seidler who designed  the Hilton Hotel in 1986

I didn't realise that we needed to pre-book the actual city hall tour before we went, so we missed out on seeing the renovated building in all its glory.  We probably would've been pushing it given the attention span of a certain #3 Son, but we plan to go back to see more of one of Brisbane's most iconic civic building.

Vintage travel poster for Brisbane in the Museum

Home advice for Tony

Looks like we're about to get a new Prime Minister next Saturday if all the newspapers and polling results are to be believed. That'll be three different Prime Ministers since I first started this blog and it's only just clocked up four years! Who can keep up with Australian politics' version of musical chairs?

Anyway, if Tony Abbott is going to be the next person in the top job then I need to see how the man lives. What kind of house does the wannabe-PM call home?

After consulting the oracle that is Google Images, I found more shots of his Forestville home than any other politician's home I have featured on Fun and VJs. (You can read about Julia, Kevin and Bob by clicking on their names)

There's exterior photos of Tony's home, some shots in the kitchen, a few in the lounge room and one near the internal stair case. I've simply been spoilt for choice on this occasion!

Tony Abbott's home. Pleased to see some Aboriginal Art on their walls...
image from here

image from here

Image from here

Well, I have to say that I never picked Tony living in a retro pad! (Jason was quick to crack a joke about the retro house being much like Tony's retro views...ha! Good one!) 

It's groovy and I'm so jealous that I could cry in my cornflakes. I love the cantilever style facade, the awning windows and how it is positioned high on the block. It looks to be a late 1960s house, but I could be wrong...

I'm not a fan of the exterior house colour though. It looks beige in these photographs. It would look striking in a strong dark colour and white. It looks kind of bland at the moment.

There's even a pool in the front of the home for Tony to parade in his sluggos. How is that not a surprise to me as well?

image from here

I was, however, most disappointed when I saw shots of the kitchen...

image from here

Look, it's a nice kitchen but they didn't embrace the mid-century theme as I had hoped. I bet you the original kitchen used to be orange with lots of brown accents. Their kitchen cabinetry is far too country/traditional for the home in my humble opinion. They ought to have gone mod style. Think timber veneer and plain cabinets...slick.

image from here

The entire interior seem to be very cream and beige... It's a bit too safe for my liking. It really needs some pops of colour, don't you think? 

You'd never know from looking at the interiors, that they had a very cool looking house exterior. An injection of Danish Modern furnishings would suit the home too...I might send them some links to my favourite mid-century mod blogs to steer them in the right direction.

And tonight at 8pm, Kitchen Cabinet is airing on the ABC with Annabel Crabb invited to Tony's home for a barbecue. Hopefully, we'll be able to see more of the would be PM's retro house.

Weekend at Sow's Ear

Heaven help us! Jason's got man-flu.

Looks like the plan for painting this weekend is on hold. There were grand ideas about Jason painting shirtless for everyone's viewing pleasure but that shall have to wait until he's recovered sufficiently to move again. Because man-flu is clearly one step away from death it would seem...

I'm still on a mission with poisoning all the bindii this weekend. There were a few areas I missed. Don't you just hate that!

Anyway, I hope everyone has a happy day...last day of winter and all.

Retro Flea 2013

Every year our mates Chris and Susan, who are the publishers of Australian Modern, organise a community garage sale as part of their Neighbourhood Watch activities. And they know how to host an event!

This year it will be held on election day. If you want a bit of retro to go with your all-important vote, drop in from 8am Saturday 7 September on the corner of Cotswald and Burchell Streets, Carina.  It will be all over by midday, so make sure you get in quick.

Hot dogs will also be sold on the day to help raise funds for the Neighbourhood Watch.

It promises to be a huge morning out if you love to fossick for old wares and retro treasures. Seriously, it was such a massive event last year with 1960s sofas, kitchen dressers and large plan drawers for sale.

This year, the word on the street is that some of the older residents are decluttering for their move to the retirement homes...Think unused wedding gifts and vintage linens! There will also be lots and lots of books.

Last year at the retro flea. This was just one corner...

