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THE VERY BEST OF APARTMENT LIVING

Movies where apartments are stars

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27LEVEL TWO

Lifestyle

43LEVEL THREE

Strata Facts

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ContentsTITLE | THE VERY BEST OF APARTMENT LIVING | ISSUE TWO

Contact us and subscribe

- Page 12

TITLE| FROM THE EDITOR

OUR CREW

Publisher and Editor: Jimmy Thomson

Head Writer: Sue WilliamsArt director: Scott Cassidy

Photography: Lorrie Graham Sub-editors: Louise Cheung, Virginia Addison

Contributors: Toni Eatts, Alessandro Guarrera, Michael Murillo, Anna

Washington, Isobel Mackie, Kathleen Mansfield and Susan Wellings

Advertising : Marni Groves

:

Distribution Manager: David Groves

Office Cats: Mac and Pepper

Title - bringing you the very best in apartment livingThere's something about apartment living that brings out the snoop in the best of us. Whether it's overhearing conversations in the lift, being a little too vigilant about who is breaking what by-laws or rules, or just sticking our noses in where they don't belong, living in high-rises makes it just a little too easy.

And the bad news is that technology we all carry around with us makes it even easier to spy on our neighbours - and for them to keep a watchful eye on us. You'll find that story on page 72.

Meanwhile, there's plenty of positives in the rest of the magazines with pages of bathroom designs, quality fiction, 10 pages of travel, eating out, a peek inside a fabulous apartment block, a look at movies where apartments were the stars and so much more.

Meanwhile we have boosted our presence on the Internet, with our website (www.titlemagazine.com.au) going gangbusters so you can still enjoy Title in between our printed publications.

And we have a new Mission Statement:

Giving apartment residents fresh, entertaining and authoritative information to help them make the most of their chosen lifestyle.Other changes? For those of you who don't get the magazine delivered, we are now going to be available in newsagents, and we are starting a subscription service to cover the cost of printing and postage for those of you who miss out on all fronts.

We have expanded a couple of sections covering travel and new developments and ‘rested’ a couple of other pages (see if you notice what's missing).

In fact, we would love to hear from you. If you have any questions or comments, negative or positive, about any aspect of Title, please email me directly at editor@titlemagazine.com.au.

If you would like to join our growing band of advertisers (without whom none of this would be possible) email sales@titlemagazine.com.au.

And if you would like to discuss the possibility of Title being delivered to your building, email delivery@titlemagazine.com.au.

Otherwise, sit back and enjoy all we have to offer, whether it's a taste of romantic fiction or some practical advice about insurance.

And while you're doing that, we will already be working on our next magazine that will be coming out in June.

Jimmy Thomson

Title is published by Titlemag Australia Pty Ltd, PO Box 958, Potts Point, NSW 1335

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“The ‘Keeler’ chair is now in the V&A Museum alongside the original.”

Joe Orton and our very own Dame Edna, Barry Humphries. The chair now resides in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London alongside the Arne Jacobsen original that ‘inspired’ it. Morley bought the chair for five shillings (about 50 cents) in 1960. Cult Designs of Sydney will sell you a genuine Series 7 chair for between $500 and $750 and one of the special editions for $1090.

MICROPADS MAKE FLATTING AFFORDABLE

They are built in a factory and slotted together like Lego bricks, they come with fold-out beds, are between 25 and 35 square meters in size, and they could provide affordable housing for which the world’s cities are so desperate.

Sexiest chair turns 60 It is arguably the sexiest chair in the world and if you are drawn to timeless Danish style, with a ‘Swinging London’ frisson, this is the seat to put at your dining table. For this year only you can snap up special 60th anniversary editions of the Arne Jacobsen Series 7 chairs, in black, or pink with gold legs. The often copied classic design is sometimes called the Christine Keeler chair after the model who posed so provocatively on one during the Profumo Scandal in Britain in the ’60s, when it was discovered that she was having affairs with a Government Minister, John Profumo, and a Russian diplomat at the same time. The Keeler chair is a cheaper copy of the chair Jacobsen designed for Republic of Fritz Hansen in 1955, with a hand-hold cut in the back in an effort to avoid copyright problems. Photographer Lewis Morley, who spent his latter years here in Australia, also used it for photographs of TV personality David Frost, playwright

New York City has just relaxed its building codes to allow for much smaller units to accommodate young singles, mainly. And a firm called nArchitects won a design competition to create micro apartments on a lot at East 27th Street (above). The units will be rented out, most likely to students and young people who struggle to find homes in a market where tenants and tourists are increasingly competing for the same living spaces.But it’s not just the size that makes these units an attractive proposition. The modular design means they can be constructed more quickly and cheaply compared to traditionally built highrises. Each unit is roughly the size of a shipping container – and since some people are having to live in those already, the micro apartments could find an eager market here.

User-pays service deliversThere’s a constant balance in apartment blocks between the level of facilities owners want and the levies or fees they are prepared to pay. The Advanx scheme in Sydney’s Rushcutters Bay was set up specifically to sidestep the costs of resort-style facilities so popular

TITLE | NEWS

in other blocks, partly because there are so many public facilities nearby.Also, comprising a number of self-contained buildings, there was no front desk and therefore no obvious base for a concierge service. However, building manager Nick Perdikaris discovered that there was a need for some of the services concierges provide. “It turned out that some residents would have liked to have a concierge, for jobs like picking up parcels and dry cleaning and arranging car washes and things like that,” he says. “So I started a user-pays system where residents can choose services off a

menu and call up as they need them. They can either subscribe to the service or just get a bill at the end of the month. In return, they come home and parcels and other deliveries are already in their homes, waiting for them. “People seem to really appreciate it and it has been so successful I have had to take another person on. Now I’m looking to expand the service to other buildings.”

AIRBNB HOST HOOKED

A New York City man has been evicted from his low-rent apartment after he listed it on Airbnb. Our sister website flat-chat.com.au reports that a Manhattan Housing Court judge ruled Henry Ikezi, who lives in the Hell’s Kitchen neighbourhood, was guilty of “profiteering” after listing his apartment on Airbnb for US$649 per night – three times what he paid for the rent-controlled unit.Izeki said he had been living in the apartment with his family, only hosting tourists occasionally, but the judge was not convinced. “Using a residential apartment as a hotel room and profiteering off of it is ground for eviction .�.�. as it undermines a purpose of the Rent Stabilization Code,’’ he wrote in his 12-page ruling.In New York, it is illegal to rent an entire home or apartment for fewer than 29 days. Here in Australia, holiday home rental agencies are resisting attempts to keep short-term lets out of apartment blocks. However, both Melbourne and Sydney city councils are actively pursuing landlords who let residential-only apartments as holiday accommodation. Find out what renting your unit or a room on holiday websites will do to your insurance in our special feature on page 78.

“Izeki let his apartment for three times what he paid in rent for it.”

Torch block torchedHundreds of people were evacuated after a fire broke out in Dubai’s Marina Torch tower, in February this year. Strong winds fanned the fire in the 79-storey skyscraper – one of the tallest residential buildings in the world – as the blaze jumped from balcony to balcony, eventually spanning more than 30 floors.The fire is believed to have been started by a barbecue and it took more than 10 fire engines almost two hours to douse the flames.

EXTRAS DESIGNED FOR DEAL APPEAL

Developers are letting their imaginations run riot in efforts to attract increasing numbers of buyers to their apartment blocks. Swimming pools, gyms and concierge services are all taken for granted these days so planners are coming up with new ways to make apartment buyers feel at home.Our Breaking Ground section (pages 66-70) reveals a music room, a piano room, a theatre, roof garden, a sky lounge, a ‘men’s shed’ and even a karaoke studio. All in all, it shows a growing recognition that apartment residents are looking for places to live, not just sleep.

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Once among Australia’s most important wharves for sending out wool and gold and bringing in migrants, Sydney’s Walsh Bay is today better known for being home to some of the country’s most prestigious apartments.

That $650 million transformation set a number of world records – the largest heritage redevelopment in the southern hemisphere; the most complex engineering feats to create apartments over water and a car park under the water line; and now possibly the

friendliest group of residents, too. “It’s an amazing community here,” says Chris North, Chairman of the executive committee of the complex’s only residential pier, the 140-apartment Pier 6/7, out of the five on the bay stretching out into Sydney Harbour.

“If anyone’s sick, we always make sure to send flowers or offer to help in any way we can, we’ll always do something to make a resident’s significant birthday special and our Christmas party is a huge occasion. It’s a very welcoming place.”

Completed in 2003, and an architectural and engineering feat in its own right, the Pier 6/7 houses 140 of the most prestigous – and friendly – apartments in Sydney. By Sue Williams

TheanatomyHighriseof a

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Meet some of the residents and workers at Walsh Bay’s Pier 6/7 in Sydney. Clockwise, from top left: Head concierge Kishore Bende; David Barnes, of Barnes Air Conditioning; building manager Darren Gardner of Manage Meant; and the residents Suzi Devine, Sheri Sanders, and Arabella Burge and her twin daughter and son, Honor and Stirling.

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TITLE | ANATOMY OF A HIGHRISE

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In 2003, the first residents moved into Pier 6/7, complete with g ym, pool, spa, sauna and concier ge.

That’s a sentiment shared by many. Financial consultant Sheri Sanders, for instance, moved from a big house on the city’s North Shore in 2009 into the six-storey pier, not knowing whether she’d like apartment-living. Now, she’s in no doubt.

“I’ve never looked back,” says Sheri, 48. “I love living here. Being a single mum, I didn’t want the responsibility of a garden and pool on top of running a house. With an apartment, everything’s taken care of for you. It’s gorgeous.” Her three children are in agreement, too. “My youngest even said to me one day, ‘Mum, if you die, can we take the apartment?’ They’re adamant we should never sell it!”

The apartments on the pier were part of the Mirvac and Transfield redevelopment of the old crumbling wharves on 11 hectares of land and six hectares of water between Millers Point and Dawes Point. It was the only old pier that had never been built properly due to a shortage of cash caused by the outbreak of WWI, during the original construction period, and was judged to be too far gone to save.

As a result, it was completely dismantled, the rotten timber piles were replaced with steel and concrete, and sections were built elsewhere and then floated down the harbour to be put into place.

Setting yet another record, the apartments went for sale off the plan in the year 2000, along with the 130 other apartments on the shoreline, and $400 million of real estate was sold out within 10 days. That was remarkable, especially when apartments were priced between $850,000 and almost $6 million – with the Sydney median at the time sitting at $360,000.

In 2003, the first residents moved into Pier 6/7, complete with gym, pool, spa, sauna, 24-hour concierge and five-person building management team. Residents have, at various times, included actor Nicole Kidman, former SBS newsreader Mary Kostakidis, Channel 7 boss Kerry Stokes’s son Ryan, and real-estate king John McGrath.

Darren Gardner has been the building manager since 2005 with his company Manage Meant. “It’s an incredible piece of engineering,” he says. “Being over the water always presents challenges and just off the end of our pier is one of the deepest parts of Sydney Harbour, at up to 35m, so it was built to withstand sometimes huge swells.

“It’s basically a high-rise building lying on its side and, just like a high rise swaying in the wind, this also moves, so we have to constantly make sure all the seals are fine, and clean everything because of the saltwater.” That saltwater plays a valuable role too, pumped in as part of the eco-friendly cooling system for the entire building’s air-conditioning, avoiding the need for harsh chemicals. The harbour’s increasing cleanliness, however, has caused problems.

Barnes Air Conditioning director David Barnes, who’s been looking after the building for nine years, says it makes his job more difficult. “As the harbour’s been getting cleaner, there’s a lot more

sea life around, with schools of fish around the pier, jellyfish blubber caught on the screens and mussels blocking the pipework. We now get divers in three or four times a year to clean out the valves.”

That never detracts, however, from the pleasure of working at the site. “It’s in such a prime spot,” says Barnes, 52. “When I’m working, I love popping my head up through the roof and seeing the Harbour Bridge right there. It’s pretty special.

“I then have morning tea and lunch sitting on the boardwalk and some of the owners always come up and have a chat. It’s a nice little community there, everyone is friendly.”

With three-and-a-half-year-old twins, that’s something Arabella Burge treasures too. At Christmas, neighbours decorated the lobby with their own furniture and artwork – and put out chocolates and lollies every day for the children. In addition, the residents left each other beautiful gifts at their door. “Everyone here smiles at you, says ‘Good morning’ and holds open doors,” says Arabella, 40, mum to

Pier 6/7 in Walsh Bay, Sydney, is an amazing feat of engineering, transforming an ageing working pier into 140 luxury apartments with a car park built then sunk under the structure.

TITLE | ANATOMY OF A HIGHRISE

Honor and Stirling, who has divided her time between the Sydney pier and a home in London for the last seven years, due to her work with her international magazine subscription company, iSubscribe, but settled back here permanently in September last year. “It’s a really easy-going place.

“Everything’s at your doorstep living here. There’s old architecture from the 1800s at Millers Point, cafes, theatres, the city. It’s great for children too with the Botanic Gardens, the foreshore walks, the pool, and plenty of flat open spaces around Walsh Bay for bikes and scooters. And we all absolutely love the concierge!”

