I was going to write about the juxtaposition of the drama of a site and the mundane of everyday living but then I read the architect’s descriprtion and it was just so right…

Holidays beside the waters edge, water skiing and trout fishing, are wonderful memories for families. The bach is a keeper of these memories, which are at stake when work is done to preserve and update it. 

It was a process of saving and improving, of folding in another layer of history in a way that would not obliterate the past. The result is a nest of humble kiwi buildings, some parts new some original, that will now cope admirably with the demands of the future.

Lakeside classic, Tarawera, New Zealand by Mercer and Mercer Architects.

I’m crushing on herringbone pattern tiling. Seeing it, wanting it, figuring out where I can put it in my house. By Bureaux.

TomMarkHenry are Sydney based design trio Jade Nottage, Cushla McFadden and Chloe Matters. Fresh and young with an edge, their work places emphasis on texture and fabrics but still with a minimalist aesthetic. No frou frou here just fab, stylish interiors.

It’s that time of the week again. Stalking leftovers. Lovely homes? Yes… well… er… maybe. You see I am very finicky when it comes to my virtual real estate stalking. Fussy, particular, choosy, picky and hard to please. Not quite right, bad photos, more photos please, house is amazing furniture is deplorable, can’t quite put my finger on it listings but all with something that has me nodding “yes”. It might even be something as simple as a cool staircase. This week I seem to have got stuck in Sydney with just a short side trip to Melbourne but you’ll find a designer’s apartment (not really a leftover), an apartment more about the view and the beach than the space itself and another that is probably just good CGI because no one has an apartment with that much cool stuff. All via realestate.com.au.

Need a boost into the weekend? How about this fab house by Melbourne icon of all things colour and fun, Fenton & Fenton? Take a neutral background, add a little Fenton & Fenton magic and watch it fizz and pop.

Photos by Julia Green & Lisa Cohen.