SPRING CLEAN YOUR HOME - AND YOUR HEAD

There’s nothing like spring to motivate us to clean up our act on the domestic front. But why not use the down time provided by human winter social hibernation to get in early and be Spring-prepared. Depending on the state of your domestic affairs, this will either seem like a very doable weekend activity or a task of monumental (and non-achievable) proportions. Either way, you can nail this. No matter how daunting, you can stay positive by thinking in baby steps.

However if you feel like tackling this head on, get out your pen and paper and do a home-wide reconnaissance. Go from room to room, and take note of dusty shelves, desktops etc; grimy marks on walls, doors and cupboards; any mould on walls and ceilings; cluttered drawers, wardrobes and cupboards that need tidying; old dusty, fraying cushions and any sheets or towels that need replacing. Don’t forget to look up high if you want to do an excellent job of this – think tops of doorframes and paintings, ceiling smears and for heaven’s sake, don’t miss the upper areas of your kitchen. Seems like that’s taking it too far, just wait till you get up there and see the s*&t on top of the cupboards and range hood. You’ll want it gone, believe me. And don’t forget windows… clean windows make your house look so much better and have the added benefit of letting in more light.

Are you feeling a bit overwhelmed? Don’t fret, once you actually start to tick off this list, you will find that not only does your house begin to feel miraculously cleaner and clearer, but so does your head. So just tackle what you can, when you can. If you don’t like to work alone, get help. Enlist the help of a friend by trading a yummy home cooked dinner for some elbow grease. Pump up the music and think of it as a workout. It’s amazing how much muscle you can build with hard labour around the house. Finally have a reward in mind for the day you have your house spick and span again.

Maybe an hour massage, movie and dinner, delux mani-pedi – or for those with higher expectations and a bigger budget – a day spa or weekend away. Whatever it is, after your hard work you’ll be able to look forward to some R&R and then return to your pristine home to greet Spring head on.
PS If you can afford it, have your carpet steam cleaned and if you live high up, have professional cleaners come and clean the outside of your windows. You won’t believe the difference.

ABIDE AMID THE TREETOPS IN A HOME THAT WILL MAKE YOUR HEART SING

With the chaos wrecked by the COVID-19 virus, so many of us as craving nature to restore some semblance of calm and sanity. The drastic increase in social distancing and isolation has made our sense of wellbeing more crucial than ever, and there has been a groundswell of interest in properties that embrace nature and allow us to enjoy it from home. These properties are few and far between in the inner suburbs of Sydney, but not so with Splendour, a boutique collection of magnificent apartments that immerse you in nature like never before.

North-facing atop a dramatic cliff overlooking 38 acres of Cooper Park, these idyllic properties are as rare as they are beautiful. Splendour Bellevue Hill’s limited collection of apartments have been inspired by their heavenly natural surrounds. Imagine waking up every day with panoramic views across the park’s tree canopy, enjoying a sublimely tranquil setting that showcases nature at its finest. These spectacular, verdant views across the Cooper Park tree canopy are what set this development apart, infusing each home with a serene beauty that can only be achieved in concert with nature.

Cooper Park is set to be heritage listed in acknowledgement of its rare qualities. Containing the largest area of urban bushland and watercourses in the Woollahra Municipality, the scope and beauty of Cooper Park are breathtaking. Following the line of a volcanic dyke formed during the Jurassic Period, the riparian forests and woodland vegetation that extend up the sandstone slopes provide diverse habitats for the local fauna. The parks man-made features were designed in the 1930s, with pathways, bridges and themes of romance and pleasure dotted throughout amplifying its charm and collaborating to obtain Cooper Park’s heritage status.

Designed by a team of multi award-winning architects, interior and landscape designers, these extraordinary properties offer a life of serenity and supreme beauty in the rarest of locations. Effortlessly elegant, aesthetically outstanding and perfectly positioned, each Splendour home is a finely tuned work of architectural art and refined simplicity, while taking in the spectacular outlooks across the Cooper Park tree canopy or beyond to the Sydney City skyline, Harbour Bridge and Opera House. 

Intelligently conceived North and North West orientated layouts create the perfect flow of space and light, while maximising views. Each Splendour home will allow you to entertain in the most expansive of styles, enjoying wide frontage living and dining spaces that extend seamlessly out to full-width balconies or gorgeously landscaped gardens. Nature will come from the outside into your fabulously finished home, with timber veneer and striking stone featuring throughout. The carefully considered development, garden and rooftop landscaping perfectly complements the magnificent Cooper Park tree canopy, creating a verdant backdrop to each home and showcasing nature at its most beautiful. So, what are you waiting for, come abide amid the treetops in a home that will make your heart sing!