Stumping the Heat with a Queenslander


Here in Queensland, we like to keep it simple.  We spend so much time in summer glowing, perspiring or sweating {depending on whether you're a woman, man or horse} that we don't waste energy coming up with fancy architectural terms to confuse matters.  For instance, the iconic style of housing construction in Queensland is called a "Queenslander" Designed to maximise the natural cooling effects of breeze and shade, the house is made from timber with large verandahs, and lives on stumps, like this lovely one here.  There are variations on the theme ~ and generally speaking, the grander the home, the more sides the verandah wraps around.  The end result may not cool like air-conditioning, but it's a greener way of coping {until winter comes around and the proverbials of your brass monkeys freeze}. You can read a bit more here and see some examples of the evolution here

People continue to buy and renovate old Queenslanders, {a costly exercise involving the involuntary thinning of paint with tears}, and people continue to build new homes in the Queenslander style, such is its enduring charm.  We don't live in a Queenslander per se ~ but it's still an enchanting timber home, with a deck on two sides, telling you at a glance that we have sufficient means to provide you with afternoon tea of lamingtons and scones but may not stretch to caviar.  "Lamingtons???" you may ask?  I'll put them on the menu for next Tuesday!

25 comments

  1. How charming, Shell! I am hoping the stumps are for the ventilation and not due to serpents! ;-)

    I Googled lamingtons. I would much rather have scones and lamingtons than caviar any day! I am really a simple girl at heart. I only like the best. lol!

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  2. That is so nice sherree! I like western style!

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  3. Shell, this house is my dream house. No fooling. I'll read all about it so perhaps be disabused of how much I covet one. There's another idea I have (well, ok, the Queenslander, it turns out, wasn't my idea at all) and that is to build a roof on top of the roof with a three-foot gap between the two for shade.

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  4. It's a beauty. I took an idea from Cali (or I should say, from from Cali) and googled Lamingtons. I think they're as good an idea as a Queenslander. Turns out they weren't the Hiker's idea, either, but they look so good they might as well have been.

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  5. Cali ~ the stumps are for ventilation, yes. I won't mention the other "S" word. ;) How did I guess you'd google lamington?!

    Thanks, Finie!

    Hiker ~ have you patented your roof-on-a-roof idea? I think it has merit...

    Petrea ~ I love the stories of how certain foods came about, and the humble lamington is a nice example. Most worthy of a post of its own.

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  6. Petrea: lol re: from from cali!

    A lamington post is a good idea, Shell as I only looked at the photos!

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  7. If I could plunk a Queenslander down in the middle of Paris, and spend my days there munching on lamingtons and macarons —well, I'd be a happy woman indeed. (P.S., Shell—I'd be glad to go to Brisbane if Paris wasn't so much closer!)

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  8. Cali ~ I'll even look for a recipe. You won't need a candy thermometer.

    Alexa ~ I'm still hanging out for teleportation. Seriously, I'm sure they're holding out on us. And for some reason, I imagine Sir Richard Branson to be the first to unveil it.

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  9. Looks lovely, love verandahs. You made me laugh about the glowing, perspiring, sweating part .. lol

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  10. And a deck on one side would mean tea alone would be served, whereas no deck means bring your own teabag? I feel I've got some sociology, culture, and the promise of culinary arts from this post alone and need not bother with the rest of the internet today.

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  11. Gypsy ~ I love them, too. All verandahs seem to have 'relaxation' built into them.

    Mise ~ you've grasped the concept most impressively!

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  12. That bldg looks familiar.Maybe you were in So Cal recently?

    Btw, is there a Kingsland or Canineland in Aussieland?

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  13. Cafe ~ really? Well, I'll be! Makes sense, as our climates have similarities.

    Sorry, no Kingsland or Canineland, but we do have a fine dog sitting on a tuckerbox.

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  14. This is just my kind of house; I'd love to have a large veranda! Now I have to go google lamingtons as I don't want to be the only one here who has no clue what that is. I have a feeling that I'll want to try one as soon as I figure out what they are!

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  15. This style of house is so gorgeous! You mentioned food though, and I lost all train of though. I'm with Katie. I had to go look up lamingtons. And now I want to make them. They sound delightful!

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  16. Katie ~ I'm considering renaming our deck 'verandah'. A bottle of bubbly will be involved. I should have done a megapost and included more on lamingtons here. By next Tuesday, no-one will be curious about them any more. {Yes, I think you'll want one.}

    Amy ~ they are light, yet tasty, and very delightful. I'm touched that you dropped in with NaNoWriMo nipping at your heels ~ thank you! Write, Amy ~ write.

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  17. A wraparound verandah is one of my and hubby's dream features in the dream house we will someday build. How would you feel about our moving onto yours for a few months (the cool ones) for, ah, research? We'll pay you rent in the form of scones, pie, dark chocolate and sparkling cider.

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  18. I"m not googling lamington because I want it to be a delicieux surprise on Tuesday! :)

    And Shell,darling I love a veranda! And southern ladies, even southern hemisphere ladies, don't perspire, we glisten! :)
    V

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  19. Vicki ~ I hope you don't miss them too much over there.

    PCN ~ hmm, your offer is appealing. I shall consider...

    Virginia ~ LOL, I suspect I shall be glistening a little later today. {I love that southern charm!}

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  20. My goodness we ladies have been glistening and glowing all over the place these last couple of days.
    A big hearty "WELL DONE" to you my dear for spreading the gospel of the lammie across the globe in one post! As a life long devotee I thank you.

    p.s. remember that incredibly tacky period when people would enclose their verandahs to make a "sleep-out"? Thank goodness those days are gone.

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  21. Adventures ~ yes, you too ~ hello summer! :) Happy to be of service to the humble lamington. And I well remember 'sleep-outs'. Ahh, yes!

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  22. LERVE this drawing. Ah! See what fodder you have right at home here.

    More more.

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  23. I prefer Lamingtons to caviar any day, Shell. And I adore Queenslanders.

    We had a double brick home with a charming timber and glass addition, itself with a deck on two sides. Perhaps we could do a holiday house swap, once I've solved a storage problem or two. :)

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  24. And know we'd pamper each other's kitties, too. :)

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Merci, grazie, thank you for joining our conversation lounge. Your smile lights up the room. Even more beautifully than our crystal chandelier. x

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