On the Market: Purple Penthouse

Up for sale is this rather extraordinary

penthouse in leafy Camberwell, Melbourne.

With architecture by Wood Marsh,

it's certainly eye-catching.

I have always fancied the idea of living in a penthouse.

Especially a glass one.

Would you like to live here?

Property: Aerial, Camberwell, Melbourne

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Portfolio Update: Coastal House

 We are having a huge burst of activity

on the House with the Stripes renovation.

The main ensuite's gold and black 

mosaic splashback tiles are finished.

And the copper-tiled shower wall is done too.

The bath is in - although still full of building dust!

Lights are being installed...

this one is over the kitchen bench.

Appliances are appearing.

{And no, that white microwave belongs to 

the builder and will NOT be staying much longer!}

Kitchen splashback has gone in, 

with locally hand-made glass tiles,

in colours selected to echo 

the building's 1960s origins.

The pool bathroom is almost complete,

with its beautiful blue glass mosaic tiles.

And the room with the stripes

now has the balustrade installed.

But what is that in the room with the stripes?

Is it a hidden door?

Oh yes, it is!

And a bookcase too!

What happens on the other side?

Why it is just a bookcase.

{Or it will be when it has books in it.}

But when you press it, 

hey presto!

It's a secret door! 

Meanwhile, outside, in all the mud...

the retaining wall of huge boulders has gone in.

With the fence rendered,

it's getting very exciting now it's so close to completion. 

And doesn't it look pretty with

all the lights on?

All images blue fruit.

Earlier updates here, here and here.

Moody Drama & Folded Lines: Law St House

When architecture plays with 

light and shadow

through folded lines of junctions,

a seductive moody drama results.

 This is the Law St House,

designed & lived in

by husband + wife architectural team

Bruno Mendes & Amy Muir.

 The rear is a double story 

of folded steel.

Squeezed into a tiny space 

between existing 19th century cottages,

the new street facade is a sheet of steel plate,

with a drawbridge window.

There is something about this house

which reminds me of Marc Martin's 

wonderfully moody illustrations 

from his book of Exotic Animals.

The flat facade, 

which pops open to reveal shafts of light,

is a perfect example of the beauty of architectural moody drama.

Do you like it?

Law St House. Architects: Muir Mendes

Photography: Peter Bennetts

Illustrations: Marc Martin

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Walking down the Garden Path

Monday, Monday, how does it come around so fast?

A thousand things to do, 

but first thoughts can wander to 

skipping down beautiful garden paths.

And perhaps finding, 

at the end of the garden path,

the perfect tea party.

1/3: EGA  2: projet d'amour 4/7: Michael Cooke Garden Design

5: house for sale.  Tea party: Sweetapolita

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Arts & Crafts Design: inspired by nature

With our current trend for both hand-made artisan goods

and floral-inspired graphic patterns

{which are both quite fabulously exciting developments},

let's have a look back at another time,

when there was a similar world-wide desire
for nature-based design.

It was the Arts and Crafts Movement, 

which originated in England in the 1860s,

heavily influenced fashion, architecture & interior design,

and reached a peak around the turn of the century.

An advert for the Lace Exhibition in Paris in 1904

illustrates the enchantment with delicate motifs,

curvy organic lines,

and a certain romanticisim for the exquisite.

A Jacques Doucet gown of gold lace, 

from 1900,

is a riot of floral patterning.

Czech Actress Anna Sedlackova in 1912

sporting a magnificent feathered hat.

Ah, feathers - they're back in fashion too, 

aren't they?

These fabulous houses, 

all by the architect Harold Desbrowe-Annear,

were built in the early 1900s in Melbourne.

This beautiful dresser was one of the first

examples of built-in joinery.

Hard to believe that we take this for granted today!

The popular colours of this movement were 

those found in nature, 

but especially ones with a golden or orange tone.

This is a portrait of Elizabeth Drexel,

an American author & Manhattan socialite,

painted in 1905 by Boldini.

Her bodice is adorned with lace flowers,

and the dress "grows" from the painting, 

just like nature.

Arts & Crafts colours 

are used masterfully in a contemporary 

arrangement by Sarah Winward,

which has the same romantic feel.

Swirling lines, echoing those found in flowers, 

were incorporated into fashionable clothes,

like this French gown by Callot Soeurs {1910}.

 A modern table setting.

Flowers by Sarah Winward.

Do you see a pattern emerging here?

Marc Jacobs ruffled silk dress, 2011 collection.

Haute Hippie dress, 2011 collection.

Amazing how much the appeal of these designs 

still resonate today, isn't it?

I guess it is because true beauty 

never goes out of style.

Images: all houses & interiors designed 

by Harold Desbrowe-Annear, open today. Details here.

All flowers: Sarah Winward.

Contemporary fashion: lyst.

Historical fashion images: wikimedia commons