Mid-century Pettit and Sevitt home tour

Our love of mid-century architecture drew us to our home - a Pettit + Sevitt house designed by Ken Woolley in Cheltenham, NSW in Sydney's north west - and with a few small tweaks, we made it our own and after six years, have now passed it on to its new owner. Read on for before and after photos, including a fairly dramatic kitchen makeover!

Sydney For Kids: Fifties Fair

This Sunday is a fun day on the Sydney festival calendar, and an even more exciting day for those of us with an interest in Australian architecture and design. The Fifties Fair, presented by the Historic Houses Trust, is an annual event celebrating the decade of the fifties at the glorious mid-century modern Rose Seidler House.

The Fifties Fair is a family-friendly event with live music encouraging dancing (jive and rock n' roll), a 50's DJ, rockabilly dancers, vehicle displays, specialist collectors and dealers and kids' activities. Although not compulsory, attendees are encouraged to join the spirit and dress with 50's flair, with a chance to win a prize at the Fifties Fair fashion awards.

The Rose Seidler House is the first house commissioned for architect Harry Seidler after arriving in Australia. The house was built for his parents Rose and Max between 1948 and 1950 and is one of the finest examples of mid-century modern architecture. The house was the first in Australia to embrace open plan living, minimalist colour schemes and built-in wardrobes and fully embraces the modern concept of indoor-outdoor living. Read more about the Rose Seidler House at the Historic Houses Trust website.

A little birdie told me that the 2011 Fifties Fair is likely to be the last due to the impact upon the Rose Seidler House, so if it's on your to-do list, this year is the year!

Details:
Rose Seidler House
71 Clissold Road, Wahroonga, NSW 2076

Sunday 21st August, 2011
10.00am — 5.00pm
General $25, Conc/member $2, Family $70 - tickets available at the gate

A free shuttle bus will operate between Turramurra train station and Rose Seidler House for the duration of the event.

Images: Jody Pachniuk (except Rose Seidler House from Historic Houses Trust)

Greenhouse by Joost in Sydney

We managed to get a weekend afternoon to ourselves recently, so took the opportunity to take in the amazing Annie Liebovitz exhibition at the Sydney Museum of Contemporary Art. It was inspiring, touching and a great way to spend a rainy afternoon.

On the stroll back through the drizzle, we decided to check out the Greenhouse by Joost pop-up restaurant on it's last day.





I knew it was a great concept (sustainable, fresh food in an eco-friendly makeshift temporary restaurant on the harbour), but was taken back by how gloriously perfect the structure was, perched in a quiet spot next to the Overseas Passenger Terminal. The edgy shape, the eye-popping colour, the sweet David Bromley artwork, the wall made entirely of strawberry pot plants, the truly amazing view and the small footprint made it an really exciting piece of architecture.

There was an umbrella-carrying line right out the door for service on the last day, so we didn't get to try the goods inside. But I've heard rumours that the pop-up restaurant may come back to stay later this year; let's keep our fingers (and toes) firmly crossed.

Images: Steph Bond Hutkin

Event: Melbourne Open House

This is a doozy. If you happen to be in Melbourne on Sunday 19th July 2009, you can't miss the amazing Melbourne Open House program. For this day only, the general public will have access to explore 32 of some of Melbourne's most significant buildings for FREE.

This is the second year of the program (held as part of the State of Design Festival), and hidden gems will be available to explore such as Melbourne’s oldest substation, Storey Hall, Melbourne Town Hall and Council House 2 (CH2). The area will encompass precincts off a central axis along Collins and Swanston Streets. A large number of the buildings are conducting tours including the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Federation Square. There is also a great photography competition to enter on the day so please bring your camera.

Melbourne Open House is on Sunday 19 July, 2009 from 10am to 5pm. Here is the 2009 program to help you plan your day. Trams connect most of the buildings, making it a great (and green) way to get around.

Images: Fifteen Restaurant, Manchester Unity Building, Russell Place Substation and Council House 2 - Lachlan Doig via Melbourne Open House

Events: Park(ing) Day

Start planning now for the annual Park(ing) Day event, held yearly in September. Part public art project - part activism, Park(ing) day is devoted to turning public car parking spots in urban areas into mini parks. Goodbye concrete and cars, and hello greenery, grass and chill-out zones.

In 2007, more than 150 temporary parks sprung to life in parking spots in over 50 cities worldwide. Park(ing) Day was conceived by REBAR, a San Francisco-based art collective. It is also supported by The Trust For Public Land and Public Architecture. It's a great way to make a statement, have some fun, and create some public art, which all our cities need. Anyone can get involved and makeover a public carpark by joining on the Park(ing) Day Website. This year, the event will be held on September 19th, 2008.

Image: The Trust For Public Land on Flickr