Tag: bondi

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Architecture Design Designers House Tours Interviews Real Renos RENO ADDICT

North Bondi 80’s semi undergoes robust & timeless renovation

Living room
Living room

Home to a professional couple, their three young children and two lively dogs, this North Bondi semi-detached home was originally built in the 1980’s. Purchased almost exclusively for its location, the home has since undergone a highly considered renovation courtesy of architect Josephine Hurley. “When the client bought the home, it was all about the location as they knew they could work with an architect to remodel it and make it perfect,” says Josephine.

The kitchen and dining flows out to the rear garden

Key considerations included expanding the home’s liveable footprint, and improving its natural light and ventilation while making the spaces elegant, robust and timeless. “They spend a lot of time at home with their young family and they ultimately wanted a home that felt calm and relaxed,” says Josephine.

Bathroom
Shower recess: “The curved wall in the bathroom was a way of introducing something special into what is quite a restrained space,” says Josephine.

Key to the feeling of tranquillity is the neutral and consistent materials palette; white ‘kitkat’ mosaics, soft grey Italian terrazzo tiles, oak and v-groove joinery all bring gorgeous textural and tactile qualities to the home. “The tiling is consistent throughout the house. The white ‘kitkat’ mosaics from Surface Gallery feature not only in the bathrooms but also in the laundry and kitchen.”

Living room
Living room

Creating more liveable space was another key part of the brief to which Josephine responded by enclosing both rear balconies. “I reimagined the interiors to utilise every available space in what is a compact floor plan,” says Josephine. In another clever redesign, the first-floor hallway was transformed into a walk-in robe for the owner who had always wanted one, but didn’t have the space.

Master bedroom
Master bedroom
Child's bedroom
Child’s bedroom
Child's room
Child’s bedroom

The Qasair overhead extraction fans draw the eye in the kitchen; the matte black finish ties in with the black appliances. “The client enjoys cooking and was after a statement piece that also had great functionality,” says Josephine. And with so many family members, minimising clutter was essential; everything from wine to dog food has a designated storage space. 

Kitchen
Kitchen
Appliances hide behind v-groove joinery in the kitchen

The kitchen and dining spaces are elevated, allowing for full visibility and a strong connection to the outdoors. Retractable glass doors and timber bleacher steps overlook the garden and let the children and dogs run free.

“It’s always hard to select a favourite part of a property, however the combined kitchen and dining room is particularly successful as there is plenty of storage and natural light. It is a clutter-free, bright and naturally ventilated space where the family enjoys gathering together to cook, enjoy a meal and entertain with family and friends.”

One last look at that lovely inside/outside flow

For more

Photography: Tom Ferguson | Styling: Holly Irvine

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Recipes

Foodie Friday: China Diner’s Fried Rice

This fried rice with prawn, egg and sweet Lap Cheong pork sausage is a favourite on the menu at Bondi and Double Bay restaurant China Diner. My mouth is seriously watering right now!

Ingredients

  • 50g prawns 
  • 15g beans, sliced 
  • 1 egg 
  • 50g Lap Cheong sausage 
  • 150g cooked rice
  • Soy sauce
  • Salt
  • Ground white pepper
  • Pickled mustard green 
  • Sliced shallot 

Method

Make sure you save some of your boiled or steamed rice from the night before. For best results, leave uncovered in the fridge overnight.

The ingredients above are just some options. Feel free to change to chicken or duck and you can change any of the quantities to whatever you desire on the day.

We make our own Lap Cheong sausage at China Diner but you can buy at any good Asian super market. The same goes for pickled mustard green.

In a hot wok, add the prawns and fry, then add beans. Make sure to get heat into the ingredients then add the lightly beaten egg.

Add the Lap Cheong.

Now add rice and the secret is trying to get the “breath of the wok” into the rice. It’s that slightly charred/smoky flavour that is essential to most wok fried dishes.

Add a drizzle of soy. Your rice should be dark, it’s a complimentary flavour.

Use a little bit of salt and some ground white pepper.

