Walk up the pebbled drive under a green tunnel formed by old Japanese maples and you will find 'Sparrieshoop' a New England style cottage a stone's throw from the Moss Vale golf course and one block from the Moss Vale campus of Wollongong University. The house was renovated in 2004 by a well-known Sydney architect and is sited on the compass points, to maximize winter sun and summer breezes. It features japanned floors in the hallway and downstairs rooms, two large entertaining rooms, one including a kitchen complete with corian stone bench tops, stainless steel appliances, a butlers sink and a built in dresser, the other a wood fire. The stylish all white bathroom includes a Roger Sellar ceramic bath, a huge mirror that reflects the tree tops and is inset with Euroluce wall brackets, a brand much favoured by designers. All the rooms have either...