Head concierge Kishore Bende grins when he hears that. As quite possibly the most over-qualified concierge in Australia – he has a double Masters degree in IT and business management – he abandoned his career in personal banking when he was asked back to the pier to run the concierge service in 2007 after working as a casual while he was studying from 2004.

“It was a great opportunity to run my own business and I enjoy the role of concierge here,” says Kishore, 34, who arrived in Australia from his home in India in 2004. “I like doing my best to help people

Suzi Devine “We’ve got a couple of boats, so we can have them out front.”

and solve their problems for them, whether big or small. I always take it as a challenge and I like thinking of ways to upgrade and improve on the building.”

Occasionally, a new resident might not understand the role of a concierge and might ask him to collect a pizza for them, or go buy them some cigarettes, but he’ll simply give them a pizza delivery number or direct them to the nearest store.

Suzi Devine is the most recent newcomer to the building, moving in as a renter to see what it was like. Six weeks on, she’s just bought a unit. “I love it!” says the 46-year-old owner of online wine business Winephoria. “We’ve got a couple of boats so we can have them out the front, and it’s the most private pier in Sydney as people can’t get access without 400 different kinds of security, and we can walk everywhere.”

The most serious complaint by the residents these days is the strange clicking noise they often hear in the lift at night, which Darren Gardner informs them is the opening and closing of mussel shells echoing through the lift shaft.

“We now having a living reef under us,” he says. “It’s fascinating. I love working here – every day is different.” T

Darren Gardner “It’s basically a high rise lying on its side.”

David Barnes “Now the harbour’s getting cleaner there’s a lot more sea life around.”

Kishore Bende “It was a great opportunity to run my own business.”

Sheri Sanders “I’ve never looked back ... I love living here.”

Arabella Burge “Everyone smiles at you, says ‘Good morning’ and holds open doors.”

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Movieswhere apartments are

the starsThey can set the scene of a film, as well as the mood, tone, style and feel. Title takes a look at some of the most iconic apartments in Hollywood film through the decades.

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They star some of the most beautiful, brilliant actors on earth, are directed by some of the most talented cinematic greats and are scripted by writers with the most amazing imaginations.

Yet, strangely, in some movies, it’s the sets we just can’t take our eyes off. They contribute to the action on screen, sure enough, creating a dark and brooding canvas; one that’s bright and cheery; or sounding an odd note that warns us all is not quite right with the world that’s unfolding before our eyes.

And, in many, it’s those apartments that end up the true stars.Remember Rear Window, that 1954 classic thriller, considered

to be one of Alfred Hitchcock’s best? James Stewart plays a photographer with a broken leg confined to a wheelchair in his New York apartment, who idles away his days spying on his neighbours, much to the despair of his girlfriend, Grace Kelly, until he starts suspecting one of having killed his wife.

Those big windows thrown open during a summer heatwave ... that courtyard he overlooks ... all the lives of his neighbours

in their own apartments he becomes so intimately familiar with ... Apartment-living has never before – and never since – looked so claustrophobic.

A few years later, apartment life was given a major makeover with Billy Wilder’s 1960 five-time Oscar-winning comedy-drama The Apartment. Jack Lemmon was the put-upon employee whose bosses used his Upper West Side apartment for their extramarital flings, including with Shirley MacLaine, which overnight put the sexy back into apartment life. If you’ve ever complained about hearing noise from next door, you’ll sympathise with Lemmon’s neighbours who overhear so much exuberant love-making, they assume he’s bringing home a new woman every night.

The very next year, one of the most stylish apartments ever seen on screen caught everyone’s eye, and helped make Audrey Hepburn a star. Breakfast at Tiffany’s showed her character Holly Golighty’s absolute chic, in a Manhattan apartment bedecked with antiques, vintage charm and modern good taste.

This page: Renée Zellweger in 2003’s Down With Love. Opposite: Grace Kelly and James Stewart in the 1954 classic, Rear Window.

TITLE | APARTMENTS IN MOVIES

Hepburn’s iconic pose with that over-sized cigarette holder is something that will never be forgotten, as well as the allure of that apartment, complete with its sassy clawfoot bath.

It was a different mood for Roman Polanski’s 1968 horror flick Rosemary’s Baby, filmed inside the Dakota building, where John Lennon lived and outside which he was later shot dead. Ingénue Mia Farrow’s apartment redecoration in sunny yellows became a stark contrast to the menacing devil-worshipping going on all around. Many today may loathe their Bodies Corporate or Owners Corporations, but rarely will they ever be quite that bad.

Another of the movie world’s most striking apartments was one that actually looked quite humble from the outside. But once Gérard Depardieu stepped inside Andie MacDowell’s apartment in Green Card, the 1991 romantic comedy about a marriage of convenience, we all discovered a beautiful study in shabby chic, with a greenhouse on the balcony that would put most modern rooftop gardens to shame.

Fight Club was among the most controversial films of the same decade with its study of male violence but, from an apartment-dweller’s viewpoint, it was also its most interesting. Much of the 1999 movie’s action took place in the chaotic, post-apocalyptic home of Brad Pitt’s wild character, after Edward Norton’s perfect apartment is destroyed. Few will forget the opening scenes in his apartment where IKEA price tags appear as visual effects on each possession in David Fincher’s cult classic.

It’s a truly glorious apartment that takes all the honours in Down With Love, the 2003 romcom tribute to Doris Day starring Renée Zellweger and Ewan McGregor. A veritable meringue of pink and white with its shag carpet, winding staircase, fire pit and elegant balcony, it’s the kind of apartment we all dream of but will rarely, if ever, be able to afford. Except, of course, in the movies. T

Clockwise, from top left: Audrey Hepburn and George

Peppard in Breakfast at Tiffany’s; Andie MacDowell

and Gérard Depardieu arguably take the first selfie in Green Card; a scene from The Apartment; Mia Farrow

and John Cassavetes in Rosemary’s Baby.

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TITLE | APARTMENTS IN MOVIES

“Another of the movie world’s most striking apartments, in Green Card we found a beautiful study in shabby chic.”

InteriorsLEVEL ONE

Bree Leech & Heather Nette King for Dulux Colour

27

28 BATHROOM BLITZ

38 LATEST TRENDS IN COLOURS

40 KITCHEN GADGETS

42 KEYLESS LOCKS

Owen Barnes chuckles when asked what makes the perfect bathroom. “It’s much easier to tell you the two most common design mistakes,” declares the multi-award winning Melbourne-based bathroom designer. “It’s surprising how often you see them made, even on plans drawn by architects.”Owen, the principal designer with Bubbles Bathrooms, has collected

more than 30 housing industry awards and is adamant function is paramount over form. “At the end of the day, the space is used for specific activities, so the workflow has to be correct.”In fact, he warns not to be overly enthusiastic in embracing ideas from luxurious hotels you’ve holidayed in. Hotel bathrooms tend to be designed to create maximum visual impact and may not translate into a bathroom that provides you with that spa feeling when you need it, but works well every day.

SO WHAT ARE THE TWO COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID?

1. The toilet is visible from the door.Solution: Position it out of direct sight and if that’s not possible, hide it behind the door or modesty screen. If all else fails, make the cistern disappear by choosing one that is concealed in the wall.2. The shower is located too close to the door. This is especially important in an apartment. You get out of the shower, drip water onto the floor and the next person to enter and leave the bathroom tracks water into the rest of the apartment, damaging the floor. The solution? Position the shower recess as far away from the door as possible.

Owen recommends you focus on getting the practicalities correct, then decide what the focal points will be. “Finishes create the atmosphere,” he enthuses.

TO GUIDE YOUR CHOICES, OWEN LISTS THE CURRENT TRENDS:

• Greys “They are likely to be big for a while. All tones and shades of grey.”• Black and white “Never goes out of style.”• Recycled timbers “A growing awareness of the environment is being reflected in a swing towards natural products. We’re seeing some great recycled oaks and timber-look tiles are becoming prominent.”• Eclectic appeal “This is linked to the recycled trend. Surprising mixes of colours and finishes are being used.”• Floors and walls “Very large format tiles are popular and it’s okay for every tile to look as though it’s come from a different batch, especially if it’s a natural stone look. These random patterns create a busy look.”

Owen confesses he’s just renovated the two bathrooms in his home, so Title felt compelled to ask what he considers the most important aspects of those designs. “Mood lighting,” he says. “You can change the look and feel of the bathroom from functional to relaxing with mood lighting. Also, under-tile heating. It may seem like a luxury but if you put it on a timer so it’s only on in the morning and evening it does two things: It gives you a comfortable environment and it dries the floor space. That means less mould growth, which is a huge bonus.”

Bubbles Bathrooms, (03) 9796 3000, www.bubblesbathrooms.com.au

TITLE | BATHROOMS

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Want the perfect bathroom? Toni Eatts hears how to create a stylish sanctuary, while avoiding the two most common design mistakes even architects make.

TipsTricks

TITLE | BATHROOMS

Kado Classic 1700 freestanding bath from Reece.

TITLE | BATHROOMS

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It is the classic combination that never goes out of style. Yes, when it comes to a bathroom, you simply

can't go wrong with a black and white palette.

Clockwise, from top left: Caroma Contura Freeform Basin Black, $559; Caroma Liano Nexus Basin Mixer, $342.30; Alape Unisono 400 Counter

Basin, $935, from Reece; Caroma Liano Nexus Overhead Rain Shower (black), $320.30; Milli Axon Hi Rise Shower Chrome/Black from

Reece, $400; Bed Bath N Table Como Egyptian Robe, $89.95. Right: Black and white bathroom designed by Owen Barnes,

Bubbles Bathrooms.

Black & White

Top left: Bathroom with natural wood feature designed by Owen Barnes, Bubbles Bathrooms; Clockwise, from top right: Bed Bath N Table Como Egyptian Robe, $89.95; Caroma Urbane Back-to-Wall Bath, $2050, freestanding bath for small spaces; Bed Bath N Table Rattan basket, $29.95, tissue box, $19.95, paper roll box, $39.95; Laufen Ilagnoalessi One Wall Basin 1600, from Reece, $2658; Urbane Compact Invisi Series II Wall Faced Suite, $999; Caroma Marc Newson Fixed Wall Shower, $240.

All NaturalTake it back to basics with chic, warm wood accents or cool beech tones that complement any neutral palette – especially all white.

We generally tend not to spend ahuge amount of time in the bathroom,but to make your daily routinepleasurable and effortless, why notinvest in stylish bathroom fittings?

Make your ‘smallest room’ yourpersonal space with top brandsincluding Villeroy & Boch, Grohe,Parisi, Mastella and a whole lot more,all available from Domayne.

Stylish Space forCOMFORT &RELAXATION

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1. GESSI ‘GOCCIA’ SILVER 400 COUNTER BASIN $2808 RRP | 2. NEWFORM ‘LIBERA’ CHROME KITCHEN MIXER WITH BLACK SPRING SPRAY $1190 RRP |3. FORME ‘TRANQUILLITY’ 850MM ROUND LOW VOLTAGE SINGLE TOWEL RAIL $239 EACH, PLUS TRANSFORMER KIT $105 | 4. PARISI ‘BLADE’ WATERFALL BASIN SET $715

RRP | 5. MASTELLA ‘BODY’ BI-COLOUR HIGH BASIN $4125 RRP | 6. POMD’OR ‘BELLE’ TOILET ROLL HOLDER $159 RRP | 7. PARISI ‘DEGRADE’ WALL-FACED BLACK PANWITH SOFT-CLOSE SEAT, CISTERN & BLACK GLASS PLATE $2670 RRP | 8. PARISI ‘L’HOTEL’ ROUND MAGNIFYING SWIVEL MIRROR WITH LIGHT $396 RRP |

9. AXOR ‘STARCK’ BASIN MIXER $1199 RRP | 10. GESSI ‘VIA MANZONI’ HANDSHOWER ON RAIL $930 RRP | 11. GROHE ‘ALLURE BRILLIANT’ BASIN MIXER $1549 RRP |12. ABEY ‘TINKD-B’ BLACK KITCHEN MIXER WITH PULL-OUT HOSE $800 RRP | 13. POMD’OR ‘BELLE’ TOWEL RING $249 RRP | 14. PARISI ‘WIRE’ BLACK COLUMN BASIN$3890 RRP | 15. VILLEROY & BOCH ‘MY NATURE’ SURFACE-MOUNTED BASIN $2049 RRP | 16. SOUTHCAPE ‘GLACIER’ HOB SPA SPOUT $790 RRP | 17. HANSGROHE

‘RAINDANCE’ E360 OVERHEAD SHOWER WITH CEILING SHOWER ARM $1388 RRP | 18. FORME ‘PLATINO’ 5-BAR WIDE HEATED TOWEL RAIL $989 RRP

With freestanding basins, waterfall basin spouts and coloured finishes, create your ownbathroom space with an assorted range that demonstrates class, style and European

design. Ensure your bathroom experience is effortless with Domayne.

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TITLE | BATHROOMS

Cool, clean lines command order and calm – just the kind of quiet space desired

for creating an ideal at-home sanctuary.