Add the pickled veg.

Taste for seasoning.

Scoop into a bowl and garnish with sliced shallot.

More recipes

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Designers House Tours The Block

Take a tour of Darren Palmer’s stylish (and smart) Bondi home

Of all the judges on The Block, it’s Darren Palmer who gets most excited about the gadgets and technology. The term ‘kid in a candy store’ comes to mind! So it’s no surprise to us that he has made his own, recently renovated Sydney home, a smart home. Care to have a look around?

 

Darren and husband Olivier bought the house two years ago, following Darren’s tradition of buying homes in need of love and transforming them into beautiful spaces. As part of the renovation, he laid new floorboards and painted the whole downstairs (how good are those navy doors?!). He refreshed his home electrical by installing contemporary Saturn Zen switches and powerpoints, as well as a range of smart home technology, including Push Controls and Nero from Clipsal by Schneider Electric.

Of course, while fancy looking switches improve the aesthetics of a home, it’s the functionality and the sensory experience they give you which makes the biggest impact. “What I have done in changing the switches and lighting in this house has really changed the value – it feels more expensive now,” Darren says. “You interact with these switches every single day, they help you create the different moods of light, they look fantastic and they’re a simple thing to change, but they make a massive difference.”

When it comes to smart home automation (the really fun stuff) Darren says: “One of the coolest things about working on The Block is that I get to see all the latest and greatest in technology and all this smart home stuff has blown me away!”

Once he’d seen it, he just had to have Clipsal by Schneider Electric’s NERO and Push at home. “The NERO system is cool because you can control each and every light in your house with the press of a button. Tie it with scenes and you can group things together so it interacts with you the way you want your house to interact. When we wake up in the morning, all the lights are really low and then if we’re home during the day, all the lights become brighter.

“With geofencing [radio frequency identification] we’re able to light the way so when we get home we can get out of the car and it lights up the path, and it plays a playlist for me on Sonos when I open the door. It feels much more luxurious and it brings the house to life in ways we haven’t experienced before. It’s really fantastic and it’s amazing how useful it becomes once you get used to it.”

I know Darren’s recent renovation is only halfway to achieving the vision he has for this longterm home, but we think it’s looking pretty amazing already!

Find out more about Clipsal’s smart home solutions.

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Designers House Tours

A look inside Bondi’s (soon to be) grandest home

Breathing new life into the 1884 structure, Moreton Manor, the heritage showpiece of Sydney’s eastern suburbs, will soon be transformed by Mirvac.

manor 5

Acquired from the Benevolent Society in 2013, the estate will be redesigned by two of Australia’s pre-eminent contemporary architects, Tina Engelen and Will Fung of CO-AP Architects.

manor 6

A fusion of old and new, plus a brand new wing that introduces the essentials of contemporary living, the design marries a Modernist sensibility with heritage sensitivity. As these renders show, the original home is clearly defined but will merge seamlessly with the modern additions, the two bound together by a glass catwalk.

manor 2

Underfoot, traditional timbers will lead onto flamed stone floors, double height light-infused living spaces add an extra fillip of grandeur to already high ceilings and a bank of French doors open from the casual living area to an outdoor entertaining area and cabana, landscaped gardens and an infinity edge lap pool overlooking neighbouring Dickson Park.

manor 3

Contemporary materials will complement the heritage palette of Australian hardwoods, painted masonry and cast iron lace work. The kitchen will leave no doubt about its luxury pedigree with a stunning use of contrasting black and white marble to form a sophisticated entertaining hub and preparation bench, complemented by an expansive butler’s pantry.

manor 4

The home will feature five bedrooms and three bathrooms, two living rooms, formal dining, a library, study, wine room, butler’s pantry and four secure basement parking spots.

Moreton Manor is being offered as a 1,144 square metre allotment made up of private landscaped grounds. Palisade fencing bordered by hedging will provide privacy at the front of the property, which leads onto the park-like gardens, framed by 100-year-old Moreton Bay fig trees.

