Looking for somewhere to rent? London, SE1 not too far from the Tate Modern, the Old Vic and the Young Vic. Walk to the city via the Millennium Bridge.

“This impeccably restored one-bedroom loft apartment with roof terrace is situated in the historic Ragged School, close to Borough Market. Set over two floors, the flat has all of the characteristics of a classic loft, including exposed brickwork, vaulted wooden ceilings and massive warehouse windows. Styled and furnished by the renowned photographer and stylist Zanna, it is in our opinion one of the most atmospheric apartments in central London.”

Amazing building, amazing space, amazing fit out. Industrial, rustic, quirky and fabulous. Furnished or unfurnished. (Furnished please…. love the old shop fittings and the wall of old cupboards gives me goosebumps.) Available immediately. I’d move in in a heart beat but I can’t afford the rent. £2,924 pcm/ £675 pw. If you rent it can I sleep on the couch?

The Ragged School via The Modern House.

Sometimes one can just have too much boulle and ormolu. Sometimes there is such a thing as too much fun. Today’s second house is a more subtle take on luxury. Starting with an equally impressive historic building the owners in this case have chosen an understated elegance. Greys and whites play against dark floors and modern, clean lined furniture and an open plan design play against the period features. Favourite here? The office. I would gladly home invade, er sorry, move in just for that office and of course the location. Gore St, Fitzroy, Melbourne. Sigh. Link here while it lasts.

Spring has sprung in Australia and what does that mean? Blossom and hay fever, spring cleaning and auctions. After a long barren winter with scant few properties to real estate stalk suddenly I am spoilt for choice as I trawl the listings. A double offering today. A rollicking overdose of kitsch and boulle and ormolu wrapped up in luxury and tempered (just slightly) with white. A confection of a house at the best of times, the owner has claimed it as their own and ramped up the volume. Blackamoors and Chinese dragons, marble, large art and coffered ceilings. The interiors make me smile. This is certainly the perfect party house. My favourite part, though, must be the gardens and the creeper clad exterior. Talk about kerb appeal. St Kilda West near the beach in Melbourne. Link here while it lasts.

I cannot take credit for finding today’s houses. Fellow stalker Andrea beat me to them. Happily she sends me links.

Rising from the fens of Cambridgeshire is a solid old barn converted to a minimalist home and work space. Old Victorian bricks add an industrial element while OSB (oriented strand board) defines spaces with the larger void and is used to create furniture. Perpendicular to the old barn is a small black clad guest house/studio. The stark, restricted exterior is warmed by an inner lining of OSB echoing the idea of straw bales. Minimalist rustic, bold, simple, adaptive. Old and new melting into farmyard. The old Ochre barn and its new Stealth barn by Carl Turner Architects.

Photography by Damian Russell, Tim Crocker and Jeremy Phillips.

Down at the end of the garden is a little shed but this is a shed with just a little more than you would expect. A stylish work space/studio appears like a screen in a suburban garden that has been decked to connect it with the new kitchen extension at the rear of the Victorian era house. Ornamental pond, hidden paddling pool, sand pit and fire pit complete the backyard transformation by Ashton Porter. The attention to detail in this project won it the NLA (New London Architecture) “Don’t move, Improve” Award 2012. Definitely filing some of these ideas away for my own renovation.