THE Perth tram line extension in 1900 led to a building boom in Mt Lawley as lower middle-class workers flocked to the area. The new residents included shopkeepers, and this Grosvenor Road home started life as a grocery store with living quarters at the rear. These days the chic home is a sought-after-address for the…

LOOKING like it could be from the pages of Vogue, this Bayswater home was co-designed and built by the owner. With only 250sqm to play with he ensured there was no dead space in this three-bedroom house on Slade Street. In the spacious kitchen there’s lovely Calcatta stone benchtops, which contrast elegantly with black-fronted cupboards,…

AS I admired the huge main bedroom and gorgeous en suite, I failed to notice the city skyline from the balcony of this Bedford home. In my defence I didn’t realise the city was so close, but it’s hard to miss once you look, and it no doubt made a stunning backdrop for the recent…

SANTA CLAUS would feel right at home amongst all the Baltic timber in this Inglewood home. The minute you step inside this Macaulay Crescent home, the terracotta floors, pine panelling and support beams create a rustic feel. The formal lounge is redolent of a picture-perfect Crimbo with a natural stone fireplace to hang stockings, flanked by…

A HUGE peppermint tree on the verge casts shade over this delightful semi-detached, timber cottage in Mt Lawley. Built at the turn of the century this Ebsworth Street home oozes quaint charm, from the wrought iron lace trim on the bullnosed verandah, with its graceful turned posts, to the lovely pressed-tin dado walls inside. Beautiful jarrah…

THIS inner-city home may look like your typical 1900s semi-detached, but it isn’t. The huge timber front door, with its metal studs and massive iron knocker, wouldn’t look out of place in Game of Thrones, giving an inkling of what’s to come inside. The original section of this Bulwer Street house is typical of its…

NEW YORK chic meets industrialism in this two-storey townhouse in Highgate. Designed to have two bedrooms, the owner didn’t want to be fenced in, so the second level was converted into an open lounge area with a cute study nook set in a wall of faux ivy. Should the new owners want two bedrooms, dividing…

THIS 1930s North Perth home looks so authentic from the outside you could imagine catching it on an episode of The Sullivans. With its white picket fence, rose beds and neat front lawn, I could picture Grace Sullivan waving the kids off to school from the wrap-around-verandah, or Dave playing cricket with them on the…

GOLDEN orbs hang like exotic ear rings from an angel trumpet tree, its fragrant scent enhancing a vine-covered alfresco. There’s many delights at this Mt Lawley home, from a front courtyard protected by high hedges – creating a tranquil, sun-filled nook – to the numerous art deco features. Federation tiles add to the genteel elegance…

I’VE always had a soft spot for Inglewood. It has larger, better-value blocks than Mt Lawley and you are still really close to the Beaufort Street strip. This gorgeous three-bedroom home on Crawford Road is on a 562sqm block and has plenty of traditional features including high ceilings, jarrah floorboards and decorative ceilings. But don’t…