Last year I went with Son #1 and we had a great day selling superfluous homewares and old Star Wars toys. The Star Wars toys sold like hot cakes!

Son #1 scored a PNG fishing spear which is proudly displayed in his room and he also bought a landscape...as you do as a 10 year old! Not bad for a $2 investment.

Keep the date free!

Once Upon a Time - Reinterpreting the Fairy Tale in West End

Kissing frogs, pumpkin coaches and hot men in tights are my first thoughts when I think of the fairy tales I read as a child... Ha! Imagine what the fanciful minds of Brisbane's artistic community will come up with in the latest art exhibition to hit town.

For those wanting to immerse themselves into the world of the creative and the whimsical, Once Upon a Time - Reinterpreting the Fairy Tale opens this Friday night, 16 August from 6pm. 

It will be held at one of Brisbane's coolest arts hubs Art & Design Precinct at 10 Bailey Street in West End. 

The 10 day exhibition features established and emerging artists returning to the essence of folk histories - exploring oral tales, myths and beliefs behind ancient fairy tales. 

It promises to be an exciting exhibition drawing together actors and artists creating works in media such as painting, illustration, sculpture, mixed media, photography, ceramics, jewellery and fibre art. There are also some amazing children's workshops scheduled, which explore the fairy tale genre.

Everyone is welcome to attend the opening night festivities - I'll be donning a pair of my favourite glass slippers to wear on the night!

All opening night bar, raffle and silent auction proceeds will be donated to Make-a-Wish Foundation. There will also be performances, music and a fairy fortune teller to predict your future...

Click here for all the events  

Five tricks for stress-free entertaining

 Sponsored by Reckitts and Benckiser

My plan over the next few months is to host a few more long lunches to enjoy the gorgeous sunny weather we’ve been experiencing.

The Sow’s Ear is a great place to entertain, ever since we renovated our kitchen and deck.  It’s been a lot easier and stress-free to host gatherings, particularly now we have a dishwasher – no more hand washing the night away when all you want to do is sleep off the meal!

lunch on the deck

Hand washing wine glasses and dishes after a big party is a thing of the past, especially with the new ergonomic dishwashers that are available to suit small spaces like the Fisher & Paykel DishDrawer series – pull out a small drawer and wash as you go! It’s one less hassle to have to worry about, even in compact apartments or small kitchens.

Anyway, here are a couple of my top tips and tricks for stress-free entertaining:

Tip 1 - Beverages and responsible drinking

Make sure you have great drinks and cocktails at the ready and lots of them. As the host, consuming a few before the event is also a must. Instant rancho-relaxo!

The worry about whether your filet mignon is cooked to perfection will be but a trifling matter to you and your tipsy friends.  Jason generally picks up our guests before lunch, so that they don’t have to drive and leave their car behind. Have a taxi telephone number pre-dialled into your phone to make sure your guests get home safely.

Jason's enjoying a martini on the deck...you only need one to feel relaxed!

Tip 2 - Simple menu planning

Planning and picking meals that are simple to prepare, yet still have the wow factor is what I strive for when entertaining. I personally don’t like cooking a whole meal, from go to whoa, in front of people.  I purposely choose meals that just require serving after it has been cooking in the oven. Think slow cooked osso bucco, delicious roasts, and baked hams - meals which basically cook themselves when all the prior preparation has been done.

Love a roast when entertaining - turkey, lamb and pork are my holy trinity of meats

Tip 3 - Preparation

Prior preparation is the key to stress-free. If you can do most of the hard work the day or night before, then do it. The day before is when I make sure the house is clean and fit for guests, all the shopping is done and dessert, like homemade ice-cream or crème brulee,  is made and refrigerated.

On the morning of the party, I generally like to have all the dirty dishes done and have an empty dishwasher ready to load as we progress through the meal.  Easy and quick, is the name of the game. It’s a good feeling when you know the dishes are being done as the last guest stumbles home.

Ha! Pretend that's me wistfully loading a DishDrawer dishwasher in my compact yet adorable kitchen!
Aren't I cute? image from here

Tip 4 - Delegate and outsource

The children and Jason are employed as unskilled labour during the lead up to a party. The kids are used as wait staff and can do jobs like clearing the table and filling the dishwasher between courses. They’re also a good resource for finishing off the left-overs.  Jason’s role is to top up drinks and he’s very good at it!

