Perth Voice Interactive

THE sights and smells—everything about this bungalow is so right.

I would be so happy living here, I muse, thinking about author Alain de Botton’s international bestseller, The Architecture of Happiness.

In the 2006 book, de Botton discusses connection between emotions and environment.

He says the walls, chairs, buildings and streets surrounding us affect whether we’re happy, miserable or so-so.

“An ugly room can coagulate any loose suspicions as to the incompleteness of life, while a sun-lit one set with honey-coloured limestone tiles can lend support to whatever is most hopeful within us,” an excerpt reads.

My heart yearns for this three-bedroom home, and its strange ability to inspire me. It’s not a multimillion-dollar mansion, but it hits the right notes on so many levels.

The morning sun soothes my tired eyes at the kitchen bench, and I dream of sharing a bottle of red with my gal pals here later.

The loft would make a great art studio–or children’s room, teenage retreat or office. The kitchen has a gas stove and timber floors stretch to almost every corner—a double tick of approval in my books. I walk outside, past the covered alfresco dining area, to the garden where a fruiting lemon tree stands.

There are little things which give this 18-year-old house character: the black floor tiles in the bathroom (because plain white can be so vanilla), ceiling roses around light fittings and decorative cornices.

The entrance door, which has a quaint stained-glass window, goes out to a little courtyard before opening up to the double carport. Sitting in a corner, garbage bins with “I love North Perth” stickers on them.

I hear you, bins, I love this inner-city suburb, too.

Across the road, lined with jacaranda trees, is a park with a swing set and flying fox (the best piece of play equipment, ever, according to my seven-year-old self).

I drive away and notice nearby street art of giant Scrabble letters forming the unmeaning word “imagne”. There is a cunning gap between the ”g” and “n” to force onlookers to fill it with the letter “i”. In my head, I tell the artwork to get stuffed. “You mean ‘drm’, right?” my inner voice retorts.

Because, right now, as someone not saving to buy property, to imagine that house could be my own feels like passing an attractive stranger on a busy street.

by EMMIE DOWLING

15B Seldon St, North Perth
From $875,000
Theo Kouroulis 0411 751 377
Nik Zounis 0418 913 456
Paragon Property 9227 6666