Moreton Manor will be sold exclusively through Ray White Double Bay.

For more information.

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Designers

QT luxury suites come to Bondi

As the Sydney summer reaches its peak (although you wouldn’t know it by the current weather!), QT Hotels & Resorts brings 69 luxury guest suites to our most iconic beach.

The hotel embraces new technology, distinctive art and cutting edge design, while retaining the QT chain’s distinctive sense of quirk and unique design philosophy. With the interiors designed by Nic Graham, and artworks provided by artist Shaun Gladwell, QT Bondi boasts a fresh palette of optic white set against the pop of gelato pastels, with limed timber detailing adding a playful, beachside edge. Adding to the playful vibe is the hospitality attire, created by renowned costume designer Janet Hine.

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“Shaun Gladwell draws extensively on the intense physical energy of the local context, blending kinetic movement with the landscape to evoke a brooding almost calming and still sense of romance,” said QT Hotels & Resorts art curator Amanda Love. “This provides a fascinating juxtaposition against the almost extreme sport experience to be enjoyed, providing a thoughtfully measured perspective that truly connects with the Bondi landscape.”

QT Bondi is part of the Pacific Bondi development, which encompasses residential apartments and a plethora of retail and restaurant offerings with water glimpses. Take some time out to enjoy the Bondi lifestyle experience.

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Expert Tips Homewares

Learn the latest craze for free form weaving

We’re seeing it everywhere lately: for sale in homewares stores and all over Instagram: weaving! If you want one of these retro style creations with a modern twist in your home, why not join this free form weaving workshop at West Elm next month?

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The evening workshop on Thursday 7 May at West Elm Bondi Junction is being run by Sky Carter, a passionate weaver and textile artist sharing her love of weaving with the world! She has a studio in St Peters, Sydney, where she creates wall hangings and makes cushions full-time. “In my workshops I teach my weaving style which is a free and intuitive style using materials beyond just yarn,” she says. “They are a lot of fun.”

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The cost is $120 with everything provided and you get to take home your own wall hanging. Enquire/book via email: [email protected]

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Categories
Styling

Video behind the scenes of Mr Jason Grant’s second book, Holiday at Home

That sun-drenched feeling of a perfect holiday shouldn’t have to go away when you get back home. Taking inspiration from road trips, beach houses, boutique hotels and long lazy summers on the coast, Sydney stylist Mr Jason Grant shows you how to style your spaces to capture that holiday feeling in your own home in his forthcoming second book, Holiday at Home. I’m looking forward to picking up some tips on the return from my own travel adventures!

Holiday at Home, out in September, published by Hardie Grant
Holiday at Home, out in September, published by Hardie Grant

A follow-up to last year’s A Place Called Home, it’s brimming with inspiration and tips for making your outdoor spaces feel like your own private resort, laid back entertaining, using colour to create those vacation vibes, and upcycling found and secondhand items. Out early September, Holiday at Home is your creative guide to turning your living spaces into your own little patches of paradise.

We’ve been lucky enough to get to share this video behind the scenes with you today:

If you follow Jason on Instagram, you’ll know he loves the beach. Born in Tasmania, but growing up in Melbourne where his career began, it seems he found his spiritual home in Sydney’s Bondi. Fascinated by colour and nature from a young age, he is always looking for new ways to express his creativity.

Jason has styled for many Australian and international magazines including Inside Out, Belle, House and Garden, Real Living, Vogue Living, Elle Decoration and Livingetc and has his own range with Murobond Paints.

Stylist and author Jason Grant
Stylist and author Jason Grant

The sunny images in this book are by Lauren Bamford, a Melbourne-based photographer, specialising in food, lifestyle, interiors and documentary.

The book is published by Hardie Grant in Australia. It is also being published by Rizzoli in America under the alternative title Away at Home. We’re looking forward to getting our hands on a review copy to share with you very soon!

Keep in touch with Jason’s blog.

Video music and editing by Keith Mason, cinematography by Lauren Bamford.

