Floods Relief Appeal...

Over the past several weeks our northern neighbours in Queensland [Australia] have been hit incredibly hard with torrential rain, rising rivers, creeks and overflowing dams and a ever creeping flood waters to new areas each day. With this prevalent in our minds - if you're in a position to help - in ANY way please donate your time, food, clothing, toys or money to the Queensland Flood Appeal. Please see below for more details or visit the official Queensland State Government website HERE for more info and secure online donations.
More rain and flooding is expected to arrive to low lying & riverina areas in Victoria & New South Wales. For more information on the flood crisis and weather conditions - visit ABC.net.au and The Weather Channel - Breaking News
To all our families and friends, we are thinking of you & praying for you for this rain & the floods to subside as quickly as they arrived .

Here are some details you can check out to help the relief program
From the Queensland State Government website
Donate online
Make a donation to the Premier’s Disaster relief appeal using a secure payment form.

Donate by phone
0600 – 2300 7 days on 1800 219 028


Donate by internet banking
The account details for donations are:
Account Name: Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal
BSB: 064 013
Account number: 1000 6800
SWIFT code for international donations: CTBAAU2S


Once your transaction is complete, you should record the receipt number for your transaction. If you do not receive a receipt number, contact your financial institution.
If you would like a receipt for tax purposes, please forward a request, with proof of donation to:
Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal
C/O Department of the Premier and Cabinet
PO Box 15185
City East QLD 4002

International donations
The account details international for donations are:
Account Name: Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal
BSB: 064 013
Account number: 1000 6800
SWIFT code: CTBAAU2S

Donate by mail
You can post a cheque donation – please do not send cash.
Cheques should be made payable to:
The Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal
ABN: 69 689 161 916

Cheques should be posted to:
Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal
C/O Department of the Premier and Cabinet
PO Box 15185
City East QLD 4002

Donate in person - Donations can be made at:
Commonwealth Bank
NAB
Westpac
ANZ
BOQ
 Suncorp
St.George Bank
Bank SA (Bank of South Australia)
Australian Central Credit Union
Savings & Loans Credit Union
Bank West
Australian Central Credit Union
Savings & Loans Credit Union
Coles supermarkets.



Last updated 12 January 2011
All above details & info via the QLD State Government site
http://www.qld.gov.au/floods/donate.html

images via 1] Rob Maccoll Source: News Limited  2] & 3] the courier mail

Palatial Living Loves...The Point Perry Beach House

Palatial Living Loves...The Point Perry Beach House. In a recent issue of Habitus Living magazine, is an article featuring the amazing & incredibly stylish 'Point Perry Beach House', located in Coolum Queensland, that was brought back to life in 2008 by award winning architects [2010 Australian Institute of Architects Sunshine Coast House of the Year] Owen and Vokes. Read on... an excerpt from Habitus Living. Enjoy x

+ The Point Perry Beach House

For architects Owen and Vokes it was a respect for the original 1990s beach house and the intricacies of the house site which drove the design of this Sunshine Coast home.On a sloping site in Coolum, Queensland, architect Lindsay Clare designed a classic Sunshine Coast beach house. Almost 20 years on the home, with panoramic ocean views, has been sensitively renewed by architects Owen and Vokes.

“We didn't set out to re-design the original Lindsay Clare House, but rather to preserve its character,” explains Owen and Vokes’ Emma Hodgkinson.The architects made only a few alterations to the existing house, including an extension and re-location of the kitchen and the opening of the rear wall, all helping to connect the living spaces to the landscape beyond.

“Our new work includes a garage 'bunker' with garden over, and the rear extension with verandah access to two bedrooms and two bathrooms.” Most of the original features of the house have been retained – aside from re-painting the home from the original blue to the new crisp white. “[The alterations involved] re-occupation rather than re-modeling, such as inserting new built-in joinery to re-orient the living spaces towards views or to connect with landscape spaces,” Emma says.

The whole project involved making the flow of the home, which is over 5 levels, work for its occupants, rather than a disjointed collection of separate modules. A fibro-clad rear extension has helped to achieve this with a small excavation into the hillside.

Perhaps the most striking addition is the solid timber casements overlooking the courtyard which can be opened or closed for privacy and weather – although as Emma explains, “they have actually only been closed once during a wild storm”.

It appears that with homes such as this – and perhaps this is a broader comment on life itself – it is the restrictions placed upon us, the challenges and the remnants of history that deliver the most creative results.

The project won the 2010 Australian Institute of Architects Sunshine Coast House of the Year.

If you liked this house, you’ll love the home of writer John Birmingham, also by Owen and Vokes, in the upcoming Issue 09 of Habitus magazine – out September 2010.

Owen and Vokes - owenandvokes.com

Photographer: Jon Linkins

Images & Excerpt via Habitus Living magazine.

 

I'm Back....

I'm back from my lovely 'Baby-Moon' holiday where we spent a sublime week away in tropical Far North Queensland - a favourite spot of ours - Port Douglas! If you haven't had a chance to visit this gorgeous place I highly recommend that you put it on your map to visit. I love the Sunday markets held down near the Sugar Wharf - where freshwater pearls [I love them] are in abundance, as are many other fabulous pieces from local craftsman & artists.
I visited one of my favourite stores up there 'Bellismo', where the ladies are so lovely and the store always has some thing I can take home - even if it has to fit into a suitcase! There, I found some fabulous resin-crystal-look drawer knobs, that I have decided to use on a chest of drawers in my bedroom that I hope to refurbish soon, once I have a little more energy [not necessarily time!] when 'Baby Verity' has arrived!

Thank you for continuing to stop by at Palatial Living whilst I have been away on holiday... you're continued support means so much to me! S x

Images from [image 1] Flickr - Craig Ridley Photography ; [image 2] Architectual Classics & [image 3] Touches-Interiors UK