H&G EDITOR’S LETTER
AUSTRALIAN HOUSE & GARDEN / 15CONTRIBUTORS
W
hocanresistagoodrenovation
saga,anoften-emotionaltale
of desire (owner’s), passion
(design professionals) and envy (readers)?
Iloveourrenovationissuesandthehuman
behaviours they reveal and provoke. Other
people’s renovation journeys can have you
applauding their resourcefulness and
fortitude,orperhapsfeelingawistfulpang
ofenvyasyouidentifyyour‘dream’home
on the pages before you. Many readers
will tear-sheet an idea they’ve been trying
toarticulate,lookupbrandsontheiPad
whileturningthepagesandsnapclever
solutionsontheirphone(Iknowit’snot
just me).
The great thing about a renovation-mad
nation is that the narrative is ever-evolving,
with themes driven by available housing
stock and location, not to mention wildly
differentbudgets,needs,personal
philosophies and renovating styles.REMODEL
CITIZENS
When we renovated, a little over a
decade ago, newspapers beneath the f loors
dated the less-than-marvellous extension
that had preceded our purchase (that and
the glass brick bathroom wall). A discarded
wedding ring in the bathroom drawer
pointed to the reason for the hasty make-
over. As we prepare to undertake a bit
more work on the house, it amuses and
slightly terrifies me that ’90s homes and
renovations are now being dismantled.
Fashions shift, of course, and every new
nester will want to make their mark.
Families expand and contract, and homes
need to adapt. A well-designed, well-built
home will do so too and, as architect
Caroline Pidcock points out this issue,
will be more sustainable over time.
This issue runs the gamut of renovation
projects: a single-level red-brick bungalow,
f loorplan f lipped to suit a young family;
a ’70s architect-designed townhouse
tweaked but honoured by an appreciative
couple; a weatherboard cottage raised and
extended to welcome grandma; an elegant
urban terrace revamped to welcome in
children and glamour (no, they’re not
mutually exclusive); and a ’90s coastal
home adapted to suit a blended family.
Good stories all.
Meanwhile, we’re a tiny bit excited about
delving into the entries in our $25,
design competition, My Ideal House. The
shortlisted finalists will be revealed next
issue. Don’t miss out on seeing what the
next generation of family home promises.HELEN YOUNG
Gardening expert
This month we tour the
winning gardens in our
biennial Garden of the Year
competition. Helen, H&G’s
go-to gal for all things
gardening, was a willing
judge. “I relish the chance for
gardeners show me their
gardens,” she says. “It seems
to me that gardeners are
always lovely people. And
the way they express
themselves in a garden can
be so different.”ROSA SENESE
Subeditor and writer
This month Rosa covered the
transformation of an
inner-Sydney terrace into a
family haven (page 108). “I’ve
covered many fields as a
wordsmith but I find home
stories to be particularly
revealing and always
inspirational,” she says. “The
way people experience their
living environment says so
much about modern
Photograph by Darren McDonald (Lisa). relationships and values.”