Holiday haven

I don't know what it is about the houses on Sydney's Northern Beaches, but I can't get enough of their particular style of beach chic. It might be the combination of lashings of white, timber floorboards, sandstone....oh, and maybe a killer view or two. Absolute perfection. Take this little number for example - 'Norma House'. Could you think of a better place to spend the summer?

So if you're in the market for a swanky spot to while away the summer, you can pop on over here to make a booking. Just make sure you save a room for me!

Hamptons Style Mark III

Before I start today's post, a little snake update: unfortunately, our friend has disappeared. Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy to see him gone, I just hope it's a permanent move on his part. And unless we know exactly where he retreats to, the snake catcher can't come and remove him. Fingers crossed he's packed his bags, never to return!

Now that the excitement of the past few days has died down a little, I thought I'd revisit my previous posts on Hamptons meets Queenslander style. I think both of these homes are just gorgeous, and I love the fusion of traditional Queensland architecture with that crisp, elegant Hamptons style. And while we're on the subject of
combining architectural styles, I thought it would be fun to combine some of my favourite decorative elements into a virtual design for this home.

I'd gather unique pieces

I'd take a leaf out of Meg Braff's design book

throw in a little of Collette Dinnigan's style

 add an unexpected pop of turquoise 

 arrange a vignette or two

steal Emily Henderson's office chair

gather natural elements and vintage pieces

of course, I'd have to have the ubiquitous Queensland verandah

include some grass cloth wallpaper and custom cabinetry

and to top it all off, incorporate some Windsor Smith magic

Of course, each of us has our own personal style, and this is merely my interpretation of Queensland meets the Hamptons. I'd love to hear what you'd do - would you go traditional, or maybe contemporary? Mid-century modern or country cottage, or maybe something completely different? And the best part of this virtual design process - you're only limited by your imagination!

Hamptons Style Mark II

As a follow up to yesterday's post, I thought you might like a little addition to the debate. This house is another Hamptons-inspired take on Queensland living, so let's take a tour and see what you think.

realestate.com.au

Now, for those eagle-eyed readers out there (Jenny!) you've probably realised this home bears a remarkable similarity to the one I featured yesterday - and that's because they share the same designer. Yesterday's post sparked quite a debate on furnishing styles, and which, if either, best suited the house. Personally, neither style is what I'd choose, and although I absolutely love the bones of both houses, the furnishings seemed a little heavy. So, tomorrow I'll put together a post of the pieces I'd like to see in this style of home, and I'd love you to pop in, take a look, and discuss!

Hamptons style comes to Brisbane

I've had this house saved in my files for a while now, and it's a lovely example of what you get when you combine Hamptons style with traditional Queenslander architecture.

 love the outdoor living area

Now, it just so happens that this home is on the market again, and has been featured over on A View on Design. The new owners' style is quite a different to that of the original owners:

...and you can see more if you pop on over to Annie's blog for the full post. 

So, what's the verdict - do you like the original decorative scheme (the original owner is an interior designer btw) or do you prefer the new owners' style? I'd love to know what you think!

Paddington perfection

When we first moved to Brisbane from Sydney, we lived in the inner-city suburb of Auchenflower. The area is full of lovely period homes, mostly timber Queenslanders. On weekends, we'd spend our time driving around, looking at all the beautiful old homes, and often stopped in to the neighbouring suburb of Paddington.

One of my favourite houses in Paddington is now on the market. Latrobe Manor is a gorgeous colonial that's undergone a huge renovation, and the old girl has been given a new lease on life. Take a look at her now:

To sweeten the deal even more, this home is to be auctioned as a package, complete with an adjoining three bedroom cottage, perfect as guest quarters/home office/teenagers' retreat. 

See you at the auction!

images via realestate.com.au

Beach beauty

Hi everyone, hope you're all having a relaxing weekend.

I'm always a little sad to see the end of summer each year, so I looked through my humungous file of photos for some beach house inspiration. I can't remember where I first came across this beauty, but I fell in love the minute I saw it. 'Barefoot Luxury' is yours to rent for a cool $14,000 p.w. for the perfect summer holiday.

 

  

Or just stroll down the road to this one:

 

 

  

 

Or just go all out and buy one of your very own:

Image courtesy Architectural Digest

We can all dream, can't we?

Kerri x

All other images courtesy realestate.com.au