75 Undercliff Rd Freshwater has sold to a local buyer.

One of my all time favourites sold on the weekend – through the combined listing of Clarke & Humel and LJ Hooker Seaforth. Chenchow Little design… Robyn Boyd winner.

$4.5million well spent!

Confessions first up – I love Ballarat. It’s where my family came from, it’s where my Mum was born and all my lovely Aunties and Uncles and Cousins and second cousins – well, where I have been visiting family for my whole life.

So – now you have it. I like the place – a lot. From it’s now filled lake, to the wicked black swans, to the great white Arch of Victory…and all the humble plaques attached to the darkened trees on the Avenue of Honour.

I love the wisps of smoke that stand out grey against the dark pine trees of Soldiers Hill, and the way the rain goes sideways when it pelts down on Lydiard St.

And I can’t believe how blessed I am to be able to go into the Art Gallery and stand right there, in the quiet darkness, and gaze upon the Eureka Flag.

It has done nothing short of  break my heart to watch this heritage slip away, the beautiful town be wilfully destroyed by a series of inept, thoughtless, gutless councillors who have sold the soul of this once magnificent city.

You can’t imagine, those of you who have never visited, how simply glorious were many of these gold rush homes, and stores. Their perfect and enormous proportions, endless lace work and deep bullnose verandahs and towers of bay windows and gardens! Oh the gardens! Gorgeous. Irreplaceable. And gone.

Oh, some have managed to cling on to life… so far.

Such as the Bishops Palace at 1444 Sturt St.

Isn’t she beautiful?

The Bishops Palace Ballarat

It must have been an act of God that has saved her from destruction.

She’s on the market again – by tender. Closes next month.

Let us all bow our heads and pray that she’ll live on a bit longer …and that the Chinese don’t buy her.

The Block, House Rules, The renovators have all pretty much shown husband and wife creative building teams as troublesome, and very rarely successful from a commercial point of view. It is with great delight that I draw attention to a company driven by a couple who are simply brilliant at what they do.

Larke Property Group (www.larke-property-group.com) specialising in grand and gorgeous homes that suit small or large acreage situations – that way they can let their imaginations run wild. The current home ont he market is through LJ Hooker Dural … and comes complete with every contemporary convenience. But more important…it’s a delight for the eyes.

34 Wyoming Rd Dural – exceptional.

Rarely does a house shock me, and even more rarely is that shock welcome, so believe me when I say this is a one in a million property, that I would walk over hot stones to own.

Over 6 levels (you enter on level 2) the property sits dramatically against the cliff face – it’s sandstone features often acknowledged by the architecture.

Concrete construction is not hidden as the enormous view – which reaches as far as the Opera House pours into ever room.

Proportions are superb and the every design element unique and sublime.

The ensuite? Out of this world.

Impressive doesn’t even touch this one. If you have $7 million – spend it here. It’ll break the current $6.7 current record, as it should.

Prue Miller writes a column for the Sunday Telegraph

This house has many design aspects that make it an outstanding home  and really, how often do you see sequined bathrooms?

Okay, maybe they are not actual sequins, but the tiles in the main bathrooms of 100 Seaforth Crescent glimmer and sparkle so wonderfully that it takes a minute before you realise the other luxuries  top quality marble on the floor and walls, top of the range towel heaters, recessed rainwater shower heads as well as an expensive hand held head and..in the corner a little spotlight that’s sole job is to make the tiles in the shower wall sparkle.

Odd to start off a house review with a bathroom review, but it is a microcosm of the attention to detail that lifts what is already a boldly designed home to the next level of luxe.

The travertine steps guide visitors throught he garden before arriving under the high portico, with a bright blue splash of lap pool an added delight. Despite the large proportions here the ceiing height and big openings are all to scale, with pale rectangle travertine a palet companion to the white walls with strong black accents.

There are double black remote controlled blinds on all the windows, and additional privacy provided for in the main lounge with a stylish slatted screen that hides neighbours but accentuates the pool and lower level courtyard.

Living space is in issue – there is so much of it.

At the front of the house the formal lounge and dining room oen almost entirely to a wide deck and that peaceful view to the water broken up by the knarled branches of distant trees.

The kitchen doesn’t take centre stage, which is a nice change.

The kitchen design breaks with the current trend of central and enormous hubs, deciding to fit into the sleek ,overall design, rather than dominate any aspect of the wide open living room.

Downstairs and the bedrooms, all with concealed wall mounted TV’s, have beautiful aspects. The master looking toward the water, the three others with doors to the central landscaped courtyard which doubles as a light well to the whole floor.

Garage, storeage  space for a wine cellar are the offerings of the lower level.

From the LED lighting on the pool’s (adjustable) waterfall, through to the glamorous statement stainless steel and glass accents the property is not only solidly sand imaginatively built it has been but brought up to the next level with excellent attention to detail.

