Sneak peek inside 1943 Queensland cottage

It's fascinating to visit other people's homes, particularly homes which are as well-loved such as the one I visited a little while ago.

The house is a circa 1943 timber and tin weatherboard cottage which is set high upon a hill in Brisbane's inner west. It is owned by a jet-setting couple who spend many weeks out of the year travelling the globe for work and pleasure.

Between trips the couple have completed a fairly extensive renovation to undo the sins of past renovations and to maximise the spectacular views afforded by this stunning home. The front of the home has been opened up and has been turned into a sunroom of sorts. Custom built windows were installed to capture the views out towards Mt Nebo.

In this new section of the home a modern look which references the Queenslander vernacular was achieved with the use of coloured glass mimicking louvre windows.

It's a clever take on a traditional design feature as the windows are also engineered to block out the heavy traffic noise from the busy road below. Throughout the day, the play of light changes subtly in this front entry to create a warm and beautiful place to sit and enjoy the verdant outlook.

The different coloured glass is encased inside two panes of glass to form  one large single pane for these casement windows.

One thing that strikes you as you walk around the home is the amount of colour and pattern which abounds in this home. The owners are unafraid to punctuate their home with colour - yellow was chosen for the main living and dining rooms and suits the sensiblities of the artistic owners.

Beautiful exotic floral Jatana cement floor tiles (made in Byron Bay) were used as an accent in the main bathroom. It is so refreshing to see a bathroom bucking the clinical trend which is so prevalent in bathroom renovations today. It is unique yet entirely appropriate for this style of home.

Found objects, thrift finds, inherited pieces and souvenirs from travelling expeditions can all be found in this tastefully curated home. The pottery, art glass and ethnic textiles add another layer to make this a warm home.

West German pottery vessels found in an op-shop

Tribal harvest mask takes pride of place in the kitchen

 I hope you enjoyed this mini tour of a lovely Queensland style home. Long live colour and pattern!

Blue painted exterior with delicious timber porthole windows

Tudor Revival Brisbane

When one thinks of subtropical Brisbane architecture, the furtherest image from my mind is the Tudor revival style of architecture. It's odd to think at some point in time, in our notoriously hot and humid climate, these homes would've been even considered remotely comfortable...

image from here

Image from here

There are pockets in Brisbane where you can find this tribute to ye olde England. This form of domestic architecture, sometimes called Mock Tudor or English Revival,  was particularly popular during the interwar period, the 1920s and 1930s, and some great examples still exist in Coorparoo, New Farm, Hamilton and Chelmer.

A Tudor revival style home was considered a statement of wealth and prosperity and according to Brisbane between the Wars it was popular among the nouveaux riche and was often described as 'Stockbroker Tudor'.

Typically, Tudor revival style in Brisbane is constructed from masonry and features a terracotta tiled roof...although you do find the odd timber and tin variety as well.

Tudor revival home in Hamilton
image from here

There is a Tudor-style home currently for sale in Greenslopes (the facade faces Logan Road and so it is an instantly recognisable home for those hooning around the southside) and it was the inspiration for this post. This style of home doesn't comes up for sale very often and it is a lovely example. Apparently this home is circa 1922.

Image from here

Image from here

Call me bourgeois, I personally find these homes to be quaint and attractive...I guess it is because they appear to be well-built and they also give a snapshot of former time in Brisbane. In this day and age of air-conditioning, seeking comfort from Brisbane's searing summers would no longer an issue in a Tudor-style house...

Salvaged building materials

in partnership with Quicksales

We are very big advocates of sourcing and using salvaged building materials in our renovations. It is the ultimate in recycling in an industry which is notorious for its high level of waste.

Most of our casement windows and other joinery were salvaged from old Queenslander houses to replace windows which were not sympathetic to the era of our 1928 home – the Sow’s Ear. It is a little bit more fiddly work to use salvaged materials but the results, from our experience, have been well worth it.

