Not sure why I put myself through the anguish of traipsing through the Open Houses of houses I'll never own. Because I generally fall in love with each house and can imagine my Hang-it-all near the front door, my Marimekko blinds flapping in the breeze and paintings hanging from various walls. Hang-it-all.
I went to the Taringa House with its 2423 squared metres of landscaped gardens to be subdivided into four blocks.
I went to the Taringa House with its 2423 squared metres of landscaped gardens to be subdivided into four blocks.
The following blurb is from the Real Estate agent's "Memorandum of Information" ...
"The iconic 4 bedroom home was designed and built in 1952
by architect and author Colin Russell Gibbons, who fashioned it on the design of a futuristic house on
display at the NYC’s Museum of Modern Art. It was home for 60 years to Australian academic Max
Poulter and his wife Barbara Baxter Goodman, a prominent film editor and reporter for the British
Information Services in the 1950’s and 60’s.
The home remains a virtual snapshot of the 1950’s including the butterfly roof, polished wooden
floors, raked ceilings and exposed outdoor rock walls that extend into the home."
by architect and author Colin Russell Gibbons, who fashioned it on the design of a futuristic house on
display at the NYC’s Museum of Modern Art. It was home for 60 years to Australian academic Max
Poulter and his wife Barbara Baxter Goodman, a prominent film editor and reporter for the British
Information Services in the 1950’s and 60’s.
The home remains a virtual snapshot of the 1950’s including the butterfly roof, polished wooden
floors, raked ceilings and exposed outdoor rock walls that extend into the home."
With its downstairs studio and granny-flat.
See how the gorgeous stone wall extends through the glass to the front entry? Imagine the ceramics that would call that little display case home. Imagine me kissing the floor.
Windows. Windows. Everywhere.
With its slate floors and timber-lined walls.
There were cupboards everywhere.
Room divider. I love you.
I told the agent I'd buy the house just for that.
The agent rolled her eyes and then told me she expects the three bedroom, two bathroom house to sell for more than $800,000.00 which means, straight up, that the Solid Gold Dancers won't be calling it 'home'.
I followed some a couple (hoping my dogged proximity would scare them off) who asked if the hundred-year old trees were protected?! You know what that means ... So long, house with rambling gardens.
But before I went to the Taringa House, I checked out a very cheap house in Kenmore. It was really cheap, and needs a lot of work, but by-crikey it could end up stunning and screaming '70s chutzpah!'
Again, I started imagining cement pots of mother-in-laws tongues sitting happily with butterfly chairs.
That's nothing a high-pressure water hose and tins of black exterior paint can't fix.
Hello timber walls and groovy tiles. Goodbye poxy carpet which would be best taking a leaf out of cork-tiling's book.
Unfortunately the house was tiny with three little bedrooms, two bathrooms with no rumpus room in sight, and the photo of the owner on the wall freaked me out.
One day good readers, I'll shock you all and reveal the one we do eventually buy, but until then you've got to see all the ones in between.
That last little house looked great too. If it was cheap, cheap would that mean you could have a little bit of money left for a sympathetic extension? But that Taringa house is very special. Apparently the gardens were the work of Arne Fink who is lauded as one of Brisbane's best landscape architects of that period. He collaborated with architect Dr Karl Langer when doing residential work. And don't worry, I torture myself all the time too...these mid-century homes are so out of reach. Only rich people with illusions of property development megalomania can afford them!!
ReplyDeleteI knew you'd love the Taringa House. You know, your comment about a sympathetic extension has me thinking! Damn you! I think having a 70s blank canvas may satisfy the unsatisfied architect in me. Is that so stupid?
Deletehaha. The first one- definately no dishwasher in that kitchen, and imagine all the grimy fingerprints you'd be FOREVER cleaning off the glass windows! 2nd one looks cosy, but yep, that pic of the owner probably doesnt come off that wall! Eeek!
ReplyDeleteBec, I'd chisel the owner's pic off the wall if I had to.
DeleteI love seeing them! I'm imagining myself in the granny suite of the first one. sigh.
ReplyDeletexo
You're no granny, lady.
DeleteSo near and yet so far.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think of the second one? Renovation potential? Extend and put on another bedroom and rumpus room?
DeleteWhen you think about it, the first one is not overpriced if you can sell 3 blocks of land.
DeleteBut, nasty to the house which is obviously designed for that precious site.
I think the second one has so much potential.
Best to buy the worst house in the street and renovate it as the funds increase.
You could put your own stamp on it as you go.
As long as you all fit in it now and for a while.
And is that the suburb you want?
Second house under offer. Too late.
DeleteI love both houses, you could do magic with both of them.
ReplyDeleteI know, sister. I know. Cheaper the better at my age though.
DeleteIt makes me feel ill to think that someone was hinting at tearing down that gorgeous first house. It's a shame the second one turned out to be too small. I have a feeling we will be looking at a lot of "in betweens" too before we find the perfect house. I hope you find something soon!
ReplyDeleteThe fact they wanted to cull hundred-year-old trees was enough for me. I think the house may be safe. There were some architect-types wafting about, so I have hope.
DeleteI'm now thinking of how the second one could be extended. That would allow me to renovate a 70s house and build something groovy! What do you think? We couldn't move in for a year though which would give me time to cull.
Surely there is someone out there who loves this kind of house & is happy to pay that kind of money? Anyone, anyone???
ReplyDeleteMoney doesn't buy class. I always say it and I generally believe it. 'Old money' doesn't exist any more. It's all about new money and new things.
DeleteIf I win the lottery I'll buy it for you but only if you'll put a bed for me next to the room divider so I can stare at it all night.
ReplyDeleteOh dear. Must we all tie ourselves to trees in the Taringa House garden. It is very you, Ms MMMC. Alas we often end up in a compromise which we make our own. I NEVER intended to live in a farmhouse but here we are! Whatever you end up with will scream 70's Chutzpah once you put your maxi frocked leg on the threshold!
ReplyDeleteChin up Lady, think of the house hunting as keeping us in house porn. Happy to help decorate when you do though! X
ReplyDeleteI think house two had lots of potential, as long as you can all fit or rent somewhere else while you reno it's doable ( says she who has survived a reno by the skin of her teeth)- it all starts to fade away once you are home though. Keep looking, when it's right, you will know and act swiftly. There were four other offers for Betsy and ours was not the highest but boy did we fight for her, and she was not the house I was looking for either. mel x
ReplyDeleteIts taken me till now to download the pics. Oh very my! It is so splendid! In fact even that original kitchen is pretty loveable. The red doors, the hoppers, the light! That would be a hard one to walk past. There have been some good mid century ones around Kenmore and the Gap recently.
ReplyDelete