Absolutely worth a look.

Prue Miller is a columnist with the Sunday Telegraph and writes for The Manly Daily

26 Molong is the star of the Windy Dropdown estate

BUILDER and owner Peter Trew has been in the building game a long time and is perhaps not easily impressed, but when he saw this block of land he knew it was something very special.”I couldn’t believe you could get this sized block, especially on top of a cliff, in a gated community,” he said during our walk around his simply sublime home.

He attributed the success of this three storey ocean side retreat to his great relationship with leading North Shore architect Mark Hercum.

“We understood each other,” said Peter of their easy and successful collaboration on this solid as a rock home.

Their clever, though unconventional decisions have made this house immensely liveable. The pool for instance, an elevated 15m strip of brilliant blue, is placed down the side the house, rather than in the conventional location across the front of the house.

“It’d be crazy out there – the winds can be strong,” said Peter. At the side of the house there is complete privacy, well proportioned shade and the chance to interact with the central courtyard where family and friends have fun while watching the kids swim, or splash along with the little kids in the brilliantly conceived 15m companion pool.

Nor have they wasted space with exterior decks on the cliff side of the house. The lounge room appears to jut out into the ocean, a sensuous 300 degree curved glass wall wraps around the creme carpeted expanse, with sliding doors that open wide, with people protected behind elegant balustrading.

A few steps away is the dining area and then the cool recess of the giant kitchen. Dark mushroom tones are a welcome contrast to the bright light of the glass walls, and the well outfitted culinary centre can cater for any number of lucky guests.

It is an entertainers’ home; one floor down (though it can be overlooked from the gantry) is a generous room with space for the pool table, screening area, wet bar and huge opening to the driveway bay.

Architecture than embraced the site makes this property extraordinary.

Despite the big proportions of everything here (even the translucent front door is enormous) the dynamic layout allows for continuing interest as rooms and views reveal themselves slowly.

Sleeping quarters are plentiful, with options for guests, children, even a nursery space (or study) is located near the exceptional master suite. Here again curves are celebrated, with a very private terrace offering a view to the ocean’s horizon. It’s hard to think what luxury is missing here – when asked if he could think of anything he may have missed Peter’s gaze turned out toward the ocean.

“A helipad. And this house is so strong it could take it,” he said with well deserved pride in a grand property.

Prue Miller is a journalist with News Ltd and can be read in The Sunday Telegraph, The Daily Telegraph and The Manly Daily

Superb at every turn.

PERHAPS it was the glistening drive around the Serpentine, winding my way down to Bilgola Ave, but by the time I came across home owner Rowena McGilvray watering the front garden, with 4yr old son Ben at her side, I was already in love with this house.

Rowena is the creative soul behind this boldly beautiful home which she has not gutted, but rather renovated to perfection. She explained on the way up the wide and welcoming front stairs that it was she who determined to make the steps this wide, and to keep the font of the house, including the front door, filled with simple glass.

“I wanted this house to be welcoming from the moment you arrived here.” And it is. From that front door the home seems to open up, with your line of sight immediately drawn through the house, through the enormous opening to the terrace (central to the living areas of the house) and out to the towering cabbage palms.

The main living area is a very big space, though not cavernous, nor fussy. The broad planks of the floor are not highly polished; the planks milled from recycled timber found in a Lidcombe factory. The ceiling retains the original battens, that intersect around the perfectly chosen overhead fans that lazily spin from their well designed fittings  around the house. A casual, classy Hamptons feel has rarely been captured so well.

As we stop for a cup of tea, there is time to admire the very long `kitchen’ bench topped in a gold flecked marble, over white painted cabinetry. The teas are, however, made in the very generous walk through butler’s pantry.

Across from here is another lounge area, that fits around an enormous fireplace with a sandstone clad chimney breast, besides which is a special spot I had admired in pictures, and quite literally adored in real life. The perfect window seat. “We all fight over who gets to sit here,” said Rowena as Ben jumped up to show me how he could stretch all the way out and still have room to spare.

As we walk toward the rear of the house, we pass three three large bedrooms where the McGilvrays’ four children rest their lucky heads and then enter their lounge wing.

“They have their own entrance,” said Rowena, pointing to the rear boundary through more enormous windows.

While Rowena and Ben struggle with a stubborn toy I went up stairs to the master bedroom, with it’s cute cape cod roof lined and painted timber ceilings and ample ensuite. Ben ran up the stairs and assures me it is a “loverly “house.

“The bones of this house,” said Rowena with admiration, “they were here when we arrived, and we couldn’t make it any better than it was.” However, I disagree. She is a highly talented designer and decorator, who has created a stunning family home that is more than welcoming, it is enchanting.

Prue Miller is a journalist with News Ltd and can be read in The Sunday Telegraph, The Daily Telegraph and The Manly Daily – on paper and online.