As we prepare to head into Week 7 of lock down, with potentially many more socially distant weeks ahead of us, I thought I would introduce a new blog series to provide a bit of quarantine escapism. It combines two of my greatest loves: interiors and travel and then lobs a bit of fashion into the mix (although obviously I am no fashionista as anyone who saw me in a pink, purple and green shell suit age 11 will attest). The basic premise is this: each time I will feature a jaw dropping home in a fabulous location and then a cheeky mood board or two of the type of outfits you might wear if you lived in said dream house.
I am hoping it will offer a bit of day dreaming relief from home schooling/endless work zoom calls/getting up at 3am to try and secure an online shopping slot /arguing with your partner over whose turn it is to clean the toilet this week. OK are you ready to come through the first keyhole with me? If so, virtual suitcases at the ready as we are off to Melbourne.
The Destination
Set on the banks of the Yarra River, Melbourne is a cosmopolitan city with a rich and diverse culinary scene that offers an insanely good cafe game. Pictures credits from left to right 1) Dukes Coffee Roasters 2) Archies All Day, Fitzroy 3) @mrsmithmelbourne 4) @julian.varricchio 5) Vegie Bar, Fitzroy
On my list of places I have visited that I would consider swapping the North London suburbs for, Melbourne is right up there next to Copenhagen. I have visited the City twice, nearly ten years apart. Once just after I left Uni and the second time when I was pregnant with my first son. On the first occasion a regrettably large chunk of the 36 hrs we had there was spent hunting down Ramsay Street to take a picture of myself smiling like a loon outside of Lou Carpenter’s house. The second time, no longer a student and with an income that would allow me to frequent nice cafes and bars rather than eat pot noodle in a youth hostel, I fully fell for Melbourne’s non-Neighbours related charms.
The City has access to several gorgeous beaches. A rooftop bar in St Kilda watching the sunset over the sea with a large Aperol Spritz in hand would do nicely for me right now. Picture credits 1) Via Porta 2) and 3) Captain Baxter’s St Kilda
Located on the banks of the River Yarra it may not have the show stopping good looks of Sydney but I actually much preferred it’s understated charms. Scratch the surface and you will find a multitude of cool cafe, bars and shops on streets bisected by trams that really reminded me of San Francisco, another of my favourite cities. Within easy reach of the city centre are a multitude of beaches including Brighton beach with its colourful beach huts and St Kilda, described as like Bondi without the crowds and camera crews.
Picture credits left to right 1) The Beach House 2) Fitzroy Neighbourhood captured by @n.charlone 3) @lyndagardner 4) The Fitzroy Pinnacle captured by @thewolochoice
The Dream Home
It is in the leafy family friendly Melbourne suburb of Malvern East that we head to visit our featured home of dreams. Malvern East boasts a range of architecture from beautiful Edwardian, Victorian & Art Deco homes to sleeker more contemporary developments. McNamara House, designed by Tom Robertson Architects fuses the two styles together to stunning effect.
McNamara house is an original federation era property but the owners of the home wanted to add a contemporary extension to help the space work better for them and their teenage children. Tom Robertson Architects came up with a design that has created a single-level contemporary pavilion that sits discreetly behind the grand facade of the original home. The entry, sleeping quarters and bathrooms are housed in the original part of the building with its period detailing and high ceilings whereas the kitchen, dining, study and lounge occupy the new contemporary addition. The journey from the old to the new is seamless.
In the new addition floor to ceiling thin frame crittal style windows flood the space with light and frame the view of the courtyard beyond.
The material palette in the kitchen/dining space has been kept deliberately simple with statement timber clad ceilings, a contemporary style white kitchen with marble worktops and white planked wooden floors in a natural finish.
The kitchen/dining space is linked to outdoor space via large sliding glass doors. The couple actually sacrificed a large portion of the properties original back yard to the extension as, with growing teenage children they were using the house and space differently and identified that their teenagers no longer used the garden as they once did (good news for anyo f us parents of young children desperate to say goodbye to the days of a garden full of plastic ride on toys!). The extension has been built around a series of courtyards that create different zones to the outside space. My favourite zone has to be the one with the infinity style swimming pool. I can see Malmo and a Mojito quite happily residing poolside.
