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The ultimate family home FEBRUARY

Cover stories

22 124+ pages of forever homes Moving on up, side-sizing or downsizing? Inspriation abounds! 37 Children’s spaces: smart rooms for bright young minds 194 We visit comedian Tim Ross, a man who takes his design seriously

People

22 Beachy Keen Every day feels like a holiday at the relaxed home of retailers Michelle and Andrew Algar. 55 Sweet Chariot Cherie Barber is hooked on classics. 194 The Creative Type Media personality and Modernism aficionado, Tim Ross.

Decorating

37 Minor Miracles Amazing decor for tots, tweens and teens. 47 Ask An Expert Solutions for surfaces that look terrific from start to finish. 51 On Trend Fruit tingle. 53 On Trend Coastal cues.

Houses

64 The Long View Buying sight unseen is always a lucky dip, but this property was definitely a winner. 78 Top Form Rising to the challenges of an inhospitable site delivered handsome rewards. 88 Click And Connect A desire to spread out brought family and friends together again. 100 Walk This Way Out-of-the-box thinking resulted in a Queenslander with a difference.

110 Life Of The Party A bungalow’s epic evolution from drab to dreamy. 120 Creative Solution Key to the success of this Melbourne makeover was going straight to the art. 128 Get Smart Clever design optimises every centimetre of this 1880s terrace. 138 Labour Of Love Talented ownerdesigner-renovators nurture their ugly duckling into an elegant swan. 148 Barefoot Brilliance Fuss-free and fabulous in Perth. 156 State Of Grace Victorian opulence, but not as you know it.

Gardens

170 Passion Project Meander through the grounds of Emaho, a luscious garden and ornamental tree farm in Queensland’s Darling Downs region. 176 Enjoy The Journey A garden designed with both exploration areas and destination points was the winning formula for this seachanging family in NSW. 181 Outside In Our new columnist, horticulturist Tammy Huynh, talks indoor plants and how to care for them.

Living

183 Wild At Heart Delicious dishes inspired by nature’s bounty.

For our readers

10 Subscribe to H&G this month and receive three issues for just $15, a saving of 41 per cent! 18 Top 50 Rooms! Your invitation to enter our annual interiors showcase. 20 Your H&G Readers’ letters. 192 Where To Buy Seen something you like? Find your nearest stockist. 193 Privacy Notice

On our cover Lured by the location, the owners of this Mornington Peninsula home took a punt that more than paid off. Photograph by Armelle Habib. Turn to page 64 for more.

Photograph by Pablo Veiga.

“There are eleven wonderfully UNIQUE houses in this issue, and I’m SURE at least one of them will RESONATE with you. ”

EDITOR’S LETTER H G

Iabsolutely love the fabulous variety of houses in this issue. It’s fascinating to read about the personalities behind them, and see how these idyllic abodes have been created for a range of family configurations. I like the differing paces of dream realisation too – some people are impulsive, while others take their time. And let’s face it: buying property is full of unknowns and can be stressful. When it all works out, the aura of happiness that radiates from the owners is palpable.

There are eleven wonderfully unique houses in this issue, and I’m sure at least one of them will resonate with you. Take the gorgeous Mid-Century property on Sydney’s Northern Beaches that is home to Andrew and Michelle Algar. When they spotted it, the couple were desperately seeking a more familyfriendly set-up as Michelle was heavily pregnant with their second child. There was lots of interest and she was convinced that they would be pipped at the post, but Andrew was working hard behind the scenes and had already made an offer to secure their dream home. When you read the story on page 22, you will see how much they truly love living there with their young children.

Then there is the story of builder Steve Cahill (page 64), who popped into a property on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula where an auction was already in progress. He found himself with his hand in the air, buying a house he hadn’t even inspected. I think you will agree that the home he has created with his wife Lucy and the design finesse of Kate Walker is a keeper – a beautiful forever home for the couple and their three children. It’s also this issue’s cover star.

Another Sydney family home (page 78) came to fruition because of an excellent partnership between brave owners and architect Andrew Donaldson. The site was steep, rocky and daunting but there was amazing potential and sublime views to be captured for those with perseverance. Up in Brisbane, David and Hannah dramatically transformed a 1950s Queenslander into a light-filled family haven without a cliché in sight (page 100).

Elsewhere, professional renovator, Cherie Barber, shows us her great house and incredible set of wheels (page 55). Her first foray into the property market was a house on a busy road that was ‘a mistake’. She gave it a quick makeover and made a small profit which set her on the path to a career in house flipping. Today, Cherie is literally enjoying the sweet smell of success living in an expansive former lolly factory and driving a restored 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air called Mildred.

We trust the abundance of inspiration in this issue helps you achieve some sweet home dreams this year too.

TOP PICKS Tanya’s top five

Tanya Buchanan, Editor in chief