Looking for a house design

Picking a house design is not an easy task when you have a large block that is also sloping. Not sloping in one direction but two. We realised we would have challenges with the block when we bought it but were always confident we would find what we wanted.

We had a list of 'wants':

• open spaces.
• large windows and lots of airflow. breezy.
• natural light.
• a space for indoor doing.
• room for a spa that didn't need a bush track to get to.
• welcoming.
• not big.
• not pretentious.
• be able to see outside while sitting in bed for the morning cuppa.
• maximise views of the mountains.

I also had the idea that the house had to sit 'in' the land rather than be pretentiously perched on it for all to see. It couldn't be like a concrete pimple on a bodybuilder's back. You get my meaning? John wanted a skillion roof from the very first discussion and I understood why. It gives a modern look and would also fit with my idea that the house had to look settled into the landscape. 

We found many photos and drawings online that we thought were the sort of thing we wanted. Here are some of our favourite picks. 

Storybook Designer Homes create homes with High Quality Traditional, Modern & Contemporary Architecture. 

This is a home built in the Samford Valley by baahouse to be a tropical retreat for a granny. It was the big verandahs with huge doors that appealed to us. 

This design by Pivot Homes was one that John found. We were impressed by the large verandah that seemed to float above the landscape. 


I found it very hard to accept that there wasn't a building company in SE Queensland that had the perfect design for us already in a project home. Why not? I think partly because there seems to be the need to squish as much home as possible on your average, now not very large city block. Surely 'acreage' homes would have what we wanted but I was disappointed there also because if you live on acreage you require 4 bedrooms, at least 3 toilets, study, media room, a few lounges, cellar and of course life cannot be lived without a butler's pantry. Note I have called it a butler's pantry not butlers' pantry. Doubt if I will have more than one butler in my lifetime. 

After weeks of searching and lamenting the fact that we might have to go to an architect or draftsperson, a design that looked like a good starting point was found with a GJGardner home. There were things we wanted to change but the bones were there along with 3 toilets for 2 people, 4 bedrooms, office, library and the inevitable scullery. Just another name for a butler's pantry.  

After weeks of back and forth with a patient chap at G. J Gardner, who couldn't quite believe that we didn't want 4 bedrooms, 3 toilets, a spa bath in the ensuite and a library but 'needed' a massive studio, we settled on the design. The garage has been moved to the western side of the house and the powder room has been removed. 

It isn't a big or fancy house. That is not what we want. 
Now we had to work out how to hang it off the hill. How much will be slab and how much stumps and where to plonk it on the property to minimise excavation and build costs, plus line up with the sun? That's enough house planning for one day. Check back soon for my next post. 

A Home in Hoya

There are times in one's life when something beckons that cannot be ignored. 
For John and I this came in 2013. We had the urge to acquire a bit of land so we could eventually "retire to the country." Perhaps it was because Mum and Dad had sold their beautiful cottage at Maleny and whilst we didn't visit as often as we wanted to, we knew it was there. Or maybe it was because we had a desire to start from scratch. The thought of starting gardens on a blank canvas was hard to resist. So we didn't.

Anyway, we found this gorgeous block of land at Hoya, just outside of Boonah. It is in an estate that was once a sheep farm so of course, I am thinking sheep poo and praying that the soil will be rich and fertile.

Hoya is not a large town. According to Wikipedia, it has a population of 273, but all is good because Boonah is just around the corner and 2474 people live there. It boasts a huge IGA, butchers, bakers, a couple of great coffee shops and a hospital. We have plans to utilize all but the hospital.

Fast forward to 2017 and it is time to build. Building a house in the country feels like a big thing to do so why not join us on this "journey" and come along for the ride. We promise to share all the unfortunate details of how to build "A Home in Hoya." 

BLOSSUMS and SHADOWS - Lian Hearn

My first foray into Lian Hearn's writing was the Tales of the Otori which is a series of historical novels based in Feudal Japan. 
I struggled with the characters' names but became totally engrossed in the stories once I remembered who was who. 

Blossums and Shadows is a very different book. It is based on historical events in Japan in the mid 19th Century but is narrated by the fictional character Tsuro. It was a period of internal division and rivalries between the hundreds of domains at a time when the semi-feudal government of the Shogun was beginning to crumble. Coupled with external threats of foreigners who arrived with guns and modern warfare ideas, Japan was in a very volatile state.

Tsuro is the daughter of a local doctor. Being a female, she cannot be a doctor so she works in the pharmacy. Her older sister has been married off and moved away so Tsuro is isolated. Tradition dictates that she too will marry someone of her father's choosing but he is broadminded and allows her some leeway. Eventually Tsuro marries a young doctor but life and love are complicated, particularly when children are not forthcoming and the country is on the brink of war. 

This book has a huge cast; of course with names unfamiliar to me so I am unable to distinguish between christian and surname which seem to be used interchangeably. To make it more difficult, changing one's name on a whim seems to be quite commonplace. It took me days to read the first few pages of the book as I repeatedly had to refer to the character list. The story includes both fictional and real historical people which added to my confusion. 

Perhaps it was my difficulty with the character names or the historical content but I found the book lacked flow at times. I never really understood who Tsuro was despite the difficult and unconventional life she led. The story includes a heady mix of politics, love, war, gender identity issues and male domination, all of which Tsuro tries to describe. I feel it was all a bit much for one character in one story to cover.  



I have had a fascination with Japan since a visit in my early twenties so I have posted some beautiful photos that I found free for public use on the internet. The links are below if you wish to explore more. 

