The House That Eric Built

Eric Yuen, who doubles as bottle opener at the annual F.O.O.D. Affair, had his job description re-written by Carol, the most intelligent person in our universe, to include that of architect extraordinare for Bloodwood.

And from the flash picture of the cellar door below it's easy to see what astounding talent he has. We saw a bare hill in need of a brick veneer to get the local Council inspectors off our backs. You see, they maintained we were, against multiple Council health directives, making wine in our bedroom in what is now the winery, whereas, from our real world (ie broke) perspective, we were sleeping in the winery. So something had to be done to get the bureaucrats off our backs and ease the impasse. Eric imagined a home over an underground cellar..with a wide varendah, and flying multiple level awnings linking the winery into the cellar door and the whole structure into the very earth of Bloodwood. Not for Eric a lonely edifice perched on a hill in the mountains of Central Western NSW which will really only look a part of the place when the tide finally comes in. He could see a solid, solar passive practical space with some style and with just enough class to make visitors and inhabitatants feel comfortable and welcome. That's exactly what he delivered in consultation with local builders Lewis & Daniels and more or less against the wishes of our humourless bank manager. And we are very grateful he stuck to his guns. The place really does look better with skirting boards and an eastern wall. You never know, some day we may even install the front steps.