Friday 31 August 2012


SOUTH COAST BEACH HOUSE


                 3 hours from Sydney, and 2 hours from our
farm is a beautiful beach called Narrawallee
Beach. It is quieter than the nearby and
popular Mollymook Beach. Narrawallee
beach is what I can only describe as a 'cosy'
beach. This sheltered bay provides the
quintessential beach for family holidays.
Wide and level, it has lots of rock-pools for
the children and life-guard protection during
the holidays. There is a good walk down to
the other end of the beach with not a house
in sight.

During our first visit to this little town we
were lucky enough to discover an old
house, overlooking the beach, built in the
1950's and needing renovation. The solid
rectangular face-brick building, with ugly
windows and rotting timber-work was just
crying out for a make-over. The size and
structure was excellent. It called for new
windows and doors and a complete internal
refurbishment.

I still have very fond, perhaps sentimental
and old fashioned, memories of holidaying
in my Grand-Parent's beach house as
a small girl. This is the atmosphere I
envisioned for this house. A holiday house
full of nostalgia, filled with furniture and
objects which could provide memories for
my grand-children and their children one
day.

Here are photographs of the original house
and a couple of 'during' photos and the final
result. The house has six bedrooms and six
bathrooms... a great family beach house.
Having already had one family holiday, it
was voted a great success!
Most of these photos were taken very recently during our winter.  I will re-post more in the summer! There are still many blank walls and empty shelves,  but all of this will change over time.

The house before we started renovating


The new entrance

The original deck...

The new deck


The dilapidated side view

The same elevation much improved
The living room in the final stages of completion
The living room completed - taken at Christmas



The living room in the late afternoon light

We bought mostly second-hand furniture which I had recovered.. and below a couple of examples.


The wing back chair looking very smart in the striped fabric.
Two of these adorable tub chairs which swivel... much to the delight of the grandchildren!

The two swivel chairs now in blue and white



The Sunroom before

and after
The kitchen with butler's pantry behind.








The Powder room



The Six bedrooms are in different colours  - red, blue, yellow, green, neutral and the floral above for the master suite.






The downstairs TV/playroom


Bunny and Penny love the beach house and spending time with the babies!

The pool area taken on a winter's day
The outdoor oven
A windy winter's day on the beach

Evening light




Friday 10 August 2012


A WINTER'S DAY ON THE FARM



It's good to be back on the farm!  I am sitting at the dining room table listening to thunderous applause as the men's 800m race is underway.. televised of course!   What a week we've just had watching the Olympics - London 2012.  


As we had stayed on in Europe for two weeks after the kids departed, it was good to catch up with them again in Sydney.  Our "girls" Bunny and Penny (the Shih Tzu's) were overjoyed to see us again. Two months is a long time and they arrived home looking splendid!  Thanks to Jean and Fred in Berry!



After two months of European summer weather, albeit not perfect all of the time,  it's back to the biting cold.  Two very heavy frosts in the past two days and the August winds have   delivered icy gales all day.  Birds being blown about the sky,  wind rushing through the bare branches of the stark winter trees and dust swirling on the drive-way.  John came in for morning tea and we had a general natter about the pruning of the roses and spent a little time looking at holiday photos!  


The girls I had a lovely walk over most of the farm this afternoon.  We started off looking at the Hellebore's that have just come into bloom. How beautiful they looked in the late afternoon light.  The air was crisp and and the countryside looked deceptively warm bathed in the wintry sun.  We visited the sheep and the girls had a go at herding them!  As there are only 7 their efforts were easily rewarded!  After walking down to  the dam which is being cleaned, we  made our way up the steep paddock and along the rain forest boundary, back towards the house.  We could hear the 'thump thump' of the Wallabies who live in the rain forest and Penny dashed off in sheer fright!

Double white Hellebore


These 'dorpers' allow us to get very close

They will be sheared in the spring

The girls practising their herding skills!









Of course a warm cup of tea was just the thing when we got back to the house!