Categories
Furniture Homewares Travel

My visit to West Elm London

When West Elm UK asked me if I’d like to come and visit their first store in my motherland while I was in London, what do you reckon I said? YES! I went for my tour with the associate marketing manager Jessica Sims last week, where we argued about who was the bigger West Elm addict.

West Elm London, which opened a few months after Australia’s first Bondi store, is housed in a great old building on Tottenham Court Road, conveniently opposite Goodge Street tube. It’s perhaps competitively close to established UK homewares brands like Heal’s (it has a great cafe, incidentally) and Habitat, in what is an excellent part of town for an interiors addict after a spot of retail therapy.

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This fabulous window display brightened up the store on the grey and drizzly day I visited

The store, on two floors and with a huge green wall of living plants, is brilliantly styled (or merchandised as they say in the business). I love the Bondi store but this was something else. AND it has a cafe. Hello, two of my favourite things (West Elm and coffee) in the same place! There are plenty of friendly staff everywhere, including an in-house stylist ready to help customers in the Design Lab. No doubt this level of service is shaking things up in the UK homewares market.

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This fab marble coffee table is available in Australia too, for $699

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I of course wanted to walk out with one of everything. Especially this divine navy (of course) velvet couch (sadly not available in Australia). Yes, you should buy big ticket items in neutrals, but… And the herringbone coffee table is clearly magnificent! A side table version is available in Oz, if you’d like a piece of that mirrored action.

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I have already started making a shopping list ready for when I’m back in Australia and looking for my next home, and can visit the new Chatswood store. Hoorah!

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This visit reminded me just how much I heart West Elm. I remember once telling someone, if I was a brand, I’d be West Elm. (No really, Jess, I am the bigger West Elm addict…)

Here are four finds I saw in store which are available at home in Australia too (Bondi, Melbourne or online). Clockwise from top left: Paidge chair, $999;  Terrace side table, $329; Parquetry 3-drawer dresser, $1,299; leather stripe zipper cases, from $39.

west elm favouritesI also found out that West Elm are now doing wedding registries, in Australia too. I so would have considered that last year (but I used The Wedding Nest and they were amazing).

Categories
Homewares

West Elm, Pottery Barn and Williams-Sonoma launch their Autumn-Easter collections

Last week, I visited the West Elm, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids and Williams-Sonoma stores in Bondi to preview their impressive Autumn-Easter Collections.

I haven’t done much for Easter since I was a young child, when egg hunts and chocolate food comas were the activities of the day. Yet after seeing these Easter collections, I’m pretty keen for an Easter tea party (adults can do them too, right?) and if you have a child with a birthday coming up, please make this their party theme!

 

The collections aren’t just full of Easter goodies; West Elm in particular has some beautiful Autumn pieces ready to brighten up your home in preparation for the impending winter season. Timber furniture, chunky knit throws, wool rugs and plush cushions are very much a theme and one must not forget my all time favourite West Elm piece, the rose gold cutlery set. So good.

 

All items can be purchased online (West Elm, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, Williams Sonoma) or in store at 466-72, Oxford Street, Bondi Junction.

Categories
Designers House Tours The Block

Have a look inside The Block’s Darren Palmer’s Bondi apartment

He just sold it, reportedly for around a million bucks after spending five months renovating himself (trust me, I know Darren and there was a lot of hard work!). Want to have a look for yourself and play judge the judge?! See the pictures and video at ninemsn here.

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Interiors Addict

Pottery Barn and West Elm opening tomorrow!

My excitement levels are getting a little bit OFF THE CHART now! And today I’m lucky enough to be going for a look around Pottery Barn, West Elm, Pottery Barn Kids and Williams-Sonoma before they officially open their doors to the public tomorrow. Squeal!

All four stores are in Bondi’s Exchange Building. Melbourne stores will follow before the year is out and the brand is expected to expand across Australia quite quickly. Good news is you’ll be able to order online from anywhere in the country.