• Cherry Blossum
• Ancient Japanese Tombs
• Chofu, Yamaguchi-Prefecture, Japan

My generous Montville Rose

This is my gorgeous Montville rose growing very happily in the front garden. It was given to me by Mum and is the offspring of her bush in Maleny, Queensland. The bush was huge and I desperately wanted one of my own so Mum, who could never resist growing something for free grew one for me. Quite simple apparently. 

A study of Google, suggests that the Montville rose is actually the Duchess de Brabant, a large, bushy old fashioned rose. 

This glorious specimen is growing at "The Shambles," a private country garden in Montville. 

The photos on their website will make you drool. Take a peek here. 

https://montvillegarden.com






Anyway, the reason I am writing this post is because I have succeeded in growing another from a cutting. 

I realise this looks like a stick with a few leaves sticking out of it growing in a cut off soft drink bottle and yes, it is, but I am very excited. 

I butchered the bush in late March, not the best time to try to grow cuttings in Brisbane. The weather was still hot and humid so chances of success were slim. We were far more likely to end up with a mouldy dead stick. This one brave cutting held on and after a couple of false starts where leaves formed and then dropped off, we now have a strong little beauty with lucious green leaves. 

This is her Mum, 3 months after cutting back. At the time she was touching the eaves and was about 2m across. With a few shots of super fertilizer and plenty of water, she generously flowers continuously for us.

Isn't she beautiful. 

Happy Gardening!

Plant shopping

I have been to the nursery again. This time it was to Templex, in Algester, Brisbane. It is the most amazing nursery you could ever visit and is worth a trip just for the sculptures and ambience even if you don't want to buy a plant. 

Plants are something I cannot resist so this trip was destined to result in some much loved purchases. Here is my bounty.



Abutilon- Chinese Lantern

 These beautiful plants have delicate shaped flowers that look a bit like a petticoat. They come in many colours and can be grown from seed but it is a lottery for which colour the flowers will be, so I have bought a ready made plant. I am hoping to standardise this one so will leave it long and lanky and stake the main trunk. 

Lily Pilly- 'Allyn Magic'

 This is a small Lilly Pilly that I am hoping to grow in this small  red pot as an outdoor table decoration. 

Pratia


This is a delightful ground cover with soft vibrant tiny leaves and flowers. I will divide this so that I can use it for mini potted landscapes. 








Trident Maple

 I have always wanted a maple tree but the climate in Brisbane limits the choices. 

It has now been potted in this gorgeous, simple white ceramic pot that I paid $9 at a roadside pot shop on the way home. 

We have been trying to grow moss for the last few months to put in our pots and at last we have had some success. 
This is not a bonsai. It is a small plant in a lovely little pot. I don't think I will ever be able to produce true bonsai, but I think this little maple is beautiful.

I also bought this stunning pot from the same roadside pot shop. It only cost me $19 and will be perfect for the fig tree that I rescued from the kerbside pickup in the dark one evening. It was lying on the ground in a broken pot and hadn't been cared for in a while. It will be exciting to pot it up and will post photos when it's transformation is complete.  

Happy planting! 

Simplest Peanut Satay Sauce

There are some recipes that are timeless. Do you remember the 70s and 80s when the 'in thing' was the prawn cocktail- nude, little prawns hanging over the side of a dish containing the ubiquitous thousand island dressing? Let's not forget the shredded lettuce. Just in case you have forgotten, I found a photo on Wikipedia to jog your memory.  

I will not dwell on prawn cocktails any longer but rather I will share the simplest peanut satay sauce you will ever make. Many years ago I found a recipe that didn't require roasting peanuts, grinding peanuts, mixing things with the peanuts, etc,etc. It was great and I made it many times but often I would either not have all the ingredients in the house or forget to put something in because I no longer used the recipe. 

Fast forward a few more years and I was looking for tasty recipes for my annual family get together. The weather in Brisbane in April is beautiful and perfect for a barbecue so we decided to cook chicken sticks and sausages and anything else our guests wish to bring with them.

I didn't even look for the recipe this time. 
My peanut satay sauce now has only 3 ingredients.

1 can coconut milk
6 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
3 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce- more if you like it hot.
(This makes a large quantity.)

Method
Heat slowly and stir until well combined.
Simmer until desired thickness.
If the sauce starts to separate, stir vigorously and it will recombine. 

Ideal accompaniment for any meats, to dip raw vegetables in or spice up roasted veggies. 

Sweet Crusted Almonds

Almonds are a great source of protein and make a great snack but in pursuit of making them taste not just delicious but truly amazing, the addition of extras can pack on the calories.

This is another of my low, fat nut recipes. I used raw sugar; only because I didn't have brown sugar when I wanted to cook and a trip to the shop was a bit much. The raw sugar gives them a crunchy, light crust which is delicious.

INGREDIENTS
3 cups of raw whole almonds- about 750g
1/3 cup raw sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon- more or less to taste 
1/2 teaspoon ground rock or sea salt 
1 egg white
1 teaspoon water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 135 degrees Celsius (275F.)

2. Line large baking tray with baking paper.
3. Whisk egg white, vanilla and water until thick and foamy.
4. Add cinnamon, sugar and salt.
5. Whisk until well mixed.
6. Add almonds and stir until evenly coated.  
7. Spread evenly onto baking sheet.
8. Bake for 30 minutes.
9. Stir and separate any that are stuck together.
10. Reduce oven temperature to 100 degrees Celsius (205F) and bake about 30 minutes until dry.  
11. Stir and leave on tray to cool. They will become crisp once cool.
12. Store in airtight container. 

For a bit more of a kick check out my Spicy Spanish Almonds Recipe.