Another of the outdoor courtyards features an outdoor barbecue. The large sliding doors open up to mean this space feels like an extension of the house in warmer months.
The sunken lounge on a separate level to the kitchen creates a cosy space for the colder months.
Part of what has made the blend between the old and new so successful is the design of the interior with the same simple colour palette and materials being used throughout both parts of the house to knit the old and new together. Many thanks to Tom Robertson for agreeing to let me feature this wonderful home on the blog (all pictures taken by Derek Swallwell). If you would like some further inspiration do go and check out some of the other equally awe inspiring projects the practice has worked on over at Tom Robertson Architects
The Wardrobe
So you were the owner of a gorgeous house like this in the Melbourne suburbs what would be in your wardrobe? I have put together a few ideas for the outfits I might like to slip into to mooch about in the different areas of this beautiful home and included some links in case you want to shop the look to wear in the slightly less sunny UK (surely we deserve a long hot Summer after our house bound Spring?!) . Or perhaps it might just give you some inspiration for how to shop your own wardrobe to create some new lock down outfits. So if you were to be relaxing around that lovely pool (or more realistically in your back garden this Summer) here are a few ideas for what you might like to wear.
Writing this looking out of my bedroom window at a soggy garden it feels slightly hard to imagine slipping into a swimsuit and lying in the warm sunshine but the BBC Weather App assures me sunnier days are on their way and whilst I may not have an infinity pool I do have the garden sprinkler so I may yet make it into swimwear in 2020. The edit I have pulled together below is focused on finding flattering affordable swimwear and accessories that you can feel comfortable sipping your poolside cocktail in. So there are no high cut styles that require you to call in a Combine Harvester to deal with your bikini line in advance and a distinct absence of the thong style bottoms favoured by Love Island contestants and the Kardashian sisters.
From left to right: 1) Candy Striped Cross Over Swimsuit 2) Sage Green Swimsuit, H&M 3) Blush Pink Beach Dress 4) Rust and Cream Polka Dot Swimsuit 5) Straw Beach Tote Bag 6) Leather Strap Sandals 7) Pink Metal Ridge Sunglasses 8) Straw Hat 9) Tortoiseshell Sunglasses
If the McNamara House were mine I think there is a strong possibility that 75% of my time would be spent in that amazing, light filled kitchen. I can imagine myself padding around the marble topped kitchen island or settling down at the dining table to drink a cool ginger beer and read a magazine. Whilst I was wafting around I imagine I would like to dress very much like the kitchen itself in an understated palette of easy neutrals. So below is my edit of where to shop the “Casual Kitchen” look.
From Left to Right: 1) Scalloped Edge Blouse 2) High Waist Jeans 3) Nude Sliders 4) Gold leaf charm necklace 5) Pendant Chain Necklace 6) Polka Dot Blouse 7) Linen T Shirt
As the sun set and evening fell I would prise myself away from the pool or one of the leafy courtyard areas, take a bath in that beautiful sleek white rolltop and then slip into something a little more sophisticated. Obviously in this fantasy my three kids are with their Grandparents for the weekend otherwise I would actually be slipping into saggy bottomed joggers and watching Top Gear/Power Rangers sporting a greasy top knot. The lounge at the McNamara House is divided from the kitchen by a sliding wooden door and was designed to be a cosy, cocooned space with sunken style sofas and it is there I would head in my evening outfit.
Whilst we may not be enjoying any nights out for the foreseeable future I have found that actually scheduling a date night at home and prising myself out of clothing with an elasticated waist for 1-2 hours makes me feel a whole lot better. The pieces I have included in the evening edit below could also be easily dressed up or down so you wouldn’t feel like you had gone too full on Joan Collins if you sashayed/shuffled down the stairs in any of them.
1) Satin Camisole Vest 2) Black Button Down Dress 3) Straw Shoulder Bag 4) Black Strap Dress 5) Personalised Pendant Necklace 6) Satin Midi Dress
I hope you have enjoyed coming to Melbourne with me and visiting the wonderful McNamara House in our mutual day dreams. I look forward to sharing more fashion and furniture fusion with you in some more dream destinations over the next few months.
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