Continue reading “Pottery Barn and West Elm opening tomorrow!”
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Interiors Addict

Mr Jason Grant’s book, A Place Called Home

Tomorrow I’m off to the Sydney launch of stylist Jason Grant’s first book, A Place Called Home, so it’s about time I reviewed it for you!

Mr Jason Grant A Place Called Home cover

If you know MJG, or follow him on social media, you’ll know this is a project that has taken over his life for a good year. Luckily he is DELIGHTED with how it turned out and I can see why. It feels like if Jason was a book, this would be it.

It’s light on words and heavy on beautiful images by photographer James Geer. And let’s face it, who has time to actually read their coffee table books anyway?! I actually devoured this book in one enjoyable afternoon, but it’s the sort of book you’ll want to dip back in and out of on rainy afternoons, especially as its many photos of the beach and Bondi will bring back memories of summer.

Mr Jason Grant A Place Called Home 3

Jason is a well known freelance interior stylist and was previously style director of Real Living, who he still works for, alongside almost every other Australian homes magazine. He was also one of the very first people I interviewed for Interiors Addict! Jason has his own paint ranges for Murobond and recently styled Freedom’s new winter collection for its catalogue and advertising.

Continue reading “Mr Jason Grant’s book, A Place Called Home”
Categories
Art

Behind the scenes at the photoshoot for Blacklist’s latest collection of Cross My Heart art

I’ll make no bones about it. I’m a huge fan of Blacklist and they’re one of my first ports of call for affordable art. So I was delighted when they shared some exlcusive behind the scenes images from their recent photoshoot for their new collection Cross My Heart.

Blacklist Cross My Heart frames

Almost entirely black and white, it is still instantly recognisable as their popular work and I’m already getting in a panic about which one I’d choose for myself. I love the flexibility of having something monochrome because it usually goes with everything and in any room! And I don’t need to remind you how much I love typography in all its forms. Hello, word nerd!

So why is this collection called Cross My Heart? “We believe in the power and romance of promise,” says Jaynie Johnson, one half of Blacklist with husband Nathan. “Cross My Heart saw us create something that was different from anything we’d ever done; a collection about promise only using a monochromatic palette.” (Well almost all monochrome, we’ll come to that later…).

Blacklist Hold Tight flag

Nathan and Jaynie, known for being a couple of romantics, were reflecting on the simple things, on contrasts and ultimately what mattered most. “As with everything we create, there is always an element of hope: as with the night, joy comes in the morning. So the final pieces we created were the colourful, hope-filled, ‘peace & love’, they are the lights at the end of the tunnel… the last page of the story.”

Continue reading “Behind the scenes at the photoshoot for Blacklist’s latest collection of Cross My Heart art”

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Homewares Interviews

West Elm’s Aussie, Vanessa Holden, reveals the brand is coming to Melbourne this year too

Yesterday I had the very great pleasure of interviewing Vanessa Holden, senior vice president of West Elm, one of the four American super brands (with Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids and Williams Sonoma) opening in Australia this May. She’s an Aussie now living in New York, with a seriously impressive career behind her and a passion for her job which can’t be faked.

Vanessa Holden West Elm

In early May, West Elm, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids and Williams Sonoma will all open in Bondi’s Exchange Building in Sydney. It’s the most hyped retail import since Zara. And for Sydney girl Vanessa, bringing West Elm, where she’s worked since 2011, to her old stomping ground, is a dream. Not surprisingly she has been a great cheerleader for Australia and expanding the West Elm brand to the Southern Hemisphere, but says she can’t claim all the credit.

“We began selling online here 18 months ago and Australians very quickly embraced us. There’s a really nice fit between the Australian lifestyle and the West Elm brand. It’s really exciting to be bringing it to Bondi, especially for me, being an Eastern Suburbs girl, it’s amazing.”

Vanessa, who revealed the brand will also open in Melbourne by the end of the year (no dates or locations have been revealed yet but they’re recruiting now), said Sydney’s always had some great homewares inspiration but West Elm in particular will offer great design at great prices and a store and customer service experience like no other.