Fine LinesClockwise, from top left: Kartell by Laufen Fume Stool, from Reece, $445; Caroma Marc Newson Fixed Overhead Shower,

$419; Caroma Contura Freeform Wall Basin, $544.55; Bed Bath N Table Soho 3 Tier Shower Caddy, $24.95; Bed Bath N

Table Mae Kimono Robe, $129.95; Bed Bath N Table Dolomite Bathroom Accessories soap dish, $8.95, toothbrush holder, $9.95, tumbler, $8.95, soap dispenser, $16.95. Centre right:

Bathroom designed by Owen Barnes, Bubbles Bathrooms. T

The world is changing rapidly, especially for people like us

We need to know what’s happening now and what’s on the way

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YOUR LIFE RIGHT WHERE YOU WANT IT

Inspired by Pop Art and the Memphis design movement of the 1980s, paint company Dulux has just unveiled its latest palette, with daring combinations of bright oranges and blues, displayed to maximum effect with stencilled shapes.

“It’s time to have fun with colour, and make some bold choices,” says Dulux colour and trends expert Andrea Lucena-Orr. “Autumn style will take its cues from design movements where form did not necessarily follow function.

“It allows us to reconnect with a time when there were fewer restrictions on creativity.”

She recommends either painting bright geometric shapes on a plain wall or highlighting a feature, like a window ledge, in one of the striking colours, set off by an equally vividly-hued carpet. Top picks are the bluish-green of Island Sea, the clear blue of Regalia, the sunshine of Capital Yellow, and the invigorating oranges of Bright Delight or After Burn, with its salmon undertones.

But if that’s all a little too much, perhaps follow the counsel of fellow home colour experts Pantone. They have decided their colour of the year for 2015 is the deep rusty red ‘Marsala’, describing it as “a naturally robust and earthly wine red, [which] enriches our minds, bodies and souls.”

Now set to be splashed across catwalks and showrooms of interiors globally, its accents of a good glass of mulled wine give the tone a rustic, cosy kind of lip-smacking charm.

So, subtle and warm Marsala? Or bold combinations of oranges and blues? Either choice will certainly spice up your autumn. T

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TITLE | COLOURS

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Bold, brash and slightly bonkers... The experts’ choice of colours for autumn will either make you smile – or shy away, writes Lucinda Starr.

The boldand the beautiful

Clockwise, from top right: Black+Blum 'James the Doorman' doorstopper, $29.95 (www.yellowoctopus.com.au); Burgundy Red Mexican Otomi cushion, $59 (thetoucanshop.com); Simply Patchouli Soy Candle, $24.94 (buckleyandphillips.com.au); Rug Republic Antique Brown Lattice Modern Rug, $79.95 (zanui.com.au); Leather Moroccan Ottoman with sabre silk stitching in Marsala, $200 (rockribbonsecogifts.com).

Paint bright geometric shapes on a plain wall or highlight a feature of the room, such as a window ledge.

Part of your kitchenPART OF YOUR LIFE

Whether it’s hostingdinner parties, makingschool lunches,preparing a meal for thefamily or trying out newrecipes, cooking is apart of life. From simplesnacks to fantasticfeasts, it’s important tobe able to prepare yourmeals without stress.

Harvey Norman® stores are operated by independent franchisees.

SHOP with CONFIDENCE

Visit your local store:

Call 1300 464 278(1300 GO HARVEY) to find your nearest store.

Shop online or mobile:

harveynorman.com.auChoose to pick up in store or have it delivered.

291017_NAU

Westinghouse’s new range ofelegant kitchen appliances fitseamlessly into your lifestyle andensure that there is no fuss in thekitchen. The French door fridge willkeep your food fresh, the ovens andcooktops make your recipes cometo life, and the dishwashers give youa hassle free cleaning experience.

Westinghouse, the brandmost Australians grew upwith in their kitchen.

Keys? Who needs metal jangling around in your pocket? These days your phone, credit card, fingerprint or password will get you in the front door, writes Alessandro Guarrera.

FutureLock

1August Smart Lock Supported across Android and iOS (Apple), the August Smart Lock works wirelessly with a user’s phone for keyless entry and exit. The door can also be opened and

shut externally with a physical key if the system fails. While its features are attractive, the Smart Lock isn’t quite as sleek and stylish as its promotion, striking an ungainly note on doors. You can assign virtual keys to guests, which can be permanent or temporary. The lock is available from Apple stores or online, for $250.

2Anviz L100 II Fingerprint and RFID Biometric Door LockWith a designated fingerprint scanner above the door handle, and the ability to unlock if a keycard is near, the

Anviz’ minimalist stainless steel design makes something futuristic out of the urbane door. Over 200 fingerprints can be programmed into the lock, and users can manage and delete prints from the system as necessary. The Anviz is priced at $189 through Amazon.

3Deadbolt NX4 Biometric Finger Print Keyless in almost every sense of the word, Deadbolt’s NX4 uses individual fingerprints – up to 99, to be exact – as unique codes. The

lock comes with a physical key to use as a manual override, and a built-in alarm in case robbers try to break off the lock. It’s sleek and stylish, and also a touch pricey, at $222.75 from www.advancedactuators.com.au

4Yale Real Living Touchscreen Z-Wave Deadbolt Yale’s Touchscreen deadbolt is a smart lock wrapped in a functional, minimalist package. With the ability to hold up to

25 custom codes, and lock-out entry with its ‘privacy mode’, the Yale comes with voice instructions in English, Spanish and French options, and is available for $241.50 from Amazon.

5Schlage Connect The Schlage Connect comes with a sturdy brass lock and deadbolt. The unit does lack features, however, unless users buy its Nexia Bridge unit (an extra

$60) and pay the monthly fee of $10. This gives users the ability to monitor logins, remotely program new codes for the lock, lock and unlock remotely, and send text messages in the event of alarms and code entries. The Schlage is currently priced between $173 and $252, depending on colour and style.

6Samsung Ezon SHS-3321 Samsung’s Ezon replaces a door’s existing deadbolt, with users getting the ability to unlock their doors via an RFID card, or a keycode. The Ezon

automatically unlocks in the event of a fire. Its keypad locks for three minutes after five incorrect attempts, and it has a code anonymity feature, making users punch in two numbers before using their code. The Ezon is priced at $195. T

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TITLE | GADGETS & GIZMOS

Chocolate Torte from Otahuna (page 52)

TRAVEL: NZ'S OTAHUNA

52GROW:

VERTICAL GARDEN

51

EATING IN, DINING OUT

62FICTION:

THE PARIS APARTMENT

46DOG WALKING

44

TRAVEL: PHUKET'S PANWA HOTEL

57TRAVEL:

GOLF SPA WEEKENDS

61

LifestyleLEVEL TWO

43

Dog-walkingIt 's a bit more than a stroll in the park:

Big dogs, small dogs, fierce dogs and ones too timid to bark. Then there are the true leaders of the packs, as well as tiny Chihuahuas who actually believe they’re German Shepherds. Today, you see bands of dogs together everywhere: racing through a park, gambolling on a beach and straining at multiple leashes. For the rise in popularity of apartment living has helped spawn one of the fastest-growing businesses in Australia today: dog-walking.

“When I started my business 15 years ago, I had eight dogs,” says trained veterinary nurse Jann Emanuel, who worked as a corporate executive before moving into dog-walking. “Now I have around 40 I see every week. It’s really taken off. I think there are a lot more apartments now allowing dogs, and we’re all more accepting of them. Many people are having kids later on too – or not having them at all – so they have pets instead. And everyone’s time-poor.”

It’s busy professionals who love their animals but are out at work all day, and often living in apartments, that also make up the bulk of Beate Stavik’s business. “Lots of people treat their dogs like humans and they really care about them and their welfare,” she says. “They realise how important walks and social activity are for them. Busy dogs are healthy and happy dogs. It’s only when they’re bored that they can be noisy or destructive.”

The Pet Industry Association of Australia doesn’t keep figures on dog-walking but, anecdotally, they know the service is becoming more popular. Industry consultant Susie Willis keeps a keen eye on its growth. “It’s now going through the roof, and there’s a proliferation of operators, because people are so time-poor but still really want the best for their dogs,” she says. “It’s probably safe to say that dog walkers didn’t exist 15-20 years ago, but nowadays people view their dogs as important members of the family and care for them as such.”

That means business is booming for professional walkers like Jann, 57, of K9 Kapers in Sydney, and Beate, 34, of Walks4Paws

In the last decade, the business of dog-walking has hit the

woof (sorry, roof ). As Anna Washington discovers, dual-

income households may be time poor but modern dog

owners’ like to care for their canines like never before.

44

Top right: Jann Emanuel, 57, is a professional dog walker with up to 40 clients a week. This pic and opposite: Beate Stavik, 34, runs Walk4Paws and Dr Doolittle in Melbourne.

and Dr Doolittle in Melbourne. Both adore the work. No two days are ever the same, their customers are always thrilled to see them, and they get to know – and love – all their personalities.

There are still challenges, however. Jann had to quickly grab one of her dogs when it looked like it was about to pick up a snake in a park; and retrain another with a tendency to bully; and she’ll never forget the time she came upon a group of firemen organising their water hoses. “A fireman, as a joke, sprayed the dogs, but one was petrified and bolted,” she says. “He was missing for six hours before we found him. Now when I see firemen, I steer clear.”

Beate got into dog-walking after studying a degree in international studies, and her biggest challenge is with English or Irish Setters –

a breed historically used to hunt game birds. “They’re just crazy about birds, so they’ll chase them whenever they see them, and won’t listen to you when you call,” says Beate, who also often takes her dogs paddle-boarding to give them variety in their exercise program. “But they do give you a laugh every day.”

Small dogs that think they’re big are frequently problematic for everyone, but the bigger dogs can be a handful sometimes, too. Labradors are known to be greedy eaters and Cath Patrech, 39, of Sydney’s Doggy Walking, has firsthand experience of that.

“I was out walking the dogs when a man sat on a park bench and got out his sandwich for morning smoko,” she says. “My Labrador ran over and before the man even spotted him, the dog ran off with his sandwich, and managed to get it out of its cling wrap to eat it. Luckily, the man was very good about it, and thought it was funny too.” T

TITLE | PETS

“Jann had to quickly grab one of her dogs when it looked like it was about to

pick up a snake in a park.”

ApartmentBy Michelle Gable

A Paris

CHAPITRE III

April would never forget the smell of that apartment.

Seventy years seemed like nothing once she stepped into the Parisian flat. The stench was closer to one thousand, if smells had age. April inhaled the most negligible of breaths and instantly the taste of dust and perfume filled her eyes, her nose, her mouth. The scratchy sweetness would stay in the back of her throat for months. The sight would stay with her for longer.

The flat was in the Ninth Arrondissement, on the Right Bank, near the Opéra Garnier, the Folies Bergère, and the Pigalle red-light district. This was your colourful Paris, your Paris of writers and artists and filmmakers. April suspected the home had been colourful once, too, before time covered it in dust and neglect.

On the flight across the Atlantic, April relentlessly tore through the material Sotheby’s had compiled for her. The apartment had seven rooms: an antechamber, a drawing room, a dining room, two bedrooms, one bathroom,

and a kitchen. In the photographs the flat was not large but the opulence apparent: high wood ceilings, pink damask wallpaper, gilded moldings.

But the glossy prints did little to convey the reality. Now, standing in the stifling air, it was overwhelming. All that stuff, rooms and rooms full of stuff. Troy was right, April thought with a smile: This woman was a hoarder. A rich and seemingly flashy hoarder, but a hoarder nonetheless. For the first time in her career April wondered if she had the chops to pull it off.

Walking gingerly through the maze of furniture, April heard voices in the rear of the flat. She was anxious to see Olivier and get up to speed, and while her legs so badly wanted to run, April remained almost on her tiptoes, manoeuvering the small footpaths that wound through the seemingly infinite collection of mirrors and armchairs and propped-up artwork, to say nothing of the taxidermied mammals and birds. The mental inventorying started immediately.

Ten cautious steps and five feet later, April spied a Louis XVI gilt-metal bureau

plat, a pair of George III mahogany armchairs, a Charles X Savonnerie carpet, and one unbelievable mid-eighteenth-century gold girandole. All gnarled and viney, the piece had a life of its own. It looked as if it wanted to unwind itself and stab someone.

Every turn brought another surprise. Alongside items that would have easily been considered antiques a hundred years ago, April found a six-foot-tall stuffed ostrich and a Mickey Mouse doll slumped in the corner behind it. Spying her colleagues though a cracked doorway, April skipped around a stunning black-and-gold japanned bureau-cabinet and almost bumped into a drab, utilitarian bookshelf piled with papers.

“Ah, Madame Vogt,” said a voice. “Welcome to Paris. You missed the rains.”

April scooted through the door to find Olivier standing with two other men. One fellow she’d seen before in New York at an auction. He worked for Sotheby’s in some capacity, and she remembered his sloppy drunken-ness followed by multiple attempts at pawing her assistant. Then again, perhaps April

46

The Story So Far...Billed as Moulin Rouge meets The Paris Wife, American writer Michelle Gable’s A Paris Apartment was inspired by the true story of the discovery of a long forgotten Parisian apartment and its treasures.

The resulting novel is the tale of American April Vogt, a Continental furniture specialist with an auction house, sent to Paris to organise and value the contents of just such a “time capsule” home that has been closed up for the past 70 years.But when April discovers the letters and journals of a woman in one of the portraits in the apartment, the story winds between the past and present, and intertwines the lives, loves and fortunes of both women. In this extract

we join April as she makes her first foray into the apartment with her French counterpart Olivier and makes the discovery that could profoundly change her own life and marriage.