Using second-hand joinery is easy on the renovating budget too. Having timber doors and casement windows made from scratch is gut-wrenchingly expensive when you are renovating an entire house. Salvaged VJs, weatherboards and joinery can cut down the costs of renovating substantially, particularly if you are a DIYer.

Salvaged French doors which we replaced in the sunroom/kitchen

When we plan the next stage of our renovation, which is to fit out the underneath of the Sow’s Ear, we will try to source internal high-waisted timber doors and more hopscotch French doors to be consistent with what we have upstairs.

Anyway, I was pleased to hear about a ‘new to me’ website called Quicksales classifieds which is an online auctions and classifieds website – it is the Australian version of other well-known auction sites but without all the fees.  A big hooray for more buying and selling options!

It sells everything you can imagine both new and second-hand, so it is another good resource for renovators looking for elusive heritage building materials to suit old homes.

Have you used salvaged building materials in your home?

Eleven Queenslander house renovation blogs and resources

I've been gallivanting around the countryside flirting with mid-century modern design and architecture and sadly neglecting core business which is the Sow's Ear and renovating this old Queenslander. Ha! Talk about sidetracked!

I guess after four years or so we can afford to slow down and take our time with this interwar Queenslander house. It is far from finished and we still have quite a few projects that we need to tackle...but all in good time. Jason's lost his mojo somewhat too...which is not a good thing when he's chief renovator...

Anyway, there seems to be quite a few other bloggers who are well and truly in the midst or about to embark on a major renovation.

Here is a list of the links,  if you want to get a fix of Queenslander house renovations via blog reading:

Crazy House Capers
West End Cottage
Bungalow Bliss
The Old Post Office
Life in our blue house
Sunshine and Paint Pots
Family H.O.M.E
Heart Hanworth House
Restoring the Old Girl
Old Pearly Jenkins
Hill Manor is a new to me blog about a young man renovating his 100 year old house in Toowong. He's got a big job ahead of him.

Some of these blogs have been on the scene for quite some time while others are new to me. They're all different and I think such diversity is always good when one is contemplating the task of renovating their Queenslander house.

If I have missed someone off the list, please let me know in the comments so that I can add them.

Also, for those who are keen DIY'ers there is a great book called The Building of the Queensland House: A carpenter's handbook and owner's manual by A L Jenner which was first published last year. It is a book full of advice, diagrams and has lots of details about the restoration of a Red Hill Queenslander - written by a local Brisbane carpenter who has years of experience restoring these magnificent homes.

I think the book is independently published and is available at Black Cat Books in Paddington and the Woolloongabba Antiques Centre.

I have yet to get my hands on the book but am keen to give it to Jason. The man needs his DIY mojo back!

Triple Gable Queenslander

Remember that Triple Gable Queenslander that was up for sale and which I blogged about in May? If you missed it, you can read about it here and see some internal shots when I went to the inspection.

It was eventually sold and it seems that the house will be kept as a family home which is such fantastic news. I just wanted to share that information since it received a lot of complimentary remarks in the comments section of that blog post.

The home was being marketed as a splitter block with the house to be moved to the front with the prospect of new apartments at the back of the block. Quel horreur!

Anyway,the old home is undergoing major renovations as you can see in the picture below. It is very cool to see an old home get a new lease of life.

Triple Gable Queenslander

I obviously had a soft spot for this home, as I have a photograph of it from earlier this year, a few months before it even went on the market. It's just lovely.

Triple Gable Queenslander 

We're going to call the valance Holly!

You can tell we have too much time on our hands when we've dubbed the new valance around the deck Holly. Get it? Holly Valance? (Australian TV actress from the early noughties for those not in the know)

So, Holly has come along quite well under Jason and Mr D's capable hands. They finished off the construction phase this morning and now all that is left is some gap filling and a few coats of exterior paint. Jason had primed most of the timber on the public holiday last Wednesday. Next weekend with be set aside for painting.