Continue reading “West Elm’s Aussie, Vanessa Holden, reveals the brand is coming to Melbourne this year too”
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Interiors Addict

Pottery Barn, West Elm and Williams-Sonoma to open in Australia in May

Excitement is building around the new stores in Bondi Junction

If I had a dollar for every person who had asked me when Pottery Barn and West Elm are opening in Bondi, I’d be pretty rich. I’m happy to tell you that the anticipated opening date is the first week in May, so not long to wait now!

Excitement is building around the new stores in Bondi Junction
Excitement is building around the new stores in Bondi Junction

American retailer Williams-Sonoma, Inc. signed a lease  in August for 2,040 square metres of retail space to house four of its iconic brands: Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, and West Elm, at the newly constructed Exchange Building at Bondi Junction. The stores are the first outside of North America to be owned and operated by the retailer as part of its overall global expansion strategy.

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The Block

The Block All Stars starts tonight

The Block judges: Neale, Shaynna and Darren

The much hyped The Block All Stars starts tonight at 7pm and, having visited the houses a couple of months ago, I’m really looking forward to watching. Friend of Interiors Addict Darren Palmer has also been announced as a new full-time judge, replacing John McGrath and joining Shaynna Blaze from Selling Houses Australia and Belle editor in chief Neale Whitaker. A great trio, don’t you think?

The new judging lineup includes Darren Palmer, who rose to fame as a star of reality TV himself
The new judging lineup includes Darren Palmer, who rose to fame as a star of reality TV himself

The Block spinoff, which has been filming in Sydney’s Bondi, features four couples from previous series who didn’t win (but maybe should have?). They are Amity and Phil, Josh and Jenna, Mark and Duncan (the ‘two fat tradies’) and, from the most recent series, Dan and Dani. It’s a little ironic that new judge Darren rose to fame as a star of reality TV show (homeMADE) himself, even though he didn’t win.

There’s been some drama, with The SMH reporting, at the end of November, that contestant Mark Bowyer had left the show after being rushed to hospital and feeling unwell. Apparently host Scott Cam and Mark’s wife Jenny, stepped in to assist his partner Duncan Miller, but it’s not clear if he eventually returned to filming.

I visited the block in November  and was really impressed and excited by what I saw in the heritage houses, which at that point had had two rooms each renovated. I have no doubt they will all be worth a small fortune once they’re finished and I can’t wait to see how they turn out.

The Block All Stars houses in Sydney's Bondi
The Block All Stars houses in Sydney’s Bondi

This year they’ve also set up an online Block shop where you can buy products used in the show. Now there’s a simple but brilliant idea! Check it out here.

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Categories
Interiors Addict

4 great interiors things coming in 2013

1. American heavyweights Pottery Barn, West Elm and Williams-Sonoma are all hitting Australian shores for the first time ever and opening in Bondi, date to be confirmed.

2. The Block All Stars starts in the New Year featuring four favourite double acts from previous series. I’ve already had a look around the houses in Bondi and I can’t wait to see how they all turn out. In my opinion, they can’t fail to sell for a small fortune!

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The Block

The Block All Stars read Interiors Addict!

I wish I could tell you more about what I saw inside!

Well, Amity does anyway! Yesterday I was very excited to be invited to have a look around the partially renovated The Block All Star terraces in Bondi. What a treat! Four couples who didn’t win their series (but perhaps should have) are back for this special version of the show, which will be aired on Nine after Christmas.

I wish I could tell you more about what I saw inside!

I met all but one of the contestants yesterday, shook a lot of dusty hands and had a look inside their homes, four weeks in. They’ve completed two bedrooms and a bathroom and are onto their lounge rooms this week. Never have I seen such contrast between the untouched rooms in the run down heritage homes and the brand new restored and renovated. And I was really impressed with what I saw. The bathrooms in particular were really great and made me bemoan the fact I don’t have a bath even more than usual…

Continue reading “The Block All Stars read Interiors Addict!”