One must keep one’s composure when one is stalking upper crust, tasty morsels in Blighty. A five bedroom house in Notting Hill, London with beautiful communal gardens and floors one just wants to stroke. Oh those old stone. Stiff upper lip old chap because it has sold. Bright side is that one did not have the readies with which to make the purchase. From the wonderfully exclusive Domus Nova.

A new kitchen and a staircase to the next floor. A simple design request with a fabulous outcome. Melbourne based Venn Architects believe space is what you make it. Their clever use of the transition up the staircase as a library is elegant and functional with a wonderful sense of space and light. No longer a kitchen diner. Perhaps a kitchen library?

With some clever rearranging of the layout and a high end finish the design team at London based Daniel Hopwood have transformed this apartment into an entertainer’s dream. By moving the kitchen from the back into the double height open plan reception area the owners’ now have the perfect stage for regaling their guests. A small, intimate library takes the kitchen’s former space, perfect for TV viewing as well as reading. A rich, masculine bedroom, mezzanine office and stream lined bathroom complete the picture. Clever and compact, stylish and sleek.

Never mind the main house, I’m sure it is lovely. I’m moving into the guest house. Perched in the hills above Sonoma, California with views of vineyards and oak trees is this beautifully crafted stone cottage by Nicole Hollis. I would be the house guest from hell though. Why would I ever want to leave?

If I was a child I couldn’t wait to mess up this beautiful play area by Sydney architect Madeleine Blanchfield. Even if it wasn’t a play area but my mum’s chill out zone I still couldn’t wait to mess it up.