THE BIG READ | A PARIS APARTMENT

had her Frenchmen confused.“Bonjour,” she said. “So pleased to see

you again, Olivier.”“Bonjour, Madame Vogt!” said the

weaselly Frenchman. “How are things in New York? I’ve been trying to make it back for months.”

Ah, that’s right, she remembered him now. His name was Marc, and he was the one who nearly tackled her assistant, Birdie. April tried to hold back her sneer, politely kissing both cheeks and mumbling the usual French niceties under her breath, hoping her disdain came across as good old-fashioned Parisian aloofness.

Beside Olivier and Marc stood a lanky man with floppy black hair and a lavender dress shirt. April’s eyes could not help but follow the elegant seams of the shirt as it tucked precisely, straightly into pinstriped slacks. She gawked a little at his enviable hips and torso, which jutted forward in such a manner as to convey assertiveness or cockiness or something she couldn’t quite name. April was already starting to redden when she noticed the cigarette dangling from his mouth.

“You can’t smoke in here!” April screeched. The smallest spark could well incinerate the entire flat, anyone could see that. “Out! Put it out!”

The man chortled, dropped his cigarette, and pressed it into the floorboards with a buffed and shiny loafer. Before she had time to reconsider, April crouched and plucked it from the ground. She waved it through the air to ensure full extinguishment.

“You are a dedicated anti-tobacconist,” the man noted with a smirk as April shuttled the butt into her pocket.

“She’s with us,” Olivier said by way of explanation, or apology. “This is April Vogt. She is our Continental furniture specialist.”

“Ah,” the no-longer-smoking interloper said in his heavy French accent. “L’Américaine.”

“April Vogt.” She extended a hand. He smirked again, nodded, and then pulled her in for a double-kiss salutation. He smelled like expensive cigarettes and even more expensive cologne. April found herself off-kilter from the traditional but unavoidably personal gesture.

“This is Luc Thébault,” Olivier said. “He’s Madame Quatremer’s solicitor.”

“Madame Quatremer?”“The deceased. This was her apartment.”“That is not exactly accurate,” Luc

said and rested his arm against a chair. April shuddered as she watched the price depreciate beneath his careless, untrained touch. “Technically I represent not Madame Quatremer, but the estate.

Generally they don’t allow dead people to hire attorneys. In any case, this was her grandmother’s flat. Madame Quatremer resided in Sarlat and never made it up this way, as you might’ve surmised given the condition of the interior.”

“And Monsieur Thébault is the one who called us about the items,” Olivier explained. “For which we are quite grateful.”

“You should be.” Luc turned to April. “You” – he said and scanned her from head to toe – “could almost pass for French. I was not expecting …. that.”

April smiled weakly. Years ago, after she managed to snag the curator position at an 18th-century Paris furniture museum (now defunct), she read up on how to look Parisian. Or, rather, how not to look quite so American. Dress in smart, dark, tailored items, the literature told her; things easy to put together, to match, to throw on and look as if you’d hardly done anything at all. And that, April thought, was more or less how she was thrown together. Straight, dark, and tailored, made entirely of clean lines. The hair,

the eyes, the nose: all casually assembled; unobjectionable basic pieces. To stand out all she needed was a jaunty scarf and a Bréton top, which was Impersonating-the-French Rule Number Two.

“No response, Madame Vogt?” Luc said. “Not so garrulous as you should be. I thought these Americans, they jibber-jabber all the time.”

He moved his hand like a quacking duck.“We choose our words more carefully

than most, it seems.” April lifted her chin, then turned. “So, Olivier. It looks like we have a bit of work to do.”

She glanced over his shoulder and spied a Louis-Philippe malachite table butted up against a glorious Louis XVI walnut canapé. Her eyes bugged. The treasures seemed to multiply before her.

“Some of these pieces – they’re unbelievable.” Her voice came out reverential and yet also sad.

April thought of the failed furniture museum and frowned. What if it hadn’t gone under? What if she had stayed in Paris one more month? Two months? She had met Troy at Charles de Gaulle

48

on her way out of the city. He took a seat across from her in the Air France lounge, a chance meeting, as she’d never been in a business-class lounge before, much less allowed herself to be chatted up by some random guy in one. At the time April figured if you were leaving town in shame you might as well do it in style. Inexplicably, Troy found her appealing and remained undeterred by this dark-haired woman sucking in tears, trying to let go of the first adult dream she ever had.

“No need to cry over it, Madame Vogt,” Luc said. “It’s only furniture.”

“I wasn’t crying,” she snapped. “And ‘only furniture’? Please! You could fill an entire museum with only the pieces in this room.”

“Never mind the settees and bureaus, Madame Vogt,” Olivier said, snapping his fingers and startling April to attention. He pointed to the spot in front of him. “Do you see this? The painting?”

April made a wide arc around Luc and walked toward Olivier. Before him, against a wall, rested a portrait of a woman. The

painting was almost as tall as April, and though the woman herself was in profile she was unquestionably stunning.

Leaning on a mauve daybed, the subject stared away from the portraitist. Her hair was brown, mussed, pulled back so loosely it was really more out than up. Her dress was pink, frothy, and magnificent, whipping around her bottom half like a mermaid’s tail. Despite the grandeur of her gown, the woman’s jewellery was spartan, spare, and her face the very clearest sort of beauty.

“She is gorgeous,” April said, mind still picking through the furniture but eyes fixed on this. “Simply gorgeous.”

“Gorgeous. Yes. But do you see it? Do you see what this is?” April moved closer and straight into a bath of sunlight.

“Please close the shutters,” she said and futilely held her tote up to the light bursting through the glass. “We need to be careful with the items in here.”

“The lady,” Olivier urged. “Madame Vogt. The painting.”

April stopped. She looked, harder this time, again noticing the woman’s minimal

“No response, Madame Vogt?” Luc said. “Not so garrulous as you should be. I thought these

Americans, they jibber-jabber all the time.”

jewellery (a small strand of pearls, one ring for each hand) and also her downright aggressive décolletage. If the painting were a modern-day photograph someone would enlarge it to catch a glimpse of nipple.

Then she saw it. The colour. The brushstrokes. The unmistakable swish. “Oh my god,” April said and tucked both hands under her armpits. She wanted to touch the painting. She wanted to touch it badly. It was half the reason she had been drawn to the industry in the first place. There were things she got to put her hands on that the general public did not.

“What do you think of her?” Olivier asked. It was a challenge, not a question. He wanted specifics. He wanted to compare notes.

“Boldini,” she whispered. “I think it’s a Boldini. But that can’t be. Is it?”

“Yes!” Olivier clapped his hands together, nearly singing with satisfaction. He’d found both the portrait and the right person to do the job. He turned to Marc.

“See? This is what I told you. You said to me, ‘Non, c’est impossible!’ But Madame Vogt sees it too.”

“I thought she did furniture,” Marc pointed out. Luc snorted. April shot him an unintentional scowl. “Yes, well, I know a few other things too,” she said.

Indeed, one did not spend years chasing multiple Art History degrees, or living in Paris for that matter, without the ability to recognise a little Giovanni Boldini. The “Master of Swish” was once the most famous portrait artist in the world. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries you weren’t anyone unless Boldini painted you. This woman was someone.

“I don’t remember this one,” April said. “Portrait of Madame Juilliard, Lady Colin Campbell, the Duchess of Marlborough, several of Donna Franca Florio. But not her.”

April’s heart was racing now. She liked Boldini. She liked him fine. One could not dispute his mastery of portraiture. But although she’d seen a dozen or more of his paintings in person, April had never felt like this. The woman was beautiful, yes. But she was more than that. She was a presence.

“I cannot believe this,” April whispered.“As far as I know, this is not in his

repertoire,” Olivier said. “Could it be a fake?”No. Not a fake. April understood this

already.“A damn good one if that’s the case,”

she said. “On the other hand…” April paused for a moment and pretended to contemplate the possibility. “Who’d lock a Boldini up all these years? He didn’t

have to die to become famous. He was already known. Who would do this? Why?”

“Who’s Boldini?” Luc asked as he lit another cigarette.

“Can you put that out?” April snapped. “I don’t want the odour attached to everything in the place.”

Luc cackled something to Olivier. April opened her mouth to remind them she was fluent enough to understand the French equivalent of “uptight.” That’s when she noticed, pushed up against the wall, the mauve daybed from the picture. April’s breath caught. All at once she could see this woman sitting on that piece of furniture. She could see her at the dressing table, writing letters on the bureau plat, gazing at herself in any one of a hundred looking glasses. A room that was dead 10 minutes ago suddenly felt very much alive.

CHAPITRE IV

April had overseen hundreds of auctions in her career. The spoils usually came from different versions of the same place: grandmother’s manse or father’s country house or a penthouse having just gone on the market. Unlike the contemporary-art world, where pieces now traded like stocks, for sport and for gain, April still procured her assets from three D’s: debt, divorce, or death. The pieces before her were from a dead woman’s apartment, yes, but more than that, they were from the past. Countless museum-quality objects, untouched, curated only by spiders and ghosts.

April slipped on her gloves and approached the daybed.

“Madame Vogt?” Olivier said. “Madame Vogt, are you listening?” “Oh, what? Sorry, I was just …”

She’d nearly forgotten her colleagues were still present.

“We’re going to step outside for chat and a smoke. For your benefit, bien sûr.”

“Merci.”“I’d invite you along but presume you’re

disinterested in such an arrangement.”“Please, go ahead. I’ll stay behind

and begin a plan for the sorting and inventorying of the items. So much to do!”

April tried to contain her glee. Yes, bons messieurs, please leave. She wanted to be alone with this woman and her things.

“Ah. The famous American work ethic on full display,” Luc said. “Très bien!”

“Well, I’m here to do a job.”Together the men, inexplicably, laughed.“Don’t start calculating the premiums

without us!” Olivier called before the three slipped out of the flat.

April nodded and forced a smile. The door clicked. She shot across the room to the bookcase near the doorway.

It was the bookcase she had almost knocked over on her way in. She did not care for the piece. Though old, it felt more late-century college-dorm room than upscale bordello, and would not fetch much at auction. But its shelves were crammed with papers, which she’d spied during her labyrinthine walk over. On every conceivable surface sat a stack, on every stack, five more stacks. The resident of the apartment was either a prolific writer or the nemesis of every bill collector in Paris.

It was not snooping, April told herself. Not really. It was provenance. The documents would aid with provenance. Maybe they’d mention the painting. Unlikely, but a good enough excuse.

April picked up one stack, and then another, and then a third, releasing each from its 70-year slumber. The documents were bound with faded ribbons: green and pink and light blue. The papers themselves were yellowed, worn down to the weight of the cobwebs around her. The writing was faint, at times illegible, but as April leafed through the pages, the words seemed to brighten, the sentences perked up.

Papers in hand, April crept toward the window. She looked down to the street, where Olivier, Marc, and Luc were yukking it up on the curb, the lead glass no match for their voices. She had some time. April knew from experience that once Olivier got going he was difficult to shut up.

She sat down on the very chair she’d previously shooed Luc away from. With the first stack on her lap, April cautiously untied the celery-colored ribbon. As she separated each sheet from its neighbour, April flipped through the documents. Bills. Letters. Diary entries. Her heart galloped.

The numbers did not seem right. Madame Quatremer sealed the apartment in 1940. Boldini, if the painting was a Boldini, died in 1931. But these dates? They could not be correct.

Then again, if they were – if on the off chance these dates were valid and not falsified by Madame Quatremer or her shifty solicitor, Luc – then the story was not an amazing 1940 plus 70 years. The tale was older than that.

The page April held read in tight, neat script: “2 July 1898.” It was not from the last century, but the one before it. She glanced at the bookcase. How far back did this go?

THE BIG READ | A PARIS APARTMENT

50

April scanned the letters, biting back a smile. This woman, the writer, she was brave, unfettered, and damn funny. Her penmanship was impeccable, even when writing words like “flatulist,” “manhood,” and “nipples.” If these letters were real – and of course April knew they were – if these entries were real, the author had guts. She was unafraid. Then again, she was also unaware. Never could she have envisioned an American pawing through her belongings a century in arrears.

Guilt creeping in, April retied the stacks. The documents weren’t part of the Quatremer estate, at least not as it related to the auction house. Exposed skin and gastrointestinal problems would not establish provenance no matter how much April wished it so.

As she looped the ribbon around itself, a single sentence caught April’s eye. Her first thought was, thank god, I’m not completely invading someone’s privacy.

Her second was: holy crap. We were right. That painting is a Boldini.

CHAPITRE V

Paris, 20 July 1898I sat for Boldini today. Again.

Only a few more sketches and all will be right, he promises. A few more sketches? That man and his incessant scribbling will drive me straight into an idiot’s asylum! Truth be told, it would prove welcome relief. At last I would finally be done with this godforsaken portrait. A veritable fool’s errand it is. He has yet to pick up a brush! Let this be a warning to all women: A celebrated, handsome artist intent on re-creating your likeness is not so romantic a scenario.

Turn this way, turn that way, he says. Frowns, furrowed brows, salty language, and much crumpled paper. Then we start the whole thing over. Did I mention it is hot? Murderously hot? Between the heat and the fumes I expected to keel over at any second. I would be offended if the rigmarole was not so very Giovanni. He has done this before.

