Category: Housing

I keep saying that we need a revamp of the décor in the entrance hall. It’s the first thing people see when they enter the house, and yet I until now I haven’t been able to bring myself to make any significant changes. I suppose I have a great deal of respect for all the generations of Clanceys who’ve come before, thus hindering me from updating the era. But then…it’s no longer 1770. There comes a time when you have to make a change.

The chandelier needs to go, certainly, and it needs replacing with a chandelier more fitting of today’s world. Now that I think about it, it’s rather embarrassing how many business contacts have walked through that door and been greeted by a chandelier 200 years out of its time. Not that all the old needs to be tossed out, but I make my living at the cutting edge of business, the forefront of industry. That includes all types of designer lighting in Melbourne, so what does it say when dangling from the ceiling is a relic of a bygone era?

I shall look into it. Obviously, if we’re swapping out the designer lighting, the rest of the room needs updating as well. I can’t believe I’ve been so stubborn and foolish as to keep the oaken balustrades for this long; even a dolt would recognise that marble is the flavour of our current time. Marble walls, marble floors, marble ceilings, marble busts of deceased family members…Jerome Taylor-Pennyspent even has marble umbrella holders and hat-stands in his entrance hall. Too much of a good thing, I say, but perhaps I’ll discuss it with my experts.

I must make time, for what is a Clancey if he does not look after his own mansion? The recent rise of the commercial LED lighting industry in Melbourne is a sign of change, both in business and personal life. I must look into their collection of chandeliers, pronto.

-Percival Clancey IVV

I am most certainly not one to ‘splash out’, despite what you may think. I don’t run a successful business empire because I was willing to spend money willy-nilly; no, I’ve built the Clancey family fortune by working hard, saving pennies and being amazingly brilliant at my job, if I do say so myself. Which I do. I say it magnificently, because I have a full knowledge of my own talents. Any man who does not cannot be expected to succeed.

There has only come a single time when I considered a major indulgence. The yachts, the rolls, the stain glass windows and extension to living room eighteen…all, I considered necessary investments. However, after becoming interested in the industry, I had an inclination towards rendering. Melbourne rendering is a popular service amongst those wishing to give their home a chic edge. Now, Whitehall is a marvellous piece of structural beauty, but even I have to admit that some of the design is archaic. Concrete rendering might give it a do-over that I consider to be highly necessary. The only thing holding me back was the size of the structure, and thus the cost. The mansion is many times larger than a regular home, or even a regular mansion, and this rendering the entire thing would be like asking the same of a skyscraper. I had considered only having the visible parts done, but that will simply not do. Sometimes my clients and I go on hunting trips on the grounds, and when riding back they shall clearly see that the rear of the mansion remains un-rendered. It would be an abomination indeed. Thus, I must make the decision. It is, as they say, all or nothing.

It does look rather majestic. My business associate over in Sorrento had his beach home rendered for the viewing pleasure of all coastal visitors. This was what made me interested in Melbourne’s concrete rendering industry. Perhaps I can get a quote…

-Percival Clancey III

Or perhaps rendering can wait. That’s the thing about owning a larger-than-usual home: problems are grander in scale and more expensive to fix! You’re probably aware that we’ve been having some windy weather recently, though not any more than normal for this time of year. In any case, I’ve been so preoccupied with the business side of things leading up to Christmas that I neglected certain aspects of the upkeep. I had hoped Cecelia might have kept me informed, given how much time she spent around the house, but…well, she spends so much time glued to that screen.

The gargoyle that sits above the terrace had been threatening to fall for months…and finally, it gave way. We awoke to find our summer breakfast spot with a large hole in the roof, shattered pieces of gargoyle all around. Of course, Melbourne’s roof restoration is a business with which I’m rather familiar, as I’m rather familiar with just about any business. Knowing business is my business. Still, there is now a gargoyle-shaped hole in the roof, and I’m wondering if it’s time to scrap the structure altogether. I had always envisioned a glass dome around the terrace, rather like a conservatory. It may be quite uninhabitable in summer, but would make an excellent winter retreat with a bit of under-floor heating to keep the place warm.

Such choices. Keep the terrace and have the roof restored, or construct a conservatory? I am a man of change; if I see an opportunity to renovate rather than simply fix, I must take it. It is within my nature to expand. The only problem is that Cecelia adores the terrace and its view over the grounds.

In any case, I think I shall still call for roof maintenance. Melbourne weather is a fickle thing, and I want to make sure there are no repeats of the gargoyle incident. I now find myself casting suspicious glances at Gregorian and Leonidas, the twin lions that sit atop the entrance hall. I don’t want a brisk wind causing us to have to use the side entrance for a month!

-Percival Clancey III