Arched timber valance or timber battens around the deck

The construction of the arched 'Holly' valance was quite straightforward, but as Jason likes to remind me, "You still need to have your wits about you."

For example, spacing out the palings needed to be planned out beforehand, as leaving a standard space did not always work. Mr D made up a story-rod from a plank of wood, which was effectively used as a template for measuring the distance between each span. The boys had to adjust the measurements accordingly to ensure every batten was evenly spaced.

pencil marks to obtain the curve

To achieve the arched curve, Jason drew it freehand, using the centre board as his starting point. He then measured each corresponding board to ensure they were even, adjusting his markings accordingly before cutting the final shape with a jigsaw.

The timber palings are a mix of hardwood decking boards, iron bark and spotted gum timber, which should weather well over time. They also have a nice smooth finish and will be easier to paint unlike the fencing-grade pine that is usually used for such a job. As it is a decorative element, it should ideally look good. Bling!

Jason is proud of the big nail gun between his legs. As he should be. Apparently, this is quite safe...Still not sure that having such an apparatus in a private and sensitive area is a great idea. As many of my instagram mates noted, lucky we've finished breeding! (Seriously, it's the endless opportunities for innuendo which keeps me blogging)

the valance or timber battens under construction

Anyway, Jason and I are very happy with how it's looking. The deck always appeared too spindly for our liking and the 'Holly' valance gives it more body.

Operation valance

After 15 years of marriage, it has finally dawned on me that Jason is not one to enjoy idleness. The man needs a reno project. Thank goodness we own the Sow's Ear.

For the last few months Jason hasn't sunk his teeth into any major project, and he's not been a happy person. He really is a wannabe tradie and is truly at his happiest when in full-on construction (and destruction) mode.

It was with glee that he ordered the timber to start the frames for the valance or timber battens for under our back deck. It was a project which he started last year, but for one reason or another he lost his motivation to finish it. But with the warmer weather nearing, Jason's got his mojo back. (I can hear his fans cheering and doing the Mexican wave for shirtless Jason...)

This weekend Jason's going to make a start on the valance. It should be a fairly straight forward job and it will make a huge difference to the look of the back end of the Sow's Ear.

The deck really looks like it is perched on a pair of sticks and the valance will give it more body and substance...if you know what I mean. It will also keep poor ol' Jason busy.

shot of the deck from the back yard

You can see the valance that Jason did late last year. The valance under the deck will just be a lengthier version

Sealing and gapping weatherboards on a Queenslander house

Sponsored by Sika Australia

One of the unhappy delights of owning a Queenslander house is the almost continual maintenance that these timber and tin beauties require.

Last year, we removed the asbestos cladding from underneath the Sow’s Ear and replaced it with hardwood weatherboards. It looks so much better than before, with the added benefit of not being asbestos!

Unfortunately, after sealing and painting the weatherboards, the new timber has shrunk over time leaving some ugly gaps between the weatherboards. It’s just one of those things when working with natural materials – timber shrinks and swells depending on how old it is and with the weather. 

Gaps between the timber weatherboards

The unmistakable dark lines of the opened-up gaps look unsightly particularly on our all-white Sow’s Ear exterior!

So it was very fortuitous that the makers of Jason’s favourite sealant, Sika Australia, contacted us about testing their products. I had to laugh as we’ve been using Sika sealant and extolling its virtues for a number of years, ever since our first builder Mr Rooney put us on to it. You can read all about it here and here. Jason’s a convert and there’s nothing more zealot than one of those!

The nice people of Sika kindly sent us a number of Sika Acrylic tubes to helps us seal our gaps. They also sent Jason a new Sika caulking skeleton gun because Jason has never invested in a good quality one after four years of painting and sealing.

Sika Skeleton Sealant Gun

The number of times he’s had to stop what he’s doing mid-gapping stream because of caulking gun malfunction is too many to count… We’ll let you know how long this one lasts, but so far so good.

