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Laurel Avenue, Chelmer would have to be one of my favourite streets. It's a long winding, tree-lined street with one spectacular house after another. This one, above, would have to be one of the roughest diamonds and it's currently for sale.
It has 38 bedrooms, that ought to be enough I would think. I can't see why you'd need more than that.

Look at that spectacular kitchen. I wouldn't change a thing.

I think a few segways wouldn't go astray.

We talked with another family about buying it, but then agreed that was getting dangerously close to a cult. We planned to turn this room above into a skating rink. Then again, what children would be allowed to come over for a play?
Anyway, to get my mind off not having the means to buy this joint, as well as the fact that a sexist is running the country, I turned to pineapples to soothe my nerves. Don't write them off as kitschy nonsense (...or actual fruit, I suppose), they are a legitimate decorating icon.

A Study in the Classics

Remember when I posted a photo of this beautiful house, and some of you pointed out that it is actually in Rockhampton. As I've said many times, I grew up in Rockhampton. It's a town that usually makes the news for all the wrong reasons, but it actually has some ridiculously beautiful old Queenslanders, so many in fact that some of them are sitting in a state of decay.
This one however, Cooloola, is quite the opposite. It is the picture of perfection, and I've now had permission of the owner to show you the inside.

Let's skirt around the outside a tad more first.

This house is a perfect example of why some bits and pieces are considered classic. They just work, they're beauitful and they don't go out of fashion. Take that timber planter box at the front door,for example. That style of planter is at the front door of many a fancy address on Park Avenue in New York.

I recently bought a white Didier Parakian dress. Five minutes after I put it on, I had spilt make up on the front of it. I could never live in a house like this, but I take great delight in looking upon it.

It's all in the details.....

There's a young lady in the house. This is her quarters.

What more can you wish for than a pink bath tub?

A study in blue.

This is what life in the tropical north should look like.

Rhythm and symmetry. So reassuring.

Excuse me. Pineapples.

In case you're wondering, and I'm positively sure you are, this is the lady responsible for this big pile of wonderful.
Frances Russell, wife, mother of three, interior decorator, designer. I imageine Frances' home is a tomato sauce/soy sauce/red wine free zone.

If you're needing any decorator services, go to www.francesfussellinteriors.com.au
You can also read Frances' blog at www.beautifulinteriorsand18thcenturystyle.blogspot.com

Thanks again Frances!

House of India

Quite a few years ago we went to a dinner party where we met a couple who had just returned from working in Indonesia. They had re-settled in Australia and bought the former Indian Embassy (or Consulate?) in Hamilton.
We didn't know such a house existed, and upon our real-estalking the following day, I fell in love at first sight.
So, it was with great agitation that I discovered yesterday that it is currently for sale. The root of my agitation being that I am without the $2.9 million to buy it.

I could show you some of the interior shots, but safe to say, it's been top-to-toed with the bland brush. I've already redecorated it in my mind, using the colours of India; peacock blue, turquoise, hot pink, emerald green, acid yellow.
Details are here.

Hooray for Herringbone!

We had our first tiling quote come in for the herringbone floor. It was $88/metre, making the labour cost for laying the tiles in the living room almost $4000. Then we have the cost of the actual tiles on top of that. I nearly lost my lunch.
My husband, who works in the construction industry, then got onto another tiler and our second quote was $60/m. Much better.
We have another tiler coming this afternoon, who is apparently ridiculously meticulous with his work. Whether we go ahead and use him or not, I'm happy to pass on his details to anyone who wants them. Until recently he worked for a large tiling group and has now started his own business.
In summary, the herringbone floor look like it's a goer! Hooray for herringbone!
I'm always looking at properties for sale, it soothes me. There hasn't been anything too exciting on the market for a while, at least not in our neck of the woods. If I was looking to buy right now, shopping the market with a few million clams on board, I'd be inspecting this house. It's called Monaise and it's in Ascot. It was built in 1921 and has only ever had three owners, which would account for its sense of authenticity and lack of contrivance, there's not a vignette in sight.

I've been daydreaming about sitting on this verandah, reading to my golden haired lady babies, all of us dressed like extras from Picnic at Hanging Rock. In my daydream I have hair like Miranda, instead of my actual crazy cave-woman hair.

Look at that beautiful emerald green.

Monaise is at 36 Kitchener Road, Ascot. You can see the details of it here.

On the flipside in terms of style, there's something very appealing about this house too, probably the 2.9 acres of city land it sits on.
It seems the land has been in the one family for over 150 years, and the house itself was architecturally designed in the 1960s by Neville Lund. I've no idea who that is, but I guess if you were super into this style of architecture you'd know.

I'd say this might be the 'good room', it's crying out for a bar or at least a cocktail cabinet. Look at those beautiful doors and the view.

I don't think it would be a massive house, but as the client on Sunday night's Grand Designs said, 'better to have a little of what you love, then a lot of what you don't' - or words to that effect?

Those glass doors are even in the bedrooms.

A peanut with a view.

I don't know who owns this house, I'm not giving it a plug, I just thought it looked beautiful. It's at 9 Mt Nebo Road, The Gap and you can see it on RealEstate.com here.
Let me leave you with a couple of pretty pictures, source unknown, as usual.