“You are meant to be a painter,” I said to him. “Not a cartoonist!”

He did not appreciate the inference,

but, truly, there is perfectionism and there is dementia, and he is teetering dangerously close to the latter. “Master of Swish” indeed. It would behoove him to swish a little less.

Marguérite came with me the last time. She told me I do not make it easy on him, at which I had to laugh. Has she ever known me to make it easy on any man? No, in fact mostly I aim to do the opposite. Either way M. Boldini absolutely deserves it. I do tease him. I do warn him against repeating his forebear’s succès de scandale. God help me if a strap falls off my shoulder and I become the next Madame Gautreau.

But it is all in good fun. He knows this and, further, would never repeat Sargent’s artistic miscalculations no matter how many (many, many) times I say he is in danger of doing exactly that. Unlike Sargent, Giovanni will take caution. He values commerce as much as art and has no desire for la vie de bohème. In that way we are quite the same.

I suppose I could let up a little, but what I did not tell Marguérite – nay, what I did not tell Giovanni himself – is that it is not merely my impatience driving me to niggle. There is a certain deadline we are working against. If Madame Gautreau’s errant strap threatened to destroy multiple reputations, I cannot fathom what would happen at next year’s salon if Boldini displayed a painting of a woman ripe with pregnancy. An unmarried woman, no less! Mon Dieu!

It is easy enough to hide, but a time will come when I must confess to Giovanni, to Marguérite, to all of Paris! For now, I will delay the inevitable as long as possible. I have not yet decided what to tell Boldini. Will I say the baby is his? Will I say it is someone else’s? Lying to this man does not sit well with me, especially with all the lies and secrets kept about my own lineage. However, a woman cannot live on good intentions alone. Sometimes you have to tell a lie to live the truth. T

A Paris Apartment by Michelle Gable, published by St Martin’s Press, RRP $34.99

ABOUT THE AUTHORMichelle Gable grew up in San Diego, and began writing short stories in fourth grade. She studied accounting at university and pursued a career in finance, but continued to write every day.

A newspaper cutting about an abandoned apartment in Paris became the inspiration for her first novel. She lives in Cardiff by the Sea, California, with her husband, two daughters and a lazy cat. Her second book, A Woman in Paris, will be released in 2016. To learn more, visit www.michellegable.com

“God help me if a strap falls off my shoulder and I become the

next Madame Gautreau.”

THE BIG READ | A PARIS APARTMENT

It’s the tallest vertical garden in the world, so it’s little wonder that the plants covering the side of the new 33-storey One Central Park residential and commercial tower in central Sydney’s Chippendale takes a small army of workers to keep it looking its best.

“It’s like painting the Sydney Harbour Bridge,” says Jock Gammon, owner of Junglefy, one of the country’s leading green roof and wall specialists. They’re tasked with looking after the 1100sqm vertical garden designed by French artist and botanist Patrick Blanc, which rises 150 metres into the sky above Sydney’s Broadway. “It never ends,” he says. “We’re constantly inspecting it to make sure there’s no disease, pests or weeds, and making sure it’s fertilised and pruned. We check it fortnightly from a basket suspended from rail tracks on the roof. It’s irrigated with non-potable water from our recycling plant on site and there are sensors to monitor the amount of water going through.”

The hydroponic soil-less vertical garden that grows, sprouts, flowers and changes colour with the seasons is the crowning glory of the building, designed by French architecture practice Ateliers Jean Nouvel in collaboration with Australian firm, PTW. Developed by Frasers Property in partnership with Sekisui House Australia, it was recently voted the best tall building in the world by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. 

It contains a total of 38,000 plants encompassing 350 different species, both exotics and natives. “But it does feel very special working on something like this,” says Gammon. “It’s a ground-breaking project, setting the benchmark for others around the country, and the world.” T

Lorrie Graham is one of Australia’s pre-eminent photojournalists. Her work is displayed in the National Gallery of Australia, National Portrait Gallery, National Library, Museum of Sydney, and State Library of NSW. Subscribe to her blog, www.lorriegrahamblog.com

It’s suddenly one of Sydney’s most iconic landmarks: a living building

lush with vertical greenery that requires constant care and attention.

Anna Washington discovers how One Central Park is changing the

face of 21st century living.

VERTICALGARDEN

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The living walls contain 38,000 plants

encompassing 350 dif ferent species.

grandeurA tale of

old-worldNew Zealand’s South Island is home to stunning fiords, glaciers and lakes, and just as impressive, as Sue Williams discovers, is its 19th Century built, and lovingly restored, Otahuna Lodge.

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A gloriously grand heritage mansion set in stunning gardens in the middle of pretty much nowhere ... It’s hard to imagine what could possibly be a greater contrast to city apartment-living.

But that’s just why so many people relish visiting Otahuna Lodge on New Zealand’s South Island, set on 12 hectares of rolling emerald countryside outside Christchurch. And it’s for exactly the same reason that the two American owners abandoned their own luxury apartment in New York’s Manhattan – and a career spent developing more – to set up home in their own small-scale Downton Abbey-style idyll.

“We felt like a change and when we saw Otahuna, we were quickly drawn under its spell,” says Hall Cannon, who bought the stately home with partner Miles Refo in 2006. “We felt the property had all the bones to be the most spectacular lodge in New Zealand, a true architectural gem in dire need of a little TLC.”

That TLC ended up costing the pair rather more than they’d first imagined. The bill for a complete structural restoration topped NZ$10 million, with Auckland-based interior designer Stephen Cashmore, who specialises in heritage renovations, commissioned to preserve the grand residence’s character and bring it back to life.

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“We felt Otahuna Lodge had all the bones to be the most spectacular

lodge in New Zealand.”

Clockwise, from left: Two rooms at Otahuna Lodge feature fireplaces in their bathroom; Executive Chef, Jimmy McIntyre; the gourmet cuisine at Otahuna Lodge is uncomplicated and divine; the Frog Pond in the 11-hectare grounds; Otahuna Lodge owners Hall Cannon and Miles Refo; the spa at Otahuna Lodge; the reception doubles as a great reading spot.

Then disaster struck, and not once, but twice. The New Zealand earthquake of September 2010 caused an enormous amount of damage and the house was only just back up and running when the devastating Christchurch earthquake of February 2011 struck.

“We were fortunate in being insured commercially,” says Cannon, 40. “We wanted to be up and running as soon as we could.”

Today, however, curled up on a comfortable sofa in the drawing room beside one of the property’s numerous fireplaces, with soft classical music playing and the tinkling of china as the staff prepare to serve afternoon tea in the background, it’s hard to imagine the lodge has ever endured a day’s misfortune.

The palatial Queen Anne-style homestead, built in 1895 for New Zealand Defence Minister Sir Heaton Rhodes, and now with a Category 1 listing with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust, is immaculate in every way. The hand-carved mantelpiece glows softly, the intricate leaded glass windows sparkle, and all that’s missing, really, is a guest appearance from Charles Carson, Downton’s much-loved butler.

Mind you, the food is probably a damn sight more delicious at Otahuna than the fare Carlson routinely serves. Eggs are

TITLE | LOCK UP & LEAVE

gathered each morning from the chicken coop, herbs and vegetables are picked fresh from the organic garden on the property, and each course at dinner is accompanied by a variety of New Zealand fine wines, all before the meal is finished with a selection of local cheeses.

One of the lovely features is that guests can choose to dine with others, or in privacy, selecting from a number of dining areas, from the main dining room, ballroom or kitchen, to the library, to eat.

Upstairs, the seven guest rooms are uniquely decorated and styled, all with their own stories to tell. The Polo Suite, for instance, pays homage to Sir Heaton’s favourite sport which was played on the lawn, while The Verandah Suite, featuring a nine-metre-long verandah, in 1927 hosted HRH the Duke of York, later to become King George VI. Six of the rooms have their own wood-burning fireplaces, and two have one in their bathrooms, which all come complete with bathtub and monsoon shower.

Some days, it’s hard to stir from the house itself, as it’s so relaxing and comfortable. But the outdoors also beckon. The gardens contain an orchard, a Dutch garden and wooded walkways. In September, there’s a special treat: a whole field becomes carpeted in daffodils from the time Sir Heaton planted thousands of bulbs to entertain the locals.

There’s also an outdoor swimming pool, outdoor fireplace, BBQ area and a tennis court. While the whole estate feels like a dream from a different century, there’s still the odd modern touch. There’s now wi-fi throughout, and the mansion’s old laundries – still with their coppers and ironing stoves – these days also house an exercise room and massage room.

Outings can include lunch at the nearby Pegasus Bay winery, a trip to the Alpine peaks and glaciers of the South Island, or the Waimakariri Gorge for fly-fishing. If, of course, you can bear to leave Otahuna Lodge – and its memories of a gentler way of life – for that long. T

Otahuna Lodge, 224 Rhodes Road, Tai Tapu, Christchurch, New Zealand. www.otahuna.co.nz Ph (64) 3 329 6333.

VIETNAM

Later this year, self-confessed Vietnam fanatic Jimmy Thomson will be taking a select group of no more than a dozen guests on a journey to the heart of this amazing country.

And this will be no ordinary tour; it is an intimate and personal exploration of a country that fascinates those who care to take a closer look.

Naturally, as the co-author of three books on Australia’s part in what the Vietnamese call the American War, Jimmy will take visitors to some of the more significant military locations.

But it won't just be the obvious tourist trail. His knowledge and experience will help you to appreciate the courage, ingenuity and sacrifice of the Vietnamese people 50 years ago.

And that’s just part of it. Jimmy’s guests will also meet real Vietnamese people in their homes and appreciate why these former foes are now one of our fondest friends in South-East Asia.

We will sample the best local food, entertainment and hospitality. And along the way, Jimmy and his team will take you to some

of the natural wonders of this stunning country, including some of the biggest caves in the world, gorgeous islands and beautiful beaches.

Accompanied by professional local guides and a young Vietnamese-Australian, this is a Vietnam that very few get to see or appreciate.

To find out more, go to www.mildrover.com and click on New Vietnam Tour. Or email Jimmy directly on jimmyt@ozemail.com.au for more details.

Heard how great it is to visit Vietnam? You don’t know half of it ...

W A R A N D P E A C E

Michelle Walsh travels to the east coast of the island of Phuket, and finds a well-hidden gem... the luxury Cape Panwa hotel. Panwa

CapeESCAPE TO

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Cape Panwa, a long peninsula on the southeast corner of Phuket, is a tranquil haven away from the popular areas of the Thai island’s west coast. Charming beaches and authentic local villages make this location, like any of my parking fines, one very well-kept secret.

As a repeat offender when it comes to touring Phuket’s west coast, I was more than a little curious to see what the other side of the island had to offer.

The western side is all about beach clubs, tourist hot spots and watching the sun depart. Cape Panwa peninsula is about seclusion, striking sunrises and brilliant sunsets. With views to the southern end of Phang Nga Bay dotted with small islands, as well as a view to the west, it’s a remarkable location.

Driving down the steep road to the Cape Panwa Hotel reception gives you a sense of the tranquillity that awaits you. The impressive interior design of the lobby, and staff so welcoming they seem like old friends, make for an outstanding introduction to the resort. A school of rattan fish swirl above the reception desk and lantern-shaped day beds adorn the lobby, meshing modern design with island comfort.

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My husband and I are shown to our room – The Cape Suite. My inner princess could not have been more relieved, and my internal complaints department took a well-earned break. Pastel tones and pretty textiles give a relaxed Mediterranean feel. Complete with a spa on the balcony and dramatic ocean views over the sublime private beach, it appeared we had won ourselves gun position in The Cape Suite. The large lounge area and luxury bathroom are minimally chic, with comfort the main consideration. Thongs for the beach and slippers for the room made a thoughtful extra touch.

The Hotel is like a classic sports car, with great lines and a timeless aesthetic. There’s a rustic charm to much of the place and like all classics there’s a few age lines here and there, but in all it is an ageless beauty. A charming funicular connects the main buildings to the beach; although by foot it’s a very short stroll down through the hotel’s lush gardens.

The grand Sino-Portuguese mansion, Panwa House, used as a backdrop in countless movies, is the hotel’s stunning centerpiece. Full of original and restored antiquities, it’s as though the home was abandoned 80 years ago and the staff have been meticulously maintaining it until the master of the house returns.

The stunning grounds and lush green, exotic gardens beside the beach give the area a private club feel which, much like unlimited sleep-ins, I found very appealing. Every angle of

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“The Hotel is like a classic sports car, with great lines and a timeless aesthetic ... all in all, it is an ageless beauty.”

the beach, grounds and gardens are perfectly manicured by an army of invisible gardeners.

One of the best aspects of being on a private beach at the end of a steep deadend road is the privacy. No fighting for beach space, hawkers or day-trippers – just a feeling of exclusivity mixed with charming unpretentiousness.

Heading to the beach and grabbing a kayak to glide across the glassy morning water before breakfast is about the perfect amount of holiday exercise before the hitting the buffet for breakfast. The super fruits bar, part of the buffet, has a

scrumptious selection of dragon fruit, mango and other exotic offerings previously unfamiliar but now good friends of my palate. Fruit is sliced up to order and makes a perfect entree before heading to the extensive buffet of breakfast offerings.