I am also of the belief that there is no shame in buying dessert or asking your guests to bring a salad or side dish to have with the meal. If you’re going to feed a crowd, sometimes it’s just easier to get your mates to lend a hand or to buy something pre-prepared.

A Greek orzo salad is a meal in itself and is one of my favourite salads for bringing along to events

Tip 5 - Cool tunes

And last but not least is to have music playing in the background. Music goes hand in hand with a great meal and it gets everyone in a good mood.  Good food, good company and good music are the perfect combination.

Have I left anything out? What do you do when you entertain? I would love to hear your tips too.

Four year blog anniversary

I can't believe that this blog has been kicking around for the past four years. It only seems like yesterday when I asked Jason to think of a cool name for the blog while he was in the midst of painting the VJs (vertical join walls) ...Needless to say his response was a profanity.

And that's when Fun and VJs was born.

This was the blog's first header. I thought I was pretty clever ...oi!

Little did I realise when I hit the publish button for that first blog post that anyone but me would be reading the chronicles of renovating the Sow's Ear. So, with  730 posts, over a million page views and over 10,000 comments later, it seems quite surreal to be sitting here.

It's been a lot of fun which was always the intention of this whole blogging caper. I've met some cool people, learnt some new tricks and have a body of work which I would never have imagined creating back in August 2009.

Thank you for reading. I really mean that.

xx

Home advice for Kevin

You could be forgiven for thinking that you were in a coma for the past three years, after hearing about the resurrection of Kevin Rudd to the position of Australian Prime Minister. Yesterday saw yet another Labor leadership spill which saw the deposition of Julia Gillard as PM. Interesting times for Australian politics.

Three years ago I gave Julia some home advice when she got the top job and after the shock of seeing a photograph of her home. You can read about it here. So in the spirit of being fair, I think it is important that Kevin receives similar advice.

But do you think I could find an interiors shot of his Norman Park Queenslander home?

Apparently the Rudds bought their home in 1994, however the only shots I could find of their house was their carport and verandah...

What are Kevin and Therese hiding? Has Kevin let the cracks in his VJs get out of control? Is their home full of fussy antiques or are they closet hoarders? How do you really know someone unless you see how they live?

This is the front entrance to their home which seems to be nestled back from the street. It is very private which I guess is a good thing when you are in public life. At least no one can do a Google search and randomly critique your home with wild abandon.

image from here

The carport screams 1990s faux heritage to me (much like the Sow's Ear's decorative finials, that I dislike immensely). I'm not a big fan of the porthole fretwork or the colour scheme on this carport. I also think they might need a Dulux colour consultant to pay them a visit...

Their home is screaming out for Whisper White and Pure Black trim which could win the hearts and minds of all the 'designery types' out there. Imagine how striking that entrance could look with a white picket fence.

image from here

From what I can see of the verandah, my uneducated guess is that this Queenslander is from the early  1900s. It has fabulous bones, but where are all the house plants or potted colour to give it that sense of homeliness? Also, where's the macrame pot hangers? I could hook the Rudds up with Pippa from Ouchflower blog - she can knot a few macrame creations to give that verandah some quirk.

Again the paint work is letting the home down. It makes me weep to see the French doors and panelled doors painted in three colours - cream, white and heritage green. So 1990s. And why are all the doors shut? Again, what are they hiding?

I'm also on the fence about the painted decking boards, preferring the natural oiled timber look on a verandah.

The wicker outdoor furniture is a nice choice for a Queenslander verandah - a classic! I also reckon their outdoor furniture would look even better if the house was a different colour. Don't you?

And doormats. You can't have all those entry points without a doormat or two. I think the Rudds need to invest in a nice doormat. But they really ought to give the Governor-General one as a gift too. The one below would be perfect for Yarralumla.

Hope they take some of my advice. They'll get in the pages of Belle Magazine if they play their cards right... Are you curious to get a sneak peek inside?