In the past, we’ve used Sikaflex Pro for filling exterior gaps but apparently the Sika Acrylic is a better and cheaper alternative because it will absorb a little of the paint you use on the outside of the house, giving a more seamless finish and a more consistent colour.

Jason in Sika motion. He even shifted the tube to show off the branding. Classic! I told him to think about sealing the gaps properly and leave the spruiking to me!

Sika Acrylic is easy to caulk and still provides the same level of sealability and is just as waterproof when it is painted, and  suitable for all types of paints including oil based enamels which can be problematic when painting over polyurethanes. The clean-up is also much easier as it is water-based.

No more dark lines

You can use it for sealing low movement joints around brick, concrete, plasterboard, windows, doors, ceramic tiles and filling of cracks prior to painting. It also adheres to most building materials and can be sanded back once it has fully cured.

For Queenslander home owners, it is a great gap filler for VJ (vertical join) walls which are notorious for splitting open during dry weather conditions.  Sika products are available from Bunnings nationally.

Anyway, we can now tick the gapping and sealing the weatherboards job off the list as we prepare the Sow’s Ear for spring. 

Have you been doing any maintenance on your house for the change of season?

p.s Sika has also recently launched a new spray adhesive called Sikabond Sprayfix which I’m dying to try out. I’m currently working out how I can use it for making a new lamp shade and a couple of small art projects that I have planned. So stay tuned. colour. 

Interiors house tour of Brisbane's western suburbs

Another MAD house tour is done and dusted.

This year the Australian Modern publishers, Chris and Susan, outdid themselves with a record number of 70 people joining in on all the modernist fun. The tour concentrated on four homes located in the Western suburbs of Brisbane - Toowong, Indooroopilly and Fig Tree Pocket.

The first home on tour was actually a charming 1923 Queenslander nestled in Toowong, a stone's throw from Mount Cootha. It was owned by a lovely artistic woman who so graciously welcomed us into her home. She told us some of the history of the house which has been in her family since it was built. The interior was a tribute to art and all things beautiful, collected over a lifetime. It was warm and inviting and exuded that feeling of home.

(Please excuse my photos which are poor iPhone quality on a wet and very overcast day.)

Front entrance of the 1923 Queenslander

Enclosed verandah.
I think the tiled coffee table is by Milton Moon 

The next home we visited was Jacobi House in Indooroopilly which was designed by iconic Brisbane architectural firm Hayes & Scott in the 1950s. I've already written about this home here if you are interested in reading more. The new owners are steadily restoring the home which was riddled with white ant damage when they acquired it in 2007.

A corner of Jacobi house in the front of the bookcase which partitions the main living area from the bedroom and bathroom.

We also had the pleasure of visiting Etlin House, designed by Hayes & Scott in 1963 and located in Fig Tree Pocket. The owners have made few alterations and have kept the essence of this mid-century home intact. It is also for private sale or rent in the New Year (if it was on my side of town, I'd snap it up instantly). You can email me if you'd like the details.

The owners kept the original cabinetry and updated the kitchen respectfully. Very cool.

One end of the central lounge room in the Hayes & Scott house. The art work is amazing.

The very last home we saw was designed by well-respected Brisbane architect Geoffrey Pie in 2010 for his daughter. We only viewed the ground floor of the two-storey Fig Tree Pocket home. The bottom floor was constructed from concrete and besser blocks. The property is prone to flooding and if ever the big flood happens again everything can be moved to the top floor, while the entire bottom floor can be hosed out in the aftermath.

This home was full to the brim with great art and decor.

exterior shot near the fire pit. Love the Casalas....

After the tour was over, we were all invited to Geoffrey Pie's family home (the adjoining property to his daughter's home) to eat the yummy lunch which was provided on the tour by super Susan. We were told to make ourselves at home and to enjoy, which we did!