Morning is the best time to snag a sun lounge in the front row. It’s the ideal time for an ocean dip as the tide is high and you’ll have sand under foot all the way in to deeper water. Even as the tide recedes, swimming is still possible. Or, for even easier access to a cool off, there’s a large pool with lounges beside Panwa House.

The afternoon is a great time to recline on the balcony of your suite or pull up a pew poolside in one of the stunningly beautiful oversized four-poster day beds. Whiling away the day’s later hours with a book by the pool before heading back to the beach

Clockwise, from top left: Panwa House is a classic Sino-Portuguese mansion in beatifully manicured grounds; the rooms combine fine tradition with airy modernity; a trip on the Panwa Princess yacht leads to the azure waters of Coral Island; the four-poster day beds lined up poolside prove the perfect place for a spot of afternoon reading.

for a cocktail at Bamboo Bar is a great way to finish off before the main event – dinner at Panwa House.

Candlelit ornate white iron lace tables out the front of Panwa House are unquestionably romantic and had me feeling like I was on a first date with my husband of 15 years. The whole house is open so it’s a must to wander upstairs to see the antiques adorning every corner. Mother of pearl in teak chairs, gramophone, typewriter and dated magazines are a glimpse back in time to when tin was king in Phuket. The tin boom paid for many of these colonial-style mansions throughout the island and Panwa House is a superb example.

Sitting on the balcony overlooking the beach and feasting on the Tom Yum Goong, red snapper with lemongrass and green curry prawn on a balmy night, by candlelight, was a special

moment. Waiters dressed in traditional silk, brass cutlery and an old-world ambience make it a genteel dining experience.

A visit to the Cape is not complete without taking a trip on the hotel’s private yacht ‘Panwa Princess’. A short walk to the end of the picturesque white pier has you board a grand yacht, with a mahogany wood and antique interior befitting the style of Cape Panwa Hotel. The upper deck has plenty of shaded areas, a spa, and a perfect vantage point for your trip out to Coral Island. The attentive yet discre staff looked after our every need with refreshments on board and plenty of bread to feed the fish on arrival.

Coral Island is teaming with tropical fish and an underwater sea of coral perfect for snorkelling in the clear turquoise waters. After diving off the back of the boat, crew encourage the fish further by tossing some bread into the water around you. It’s like being kissed by a thousand underwater angels (or being under attack, depending on your perspective). Unlike being

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out on a tail boat with no relief on board from the soaring temperatures, a day out on the Panwa Princess is the ultimate luxury experience to complete any visit to the hotel.

It’s also a great stepping off point to visit other fascinating parts of Phuket that you may not get to if you’re on the west coast. Tim, who works on the excursion desk, is like a friendly talking almanac on Phuket and worth chatting to about an outing nearby that will be to your liking. Phuket town with its Sino-Portuguese splendours and unique shops in the heart of Phuket’s sleepy provincial capital is a fun morning’s adventure not too far from the hotel.

Ao Yon Beach is only a short 10 minutes by taxi for a delightful sunset walk or a casual dinner at the beach bar.

With the sand under your feet, sitting at the water’s edge, it’s a divine spot to watch the sun go down.

We spent a week at Cape Panwa Hotel and I can see why it is the ideal place for a wedding or honeymoon, although I just cannot wait to come back with my children too. It’s a large resort with so many different aspects to it and a wonderfully safe private beach that would be paradise for a family. Two swimming pools, a playground, a games room and five different restaurants make a week at Cape Panwa Hotel an ideal romantic place for two, or a fun family getaway.

Cape Panwa is the place to get lost in your own thoughts and unwind in a paradise-like environment. It’s a place to recharge, reconnect and, no doubt, to return to. T

NOVOTEL FOREST RESORT, CRESWICK, VICAn hour and 15 minutes from Melbourne, between Victoria’s spa country and its goldfields, this resort has an 18-hole par-72 championship golf course set in 60 hectares of native bushland. Its crowning glory is the boutique day spa perched on the penthouse level of the Canadian lodge-themed retreat. Prices for two start at around $149. Address: 1500 Midland Highway, Creswick, Vic Bookings and details: www.novotelforestresort.com.au Tel: (03) 5345 9600

Admittedly, it’s a First World problem: you love little more than a good game

of golf; your partner loves little less. But Title has the perfect solution – a

selection of beautiful resorts that have both gorgeous golf courses and stunning spas. Isobel Mansfield locks up and leaves

her apartment to check out four of the best.

The ultimate guide to

GOLF SPA WEEKENDS

CYPRESS LAKES RESORT, HUNTER VALLEY, NSWJust two hours’ drive from Sydney, golfers can enjoy an excellent 18-hole course, while those who don’t share their enthusiasm can relax and rejuvenate at the Golden Door Spa Elysia. Balconies at the villa-style accommodation overlook the greenery. One bedroom villas start from $218 per night (min. two-night stay).  Address: Corner McDonalds and Thompsons Road, Pokolbin, NSWBookings and details: www.cypresslakes.com.au Tel: (02) 4993 1555

PEPPERS MOONAH LINKS RESORT, MORNINGTON PENINSULA, VICWhat could be better than a luxury resort with a golf course? Having two. On the Mornington Peninsula, this resort has two 18-hole natural links courses, as well as a hot springs spa next door, with Turkish steam baths and massaging thermal mineral showers. Stay and play package for two around $375 a night. Address: Peter Thomson Drive, Fingal, Vic Bookings and details: www.peppers.com.au/moonah Tel: 1300 987 600

THE SEBEL RESORT & SPA, HAWKESBURY VALLEY, NSWSet within eight hectares of manicured, landscaped gardens with a 9-hole golf course, a driving range and an 18-hole championship course adjacent, this resort in the foothills of the Blue Mountains houses Australia’s only Villa Thalgo day spa. In addition, there’s a gym, pool, sauna, tennis courts, jogging track and croquet. Prices start from $200 a night. TAddress: 61 Hawkesbury Valley Way, Windsor, NSW Bookings and details: www.sebelhawkesbury.com.au Tel (02) 4577 4222

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HOLIDAY | GETAWAY

There’s far more on the menu at Melbourne eaterie Medici than good food, drink and friendly service. At times, it’s dished up a healthy serve of romance for regulars who visit from the surrounding apartments.

One customer confessed he was really interested in getting to know another who lived upstairs in the same building above the family-run Docklands restaurant. Owner Serge Moussi casually mentioned him to her, then introduced the pair. “They ended up chatting, then coming here again for dinner. Now they’re getting married!”he says.

“We have lots of beautiful, happy stories like that. My sister met her boyfriend here, and my other sister started a business with someone else she met in the restaurant. I also met my girlfriend here.”

While love is at times in the air, there’s plenty besides that makes this waterfront restaurant a popular place at all times of the day. Take breakfast, for example. Favourites include the smashed avocado, lime and goat’s cheese with thyme-buttered mushrooms on toasted ciabatta with poached eggs; and the simply irresistible homemade pancakes.

It’s not only neighbouring apartment-dwellers who turn up at 8am for the first servings but also their building managers, along with any range of visitors. Then it’s often the same set who arrive for a lunch ... and then there’s the full dinner menu.

“A handful of customers come in every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner,” says Serge, 37, who’s run Medici for the past 13 years with his sister Monique and their parents Elie, 72, and Salwa, 62. Elie’s well-known in Melbourne with a great track record in hospitality, having previously run the Underground nightclub, Albert Park Hotel, Red Eagle, College Lawn,

Mentone Hotel and the Station Hotel.The lunch and dinner menus offer huge

choice, with everything from pizzas and salads to a range of pastas and risottos. One house specialty is lamb and rosemary tortellini; another is the seafood linguini – prawns, scallops, mussels, calamari and pieces of fish tossed in olive oil with garlic, chilli and fresh herbs - and linguine amatriciana (see recipe).

The restaurant also does a brisk business in take-aways, and caters for local residents for special occasions, with a capacity for groups up to 300, or delivers lunch to boats moored nearby. “I make people feel welcome,” Serge says. “I see them walk in and I’ll have their regular coffee ready for them. Sometimes they ask for something that’s off-menu. We happily bend over backwards for our regular customers.”

Being below and beside apartments, Serge hears local news firsthand – anything from new developments planned and customers celebrating promotions at work, weddings and babies born, to new romances – whether he has a hand in them or not.

“I’ve made some great lifelong friends through this business,” he says. “It’s always important for people to have a great place to eat and get together in any neighbourhood. We’re proud of having a close community here.”

Medici, 36 Newquay Promenade, Docklands, Melbourne. Telephone (03) 9600 4160; email info@medici.net.au Open from 8am till late every day.

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Regulars at this Italian icon do not just love the food ... there is often something else in the air.

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“We’ve had residents who’ve been living here

for 10 years, so we know what’s going on.”

Romancing the

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LINGUINE AMATRICIANA

30g onion 30g capsicum1 clove garlic30g salami A handful fresh parsley leaves Olive oil 40g baconA pinch chilli flakes25g olives 225g tomatoes, peeled, choppedSalt and pepper, to taste 250g linguini 1 tablespoon fresh parmesan, grated

The sign at a tiny hole-in-the-wall cafe in Sydney bears a very big claim: ‘Enter as a stranger’, it reads, ‘and leave as a friend’.

“But that’s true, and we’re very proud of that,” says Johnny Karakitsos, the owner of Johnny’s Window, which nestles under one of Sydney’s tallest apartment buildings on a little stretch of road in Kings Cross that’s home to more than 770 units.

“While we have healthy fresh food and great coffee, it’s very important to us to create an ambience where we know people by name and know what they like. We really care about our customers, and about being part of the community.”

Johnny, 42, set up the cafe three years ago and revels in feeding people his famed chia blueberry pudding ($7.50) or boiled eggs with dippy toast ‘soldiers’ smeared with avocado ($8.50), as well as offering a big selection of sandwiches, cakes and biscuits. In addition, Johnny's Window has become a drop-off point for keys, a great place for a chat and an invaluable networking source.

“There’s all kinds of people here, and I once introduced a company CEO to an artist, and he bought her paintings,” says Johnny, who’s just had a son, Christopher. “You build trust, rapport and consistency and become a part of apartment life.” T

Johnny’s Window, 5a/1 Kings Cross Rd, Rushcutters Bay, Sydney. Telephone (02) 9357 3738. Open 6:30am – 4pm weekdays; 7.30am – 3pm Saturdays

Peel and dice the onion, capsicum and garlic. Cut the salami into small pieces. Pick and chop the parsley leaves. Set aside.

Heat a saucepan to hot and add the olive oil. Add the bacon to the pan and cook until crispy. Add the onions and cook until soft. Add the garlic, chilli flakes, olives, capsicum, salami and the chopped tomatoes. Cook for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook the linguine to al dente in a large pan of salted boiling water. Drain.

Finish the sauce by stirring in the fresh parsley. Serve with the pasta and finish with the grated parmesan. T

HOLE-IN-THE-WALLCAFE GOING

GANGBUSTERS

Bespoke management solutions for your building

By simply listening, Higher Living can craft a bespoke service package that responds to the needs of your building. Our experience in Building Management, Concierge Services and Common Property Cleaning means that we can offer an integrated approach that is tailored to suit your requirements. At the Higher Living managed Advanx development, for instance, residents yearned for a Concierge service. We responded by creating an innovative pay-per-use Concierge model without having to increase quarterly levies.

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E: info@higherliving.coW: higherliving.co

We’re listening, so start the conversation…

Relationships start in many ways. We start by listening.

Artist's impression of the dKO designed Queens Domain in Melbourne

Strata FactsLEVEL THREE

BREAKING GROUND:

NEW PROJECTS

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VOICE

81INSURANCE: AIRBNB AND YOUR COVER

78FINANCE: BEST WAY

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Futuristic f lats take a

HOLE-ISTICapproachIt’s one of the most striking and deliciously hip apartment building designs the world has ever seen – and it’s coming soon to Australia.

Architect Koichi Takada has given the Crown Group’s new $575-million, 401-apartment development at Sydney’s Green Square a futuristic looped shape, with a hollow centre and cut-outs within the facade.

Crown CEO Iwan Sunito is a big fan of Crown Green Square. “We constantly strive to innovate across all facets of our developments,” he says.

Residents will have an infinity-edge pool, spa, gym, music rooms, theatre, concierge, a roof top terrace and sky lounge to make them never want to leave the block with a ‘hole’ new look.

The group has also announced Crown Ashfield, a 101-unit, $88 million, Turner Associates-designed tower in Sydney’s Inner West, with facilities that include a piano room. www.crowngroup.com.au

HIGH HOPES FOR MELBOURNEMelbourne is about to become home to the highest apartments in the southern hemisphere with a stunning, ultra-luxurious 100-storey tower on the edge of the city. Designed by Fender Katsalidis Architects, and developed by Singapore-based World Class Land, Australia 108 will have 1105 apartments, three pools, three gyms, private dining rooms and theatrettes. CEO of the developer’s parent company, Koh Wee

From a sci-fi ‘cave’ to blocks with karaoke rooms, developers are going all out to get your attention, writes Michael Murillo.

