Best Use Of......

.......a clinker dinghy! When John & Nicky Fisher were building a guest house next to their home on Queen Charlotte Sound in New Zealand's South Island, Nicky noted that it lacked a porch roof.

Without a blink, the lovely John commandeered an old clinker dinghy c.1930, which he'd restored in 1989, up ended it & voila, problem solved!

If you fancy a luxurious weekend away in Kiwi Land, go here to drool!

Images: NZ Life & Leisure

The Unexpected

A cute little Saltbox reproduction used as a beach-house on the Nantucket coast, probably filled with equally cutesie tootsie furnishings I reckon.

A covered breezeway connects the out buildings from the main house. Still thinking twee furnishings, maybe with a bit of a beachy, nautical feel.

DEAD WRONG silly Millie!!! Instead there are gorgeous sleek, low-maintenance, minimalist rooms to drool over.

Full of natural light, easy care surfaces & statement pieces to tie the design together.

A warm fire in the dining space.

And a simple setting.

A fabulous, yet very practical kitchen to feed those hungry beachgoers returning from a big day on the water. I think this would the perfect house to use MOTH's ideal house cleaning tool - his garden leaf blower! A quick wander around waving his best friend on high & every last bit of sand & beach detritus would be out the door pronto.

Images: Thornewill Designs

The House on Harper's Island

Take one private island of just one & a half acres, throw in a tiny piece of woodland surrounded by salt marshes, a pond, a creek & the sublime Nantucket Sound. Add to the mix the fact that the Architect is restricted to designing & building on the footprints & heights of the 2 dilapidated 1940s Sears Roebuck kit-house cottages that exist on the site. Oh & BTW, the only access to the site is over a 300-foot-long footbridge.

Solution: The larger cottage's footprint became the southern most wing of the house, incorporating the living spaces & the kid's bedrooms. The smaller one became a stunning master bedroom suite carefully & sympathetically connected to the larger wing & with 2 cantilevered bay windows added to allow for additional natural light. Finally ensure that all the decks follow the existing deck areas & voila, a home of incredible beauty & style that is truly connected to its spectacular surroundings & the delicate eco system of the island.

All images Polhemus Savery DaSilva Architects/Builders

Thinking Alike

I sometimes see the work of a certain Architect or Designer & think, oh it would be so easy to work on a project with them, I just love their style! And I certainly felt this when I saw Peter Breese's work. He's based in Martha's Vineyard in a wonderful New England style building he recently designed & built. His work reflects the simple, easy living style of the Cape & beyond, yet I can see so much of his design process easily transported to the relaxed summer lifestyles of Aussie beach houses & Kiwi bachs.

Never has an image I've posted ever got such a positive reaction from MOTH, he's redesigning our entry balustrades to incorporate this look as I write this! You might be able to take the old Rower out of the boat, but you can never take his oars away!

How good is the Breese Architects building, complete with Widow's Walk in Vineyard Haven!


Interior’s Studio Martha’s Vineyard (ISMV) is an Interior Design studio and antique furniture gallery right next door to Breese Architects.

Interesting design of this floor layout allow for several different areas to relax & enjoy.

Just love the clean, simple lines of this kitchen/eating space!

The staggered positioning of these window seats solidify Peter's clever, clever designs. The surfaces he's chosen for flooring & furnishings are family-friendly & very welcoming.

Sleek, modern lines with loads of natural light.

Unfussy design, practical lines & a soaring ceiling make this kitchen area a stand-out.

The use of natural stone in the fireplace & surrounds are truly inspirational.

Another simple, relaxed kitchen design.

Striking duck-egg blue paint on the walls, with that intensely beautiful print make for a dramatic effect in this bedroom.

All images Breese Architecture

Colour My World

How gorgeous are these 2 beach cottages in the Bahamas! Ostentatious McMansions they're not, just honest, fun places to relax & enjoy.

Here's Tree House with its pretty balcony......

and turquoise & white shutters & french doors....

love the surprise of the chandelier in the dining room....

and the simple white kitchen....

and the turquoise bed & bench in the bedroom & the white-washed beams....

and the cute little bedroom tucked under the eaves.

Now here's Doll House, so cute in pink & white.....

with the pink kitchen curtains gently blowing in the breeze....

a splash of pink on the patio door.....

and more pink & crisp white......

Images Bridland Real Estate

While I don't think Doll House would suit the boys Fishing & Footy weekends away, I just couldn't resist it! Two delightful little gems to escape to.

At the Beach

Image Coastal Living

I'm looking forward to a wonderful 3 weeks of Summer rest & relaxation, so I'll see you all again on January 19th.

Beach Baby

Images Beachmour

This is my last week of work for the year - hurray! And I've got the sun & sand of the beach uppermost in my mind. We are still experiencing a late burst of very chilly weather & rain here in the Adelaide Hills, with 42mm. of very welcome rain since last Thursday & the garden is fresh & alive after its much-needed drink.

Our country lane Christmas party on Saturday night was fantastic - our neighbours Phil & Bridget have set the bar very high for next year. Interestingly, just as we arrived at 7p.m. the entire village experienced a power failure, so there was a big flurry of everyone dashing home for candles. We spent the whole night partying by candlelight & although it was somewhat challenging, everyone agreed it was the best party for years!

Instead of the music being provided electronically, someone sat down at Bridget's piano & managed to play Christmas carols by candelight. All the younger kids were immediately drawn to the music & the sight of their beautiful little faces lit by the soft candle glow singing Away in a Manger at top note, certainly caused a few sniffles amongst those of us looking on. When the power finally spluttered back on at 10.30p.m., there was a resounding chorus of "Oh, no!", which was pretty amazing!! A decision was made & all the lights except the Christmas Tree twinklies were turned off & we continued on with the candles - a truly wonderful night.

Here's a stunning beach house rental to drool over - Beachmour is on Dalmeny Beach near Narooma on the New South Wales south coast, 4 1/2 hours from Sydney. How does flat-screen TV's in all the bedrooms, iPod docking stations, king-size beds with Egytpian cotton linen, current selection of glossy magazines, Aveda bath products, day beds, indoor & outdoor fireplaces, yoga mats & even a dog bed sound for starters? Very Millie style I say!