His home is an old timber and tin building with wide verandahs. It is the epitome of a family home, much like the feeling of the first house we visited in Toowong. Again, it was full of art, photographs and objects collected over a lifetime...a real home with no pretensions. We were also allowed the privilege to view Geoffrey Pie's studio that contained 50 years of his archived architectural career.

front bedroom with yellow Mexican suzani

A corner of the dining room with Pandoro cake tins made into lamps.

And that concludes the MAD weekend. It was fabulous and I highly recommend anyone who is interested in great mid-century homes and interiors to join us next year! I'll let you know when the next one is scheduled.

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?

A look at an Ashgrove Queenslander

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of visiting a very original Queenslander porch and gable home nestled in the western suburb of Ashgrove. The current owners acquired the property last year and are the third owners of the three bedroom home since it was built in 1925.

Fellow house bloggers, Elizabeth from Walk Among the Homes and Magnus from A House in Auchenflower visited the home too. You can read the thoroughly interesting historical research (think links to XXXX Brewery in Milton) which Magnus has chronicled here and admire the photographs which Elizabeth has captured here. 

I merely tagged along as a house voyeur. Professional sticky-beak. I was keen to see this home as it is a similar vintage to the Sow's Ear - it helps to fill in the blanks of what our home may have looked like originally. It was also good to see Elizabeth again who so kindly showcased the Sow's Ear in her blog a few months ago and to finally meet the debonair Magnus.

This Ashgrove home would have to be one of the best preserved Queenslander homes I have visited, lovingly cared for and with very minimal changes to the structural integrity of the house. It is quite a special feat after 88 years.

My photographs do no justice to the home, but I wanted to capture some of the features which often disappear over time and which are so characteristic to the Queenslander. Thanks so much to the owners who were very generous in giving us free rein of their beautiful home.

dark stained fretwork breezeways above the bedroom doors

Old power points cut into the dark skirting boards

Bank of dark stained hopscotch casement windows in the dining room. It looks like the old casement stays have been removed over time.

enclosed verandah/sleep out with lino floor covering and louvre windows

Back door landing with just  the weatherboard lining and louvre window.
Notice how the back door is a double hopscotch pattern

Back stairs with roof and external privacy screen

original timber house stumps with tin ant capping

Under the eaves which were interestingly (for me) unlined

tin bullnose window hood with privacy screen 

Visiting a Queenslander up for sale

The other day I inspected a house for sale with a friend who is searching for new digs. When she told me which house she was visiting, I instantly invited myself along for the ride...house voyeurism is what I do best.

It is an interwar Queenslander but I'm uncertain of the date it was built. I'd guess 1930? It is a beautiful old home which needs a lot of love. Probably more love (and money) than my friend can give at this stage. The home is being marketed to developers because it is situated in the middle of a rather large block of land.

The real estate agent said the house could potentially be moved to the front of the block and two new homes could be built out the back...It would be heart-breaking to see such a thing happen (this is why I will never be rich - too sentimental).

The front verandah has been enclosed and the entry has moved to the side of the home. It looks like it was originally a two-bedroom home with a sleep out, from what I could gather.

The home must have been quite grand in its day because of the rather fine detailing.

In the main bedroom there is a bay window with exquisite lead light. Seriously beautiful. The room also has an amazing elaborate ceiling that is breathtaking.

The dining room and lounge room are quite formal and are separated by timber French doors. These rooms have coffered ceilings and horsehair plaster walls beneath the wallpaper. It is just lovely to see such original detailing quite untouched.

I took a photograph of the bathroom because it was rather pink and its walls were adorned by floral pink wallpaper.  The ceiling was wallpapered too. ( I secretly didn't mind the 1950'ish black and pink tiling...I need more pink in my life)

I didn't mind the art deco style tiling on the bathroom floor...

I love visiting other homes which are still relatively original. This poor old home is very tired though. Let's hope someone will bring it back to its former glory.