Top: Crown CEO Iwan Sunito is proud of the Group’s Green Square project in Sydney. Above: The 100-storey residence

Australia 108 in Melbourne. Opposite: Crown Green Square.

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Seng, says it will be an international landmark. “Australia 108 will offer a lifestyle unlike any other in Australia,” he says. “As the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere, it will offer a life lived above the clouds and an unparalleled level of luxury.” www.australia108.com.au

ON THE RIGHT TRACKWith the award-winning architects Marchese Partners at the helm, the new 61-apartment building Lumina at Ashfield, Sydney, is a study in good design, with a luxurious fit-out being sold by CPM Realty.Even more alluring for families, however, is its location close to the train station, shopping mall and near great private schools like Trinity Grammar, De La Salle and St Vincent’s primary. www.cpmrealty.com.au

HISTORY RENEWEDWhen dKO Architecture principal Koos de Keijzer was asked to design a swish new apartment building between Melbourne’s CBD and St Kilda, his first move was immediately to go and gaze on the classic 1940s Frederick Romberg-designed Stanhill and Newburn Flats on the same street. “I wanted to make our building pick up the threads of their story, and weave them into something contemporary that was still sympathetic to those buildings,” he says. And the result? The new 20-level,

Top, left to right: Queens Domain in

Melbourne; The Lumina at Ashfield; Sugarcube

Apartments and Honeycomb Terraces in Erskineville. Right:

Sonia and Daniel Cuthbertson invested

in a two-bedroom apartment in Summer

Hill’s Flour Mills.

238-apartment Queens Domain has the same stark modernity as its neighbours ... but with a few more friendly curves, drawing comparisons with another of his great successes, EVE by Fridcorp in Sydney’s Erskineville. www.queensdomainmelbourne.com.au

FLOUR POWERWhen investment analyst Daniel Cuthbertson heard about the development of an old heritage flour mill into apartments in a neighbouring suburb to his, he was instantly intrigued.

“It’s a fantastic community around there,” he says of the Sydney Inner West suburb of Summer Hill. “Then I looked at the design, and what the architects were doing, and how they weren’t overdeveloping the site at all.

“I thought it would be a good time to invest in an apartment there.” As a result, Daniel and his wife Sonia, a human relations executive, both 36, bought a two-bedroom apartment in the EG Funds’, HASSELL architects-designed Flour Mills from agents Colliers. Now, only 11 terraces remain for sale in the project. “We both just love it,” says Daniel. “Now even my brother is thinking of becoming our tenant!” residential.colliers.com.au

ROOF GARDEN SWEETENS THE DEALDoes this new community to be built on an old industrial estate have the sweetest name in development history? Welcome to Sugarcube Apartments and Honeycomb Terraces, coming soon via Colliers to another of Sydney’s Inner West suburbs, Erskineville. With 109 apartments and 18 terraces, the Golden Rain project designed by architects dKO, just 3km to the city, and close to the train station. And the icing on the cake? A beautifully landscaped roof garden from which to enjoy the delicious mix of leafy suburban and Sydney CBD views. www.sugarcubehoneycomb.com.au

LOCAL HEROESThe Carlisle, a new boutique development in St Kilda, is making the most of its location while offering something for everyone. With units in the 69-apartment block ranging from $290,000 for a studio to

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$775,000 for a two-bed, two-bathroom, there‘s a home to suit every pocket.

Timber-floored living areas give it a beach house feel while the rooftop terrace will make the five-storey Carlisle a breezy oasis in the midst of the buzzy suburb. A joint venture partnership between Element Five and a private local Australian developer, The Carlisle is being marketed by CBRE. thecarlisleapartments.com.au

SOMETHING TO SING ABOUTIn the apartment market, there’s plenty of competition to provide the best, most innovative, communal spaces and activities possible. But one Melbourne tower is now breaking new ground by offering karaoke suites, a ‘sky-high’ games club and exclusive private dining rooms.Eq. Tower, developed by ICD Property in joint venture with Sino-Ocean Land and designed by Elenberg Fraser, rises 62 levels with 632 apartments in the CBD’s north. And suggestions for karaoke? The lush gardens of Level 7 could inspire Green, Green Grass of Home while the games room with its billiards, poker and mah-jong table ... Lady Gaga’s Poker Face anyone? www.eqtower.com

SMART FLATS FOR THE HILLSCPM Realty project marketer Sam Elbanna has found selling a new development of 33 luxury apartments in Sydney’s North West, The Jacob at Baulkham Hills, an absolute labour of love. “Having grown up in

Eq. Tower, a 62-storey, 632 apartment building in Melbourne’s CBD, is breaking new ground with offerings that include karaoke suites, a ‘sky-high’ games club and exclusive private dining rooms.

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Baulkham Hills, I know it’s an exceptional suburb with a great sense of community,” he says. “The Jacob is bringing modern cosmopolitan living to this area.” www.cpmrealty.com.au

VILLAGE PEOPLEA new apartment village in the middle of Sydney’s pricey Upper North Shore means downsizing locals, or young people starting out, won’t have to leave the area to find affordable homes. The 142-unit Lindfield Village, designed by Crone Partners, is being developed by Chinese group Aqualand and sold by CBRE. lindfieldvillage.com.au

SPACE FOR HANDYMENA twist on the Men’s Shed movement, a new development in Sydney’s Dulwich Hill is about to get its own bike shed as a place for residents to tinker with their bikes, make furniture and craft their own projects. In addition, the

William Smart-designed 252-apartment Arlington Grove will have a club room and an orange grove. www.arlingtongrove.com.au

BOUTIQUE BARGAINSInvestors’ ears pricked up with news of a 33-unit block for the heart of Sydney’s Bankstown, with one-bedroom-plus-study units starting at just $440,000. Mosaic sounds a cut above the usual, with timber floors, stone kitchen benchtops, and a plaza being developed across the road. Sales are via CPM Realty. www.cpmrealty.com.au

MIDDLE GROUNDWhat do you do when you’ve an apartment building sited right between an old part of town and the inner city? You call it MEZZO, or “in the middle”, then design it with a mix of styles, both Federation and contemporary, to reflect the contrasting streetscapes. “You give people a choice of modern or traditional colour schemes and finishes,” says David Cullen, MD of MEZZO developers Oakstand, who’s creating the KANNFINCH and CHROFI-designed 10-level building between Glebe and Sydney CBD with the Denwol Group. “It’s the best of both worlds.” oakstand.com.au

FITTING INIn a suburb traditionally full of old, well-established houses, there were many who felt that putting up apartments in the north-west Sydney suburb of Putney would be a disaster. “But they’ve proved extremely popular,” says Paul Lowe, sales and marketing director at Frasers Property Australia, whose masterplanned community Putney Hill is breaking all sales records.“People used to be forced to move away to find different housing when the big houses no longer suited them. Now they don’t have to.” Frasers has now launched the three boutique buildings of Canopy, with 131 apartments. Prices start at $600,000 for the Cox Richardson Architects-designed homes. www.frasersproperty.com.au

BONDI BOOST FOR MIRVACDeveloper Mirvac has finally won its battle to develop a 190- apartment building set among Moreton Bay fig trees five minutes from the sands of Bondi Beach, called, appropriately, The Moreton.

“It’s not often you have an opportunity for anything of significance in an area like that,” says group executive John Carfi. “But we’re thankful to secure that opportunity in such a great location.”

It’s one of three major projects Mirvac is currently involved in. In Green Square in the inner south, it will start marketing units in the area’s tallest building: 250 apartments over 28 floors. Meanwhile the newest release at Harold Park at Glebe, the 49-apartment, four-level Maxwell Place, is selling well with the final stage of the project to be released around the middle of the year. “We have a lot of confidence in the apartment market at the moment,” says Carfi. “It’s still very strong.” bondi.mirvac.com T

Top: Apartments in Mosaic in Sydney’s Bankstown start at just $440,000. Inset: The view from a 3-bedroom apartment in Mirvac’s Mor ton at Bondi Beach.

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TITLE | BREAKING GROUND

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Apartment residents love their privacy as much as anyone but Jimmy Thomson discovers the new ways snoops can keep a watchful eye on you.

Phones, drones & future snoops

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TITLE | STRATA LIVING

In most States, private individuals can photograph

or film anything and anyone, anywhere...

If you thought neighbours snooping over your garden fence was a problem, this age of new technologies has made it worse ... and apartment residents are far from immune.

The busybodies of unit block life are, well, busy. And armed with a copy of your by-laws (or rules) in one hand and the latest off-the-shelf spy equipment in the other, they are all equipped to keep you on the straight and narrow.

Did I say spy equipment? What I meant was a variety of toys and leisure gear designed for innocent pleasures but employed with nefarious intent.

The Smartphone: OK, it’s a phone but it’s also an audio recorder, and it’s equipped with a camera that captures video and stills. In fact, it’s capable of taking astonishingly high-quality pictures, and it permanently dwells in a pocket near you.

Illegally parked? "Click" You’re busted with a picture of your car, complete with time code, already on its way to the strata manager. Did we mention it’s also an email device? Drinking champagne in

your swimming pool’s glass-free zone, in between diving cannonball-style into the pool? The scowling woman on the next sun-lounger isn’t texting ... she’s compiling a video montage of you defying numerous strata rules (and common sense).

The Selfie Stick: The extension of your arm that now drives concert-goers nuts,

radio-controlled flying machines with cameras on them? They’ll take you up where you don’t belong and show you all sorts of things you aren’t supposed to see. But, hey, what have they got to hide, huh?

Is this legal? Astonishingly, yes. In most States, private individuals can photograph or film anything and anyone, anywhere, including in their own homes, provided it isn’t for illegal purposes, you aren’t on their property without permission, and aren’t recording sound.

However, if you are doing it for a corporation (like your building’s owners corp or committee, for example) you could be breaking the law. In simple terms, you can film your committee members but they can’t do the same thing to you.

The same applies to the flying camera drone. If it is being used for professional purposes, the drone pilot needs to have a licence (as some real estate agents have discovered). But if it’s just a private individual checking to see where the barbie smoke is coming from, that’s OK.

Snoops have never had it so good. T

the selfie stick is a strata snoop’s dream. No more hanging off balconies or climbing on the roofs of buildings opposite with binoculars to see if your upstairs or next-door neighbour has an illegal cat.

The selfie stick is the periscope of the 21st century, and the attached phone does all of those photographic and email things too.

The Drone: You know those multi-rotor,

CANBERRA | CHATSWOOD | PARRAMATTA | SYDNEY CBD | WOLLONGONG

To find out how we can help you,contact us today!

P: 1300 724 256 E: tony.foreshew@civiumstrata.com.au

civiumstrata.com.au

Almost two million Australians today own an investment property, but for many it may not necessarily pay the handsome financial dividends they imagine it will.

The reason for this? “Too many people buy with their hearts rather than their heads,” says property author and advisor Margaret Lomas. “You should approach buying an investment apartment quite differently to looking for one you want to live in.

“It’s about being unemotional and doing plenty of research about price movements in various suburbs and

Buying an investment property? Best leave your heart at the door. Michael Murillo uncovers ways to boost the growth of your returns from a second apartment.

types of housing to capture the best growth you can,” she adds.

The key to buying an apartment that is going to prove a good investment is all about how likely it is to rise in price over the medium to long term. While you’d like tenants to pay a decent rent that could rise every year, that’s less important than capital growth.

“Rent prices can go up and down, and they can help with mortgage repayments, but it’s what you can sell the apartment for down the track that’s going to make the greatest difference to your life,” says Michael Yardney of Metropole Property Strategists. “That kind of return will bring you financial independence much faster.”

It’s therefore critical to do plenty of research about where to buy. Look for suburbs that seem to be a little undervalued, less trendy, or are set to be the recipients of improvement work or new infrastructure.

A new light rail line, for instance, might make the suburb suddenly a lot easier to get to; a new underground tunnel might lessen traffic along the main street; a shopping centre being planned for the neighbourhood could make it more desirable. Public transport nearby will also be important for good capital growth – the same goes for good local shops and cafes.

If it’s possible to add value to an apartment, either by renovating the

Making the Ultimate Investment

“You should approach buying an investment property differently to looking for one to live in.”

interior or laying better tiles over the balcony and creating a garden, that’s another plus. You might also be able to get on to the Executive Committee or Body Corporate and plan a revamp for the building as a whole which will also push up prices.

Finally, weigh up the advantages of a newer building with a pool and gym that might attract tenants willing to pay more rent, against the higher quarterly levies you’ll be paying to maintain them.

“And when you’ve bought one good investment property, don’t stop there,” says Lomas. “Try to buy another, then another, in order to make a big difference to your portfolio.” T

STRATA | FINANCE

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The people people

Who’d be a strata building manager? Anyone brave enough to tackle the role gets an insight into our lives that others don’t enjoy – or would wish for – but it’s not a job you could ever describe as boring.

“One day late last year, our fire-testing contractors discovered someone living in the meter room of one of our buildings,” says Kelly Pabis, Client Support Manager with Body Corporate Services (BCS) in Wollongong. “They’d set up a heater, fan, TV, DVD player, bed and closet.

“We repaired the lock so they couldn’t break in again but during this work we

From blazing frying pans to snake wrangling, building managers see us at our very worst and, as Jimmy Thomson explains, most bizarre.

also discovered another person sleeping in the fire exit. The security at this building has since been significantly increased.”

