Kids Bedrooms

We've decided that each boy will have their own bedroom. We seem to be having our fair share of bedtime antics of late, so it's best that they are separated. I never imagined that I would need a five bedroom house! Anyway, the plan is that the extension will incorporate a children's wing - 4 bedrooms and an amenities block. At the end of this wing, there will be direct access to the backyard, so the kids don't need to run through the house to play outside in the yard. I'm hoping to contain the noise and mess to one part of the house. Oh, let me dream!

As the overall idea was to keep the house as small as practicable (we are on a small lot) the rooms won't be large, so a lot of thought will go into efficient storage solutions. Hoping to have the final floorplans available soon.

 

Happy Mother's Day

My eldest boy made a card for me at school. Don't you just love kids - they are so thoughtful...

Have a Happy Mother's Day! xxx

Life is too short to drink bad coffee

How I miss my butterfly.

La Scala Butterfly

We are currently renting an apartment that is fitted out with an expensive european built-in coffee machine. If you are considering buying one of these, think very carefully before parting with your money. After doing heaps of research, we ended up purchasing the above machine; a La Scala Butterfly, which I thoroughly recommend.  It is made in Italy and is basically a commercial grade machine that makes THE best coffee. We've had ours for about 2 years, and it hasn't skipped a beat.

Although the integrated unit in our apartment looks nice and tidy sitting there in the cabinetry, it just doesn't compare with the Butterfly, and quite frankly, it is a pain in the butt. If we had more bench space, I would get ours out of storage.

Anthony Gill Architects

I was flipping through a recent edition of Houses magazine the other day and found a Butterfly in a kitchen of a couple who own a number of cafes and restaurants around inner Sydney. Surely they must know a thing or two about good coffee.

More info on this machine is available here.

What the . . .

I have always admired this Queenslander which is located just around the corner from us.  It sits proudly on an elevated block.

It has lovely park and river views.

It's traditional fixtures are still intact: picture rails, silky oak panelling and rich timber floors.  This house has not been compromised by time; it is beautifully preserved.

This house would have been perfect for us and the kids:  good sized block, close to the park, close to public transport, lovely views. Yes, this house ticks all the boxes. I've often thought about what I would do to it if it were mine.  Certainly not this  . . .

Congratulations...

to Owen and Vokes for being nominated as finalists in the 2012 Houses Awards for their entry "four-room cottage" in Kelvin Grove.

Great example of a small alt + add. I would never have considered a black kitchen until I saw the one in this house. Love it!