One building manager who preferred not to be named followed a trail of damp from the ceiling of one apartment, to the unit next door, then the floor of the flat above that, then to the next one along.

“Are you experiencing any dampness in your apartment?” they asked the resident.

“As a matter of fact I am,” he replied, ushering them in to see his sodden carpet. It was then they identified the cause – the resident had plugged the drains on his balcony, filled the well with water and was

now using it as a fish pond. Water leaks are a common problem in apartment blocks but fire is an immediate concern.

“We recently had one tenant set his fry pan on fire and carry it through the hallway intending to pour the burning oil down the rubbish chute,” says Rainer Schnittler, an owners corporation manager for BCS in Melbourne. “It’s lucky the entire building didn’t go up in flames.”

But every time building managers think they have seen it all, some other bizarre event blindsides them.

“I was conducting an AGM in a building in North Parramatta when I discovered a

Managing mayhem

tenant had converted his second bedroom into a snake pit using an above-ground swimming pool,” recalls Billy Chau, a branch manager with BCS in Sydney. “I advised the tenant that he had to seek approval if he wanted to keep animals at the property. He replied that snakes are reptiles, not animals.

“I contacted the real estate agent but the property manager began to scream hysterically before hanging up. It turned out she had a phobia about snakes and would ‘go off’ just hearing the word. The business owner personally evicted the tenant and his pets.” T

“Every time building managers think they have seen it all, some other bizarre event blindsides them.”

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STRATA | MANAGEMENT

It’s Saturday night and you’re catching up over a few quiet drinks with friends who tell you about this wonderful new way of making money off your property – Airbnb. This prospect gets your brain ticking. You have a five-week holiday booked in a month’s time, and your home will be sitting there empty while you venture off overseas. So you think, why not give Airbnb a go? It’s a great opportunity to make a little money on the side. It could even pay for most of your overseas accommodation costs.Sounds wonderful, right? We think so too, however there is one thing you should check out before taking the Airbnb plunge with your property; your insurance. You shouldn’t assume your Strata or Contents Insurance policy will cover you for any malicious damage or theft whilst Airbnb tenants are living in your home.

TAKE THIS CLAIM SCENARIO FOR EXAMPLE…Kate and Will let their apartment out to a couple via Airbnb while they travelled to London for six weeks to visit their son George. They returned from their holiday to find their apartment trashed, and their entertainment system worth more than $10,000 gone. Bad turned to worse when they tried to lodge a claim under their Contents Insurance policy and it was denied in full.

WHY YOUR INSURER CAN DENY YOUR CONTENTS CLAIM…a) Non-disclosure When entering into an insurance contract, you are required to notify the insurer if there is any change to your circumstances, as this may affect your

The boom in internet accommodation sites like Airbnb has led to more Australians opening their doors to strangers. But what if something goes wrong? Lia de Sousa, General Manager, Strata, at Whitbread Insurance Brokers, checks out what happens after check-in.

insurance cover. A Contents policy will generally not cover your possessions when your property is being used for short-term letting. Failure to notify your insurer of a change in living conditions could be considered a breach of the contract, and as such your policy can be voided, leaving you exposed.b) No evidence of forced entryFor theft of contents to be covered, many Contents Insurance policies require clear evidence of “break and enter” to respond. In the instance above, Kate and Will willingly gave their keys to a short-term tenant, and as such there was no sign of a break and enter when their home entertainment system was stolen. c) You are making an incomeYour insurer may perceive an Airbnb short-term letting as carrying out a business activity within your home. This may void your cover, as the intention of a domestic Contents Insurance policy is not to cover business activities in your home. You may be exposed to significant financial loss where your Contents Insurance policy fails to provide cover when letting your apartment through Airbnb or another peer-to-peer leasing site. If, after reading this, you still think Airbnb is for you, then we urge you to follow our tips to protect your assets.

OUR RECOMMENDATIONS:Do your homework – read reviews on prospective tenants.a) Before committing your property to Airbnb, notify your insurer immediately.b) If your insurer agrees to provide Contents cover despite changes to your circumstances, request the insurer’s confirmation of cover in writing.

c) If your insurer chooses not to provide Contents cover for short-term letting, we would strongly recommend that you speak to your insurance advisor.d) Obtain clarification from your insurance advisor on what your Strata building Insurance will provide cover for. e) Each policy will vary regarding their specific exclusions and inclusions, and you should be well informed before opening yourself up to any potential asset exposures.

IS A SOLUTION IN THE MIX?You will be pleased to know that there are definitely solutions out there to cover your Public Liability exposure. However, the Australian market has no tailored insurance solution designed for Airbnb or other peer-to-peer leasing websites to cover the contents of your home. While such solutions are now becoming available in the United States, Australian insurance companies appear to be slow in responding to this disruptive business model. There may, however, be a light at the end of the tunnel. The emergence of specific Airbnb insurance cover in the US may inspire the Australian market to develop an appropriate policy, and capitalise on what is fast becoming a burgeoning industry. Watch this space! T

This article is not intended to be advice and you should not rely on it as a substitute for any form of advice. Please contact Whitbread Associates Pty Ltd ABN 69 005 490 228 License Number: 229092 trading as Whitbread Insurance Brokers for further information or refer to our website: www.whitbread.com.au

Hello paying guests… goodbye insurance cover?

STRATA | INSURANCE

Laws, by-laws and the taxmanBy Jimmy Thomson

There are a number of legal issues related to any short-term lets in apartment buildings and they existed long before someone dreamed up web-based services such as Airbnb and Stayz.

The most basic of these is whether or not you are allowed to have short-term lets in your apartment block in the first place. Airbnb and other agencies recognise this and ask you to tick a box confirming that you are allowed to let your unit or sub-let your room. And there are several more legal issues.

First among these is your building’s by-laws. If they limit the minimum length of stay of tenants, then you must stick by those rules. Generally, that means anything less than three months is verboten. If you’re a tenant – and more than half the people living in apartments are – check your rental agreement to see under what circumstances you can and can’t sub-let. Those few extra dollars on the side may lead to an eviction notice if you’re in breach of your tenancy. You may also be in breach of your agreement with the letting agency – remember that permission box you ticked?

Then there are local council zoning provisions. If your building is zoned long-term or permanent residential only, even a by-law allowing short-term lets means nothing. Local council laws take precedence and the special allowance your building has awarded itself means nothing.

Strata laws vary from state to state, so check local conditions. For instance, you can bet it’s harder to run an Airbnb business in Queensland, where high-rise caretakers guard their rental rolls like Rottweilers protect their pups. Moving up the legal ladder, as well as zoning, hosts in newer buildings should look at their development approval. If that says permanent residential only, then you are in trouble.

The concept of short-term letting in apartments may technically only apply to renting out your entire unit. However, even renting out a room in your home while you are living there potentially falls foul of all sorts of regulations, including by-laws and council zoning, because you are now effectively running your home as a business.

And finally, there is the taxman to consider. If you make money from renting out your apartment or spare room, the tax department will want to know about it and take its share. Sure, you can offset costs as a tax deduction, but as soon as you charge part of the mortgage as a cost to your business, you become liable for capital gains tax when you sell your home. It’s a minefield, which is probably just as well. Otherwise we’d all find ourselves living in quasi-hotels, with holidaymakers cluttering up our foyers, sooner than you can say “room service”. T

As well as editing Title, Jimmy Thomson writes the weekly Flat Chat apartment living advice column in the Sydney Morning Herald writes for The Age online and also runs the flat-chat.com.au website.

What is Airbnb?Airbnb is an online agency where you can list your home as holiday accommodation or book yourself somewhere to stay in more than 34,000 cities around the world. Just as on hotel review websites such as TripAdvisor, guests can review the accommodation and hosts online (even better: hosts can rate guests too). On the question of insurance, Airbnb in Australia has a free Host Guarantee which will reimburse you for up to $900,000 for damage to or theft of your property that you can prove was caused by one of its guests. However, the Airbnb website stresses that this is not a substitute for home and contents insurance and does not cover cash and securities, pets, personal liability or shared or common areas. You can read more about the host guarantee at www.airbnb.com.au/guarantee. T

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TITLE | STRATA LEGAL

It’s the other side of renting out strata apartments as if they were hotel rooms; how about buying a hotel room, thinking it will be treated like a strata apartment?

Leading strata lawyers Suzie Broome and Beverley Hoskinson-Green are warning mum and dad property investors to read the fine print of any contracts when they buy into serviced apartments in new developments. For while strata law protects them to a certain extent, they can lose money due to maintenance and service contracts they have signed up to.

“In some of these schemes they are guaranteed a modest return on their

Leading strata lawyers warn that the fine print in contracts could conceal hidden costs, writes Jimmy Thomson.

investment,” says Suzie. “But they have to lease the property back to the management company and then discover they are liable for all sorts of outgoings.

"For instance, they are legally obliged to pay for the maintenance of common property – but may not get to decide how often lobbies and hallways are painted, or how frequently corridors are carpeted.”

Beverley refers to a recent case where investors took a hotel company to court, claiming they’d been duped. “The judge ruled that they were, essentially, sophisticated ‘investors in a hotel venture’ and that it was all in the contracts,” says Beverley. “But they were mum and dad investors who thought they were buying into property with a guaranteed return.

“The contracts on these properties can and do fill a ring binder and even many solicitors and conveyancers don’t know where to look to see where the money goes out as well as comes in – especially if they aren’t strata specialists.”

Beverley believes it’s time more effort was made to educate strata investors on the pitfalls as well as the possible benefits of property investment and Suzie has noticed a sea change in the attitudes of some of the better developers.

“There are developers around today, especially in the bigger companies, who can see there is more profit to be made from building a quality product and trying to keep their investors happy by dealing with any problems quickly and

No free lunch in hotel room investments

“Never before has the phrase caveat emptor – buyer beware – been

more relevant.”

efficiently,” says Suzie. “They are building strong and reliable reputations and investors are flocking to them.

“Sadly there are two-dollar companies that have no assets, no reputation to protect, no plan to trade under the same name and no intention of doing the right thing. There are also some big companies using two-dollar companies to do the building development, so there are no resources to fix problems as they arise.

“The law won’t protect unwary investors so we have to protect ourselves – and that means educating ourselves.

“Never has the phrase caveat emptor – buyer beware – been more relevant than in serviced apartment and hotel room investments,” adds Beverley. T

When Pamela came along to her very first meeting of the Owners Corporation Network (OCN), the peak body for apartment owners in Australia, she was feeling rather desperate.

She’d recently moved into a new building off the plan, been elected onto the strata committee and then bombarded with complaints about visitors parking in residents’ spots in the car park. She had no idea what to do about it.

“But then I found out other people in other buildings had faced similar problems, and had worked out great ways of solving them,” she says. “They had so many good ideas, and advised me immediately what I could do to keep everyone happy.”

For the past 13 years, the OCN, a not-for-profit organisation of apartment owners helping other owners, has been working both behind the scenes, and often centre stage too, to help make apartment-living as good and as peaceful as it possibly can be.

An active advocate for improved strata living, it provides an online discussion forum for members to share knowledge and experiences, monthly member updates on important issues and special offers, free quarterly member meetings on hot topics with expert speakers, and twice-yearly seminars with professional specialists dealing with issues in more depth.

“I don’t think any apartment owner today can afford not to be a member,” says Karen Stiles, the OCN’s executive officer, with a laugh. “Whether they live in a small or large strata building, OCN can help with practical answers to day-to-day strata living challenges, as well as provide cost-saving initiatives, and allow people to learn from others

Since 2002, the Owners Corporation Network has been helping apartment owners negotiate the people and politics of apartment living, writes Anna Washington.

about everything from pets to parking, noise to neighbour disputes.”

Strata schemes can become members, from $137.50 per annum, depending on the size of the scheme, while individual membership is just $55 a year.

Chaired by leading strata lawyer Stephen Goddard, its members have, over the years, created legislative changes in the way strata is run, developed work with owners and created links with other organisations within the apartments industry.

“Apartment-living is becoming a way of life for a rapidly increasing number of people all around Australia,” says Stephen. “It’s a lifestyle choice, and it’s our role to try to ensure that lifestyle is as enjoyable, rewarding and hassle-free as possible.

“The OCN is a great organisation, as so many have discovered over the years.”

And Pamela? She had bollards installed in parking spaces, with only owners given the remotes to control them. “We’ve never had a problem since,” she says. T

You got a problem with that?

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STRATA | DAY TO DAY

Strata problem solvers

Jessica BatesSenior Associate

Anthea EillsLawyer

Mish WijesuriyaLawyer

Suzie BroomePartner

Beverley Hoskinson-GreenPartner

OUR TEAM

"As vastly experienced strata lawyers, we appreciate that

when you ask for advice, you want solutions, not

more problems.

"That’s why we are committed to helping you weather

safe harbor in a resolution that really works for you."

Beverley Hoskinson-Green and Suzie Broome.

p: (02) 9233 7788 w: www.makdap.com.au

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As one of Australia’s leading Strata Insurance specialists, Whitbread Insurance Brokers provides tailored insurance cover for Owners Corporations, property owners and landlords.

Ask your Owners Corporation Committee or Strata Manager if you have the quality Strata insurance you deserve.

Call 1300 424 627 to speak with the experts.