The mullet’s new style rival

When it comes to hairstyles the mullet is here to stay. When it comes to house styles, in Adelaide, the mullet rules the roost. But changes are afoot, writes Tom Bowden.

It’s funny how some things catch on and others don’t.

For instance, I’ve met a bunch of people with the words “Que sera, sera” tattooed on them. Lots of them.

Yet I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone with the words “Ob-la-di, ob-la-da” inked on them.

They both mean the same thing. They both featured in well-known, much-loved songs, and I’m fairly certain they’re both German.

So why is one favoured over the other when it comes to tattoos?

Pauline Mann shows off her sweet “Que Sera Sera” tattooo as she prepares to do a fun run to raise money for cancer patients. Photograph; Renae Droop

It could just be society has decided there’s a right way of doing things, and that to get the words “Ob-la di, ob-la-da” tattooed permanently anywhere on your body is, quite frankly, a bit of a knobbish thing to do.

It appears it’s the same with houses. Take a quick look at Adelaide’s premium market in the eastern suburbs and you’ll see that at some point in history we decided there was a right way of doing homes. An agreed-upon style we decided was the way to go for South Australia’s finer properties.

It’s a style I dubbed “The mullet” about a decade ago (at least I think I did – I’m not aware of them being described as such before then), and it’s become synonymous with prestige Adelaide real estate. You know the ones. You’ve seen them in the Real Estate Magazine week after week. They have a character facade, some traditional front rooms and they open up to a big square contemporary open-plan kitchen, dining and living area at the rear.

14B Victoria Ave, Unley Park – business at the front …

And party at the rear

Same goes for 1&2/2 Addiscombe Place, Unley Park. Business at the front …

And party at the rear. Supplied.

I swear they’re not all in Unley Park, it’s just so many of the homes in Unley Park, like this 54 Northgate St stunner, are business at the front.

And party at the rear.

If it’s particularly fancy, it will overlook a pool. If it’s fancy schmancy, it will overlook a pool and a court.

They’re business at the front and a party at the back, like the mullet (the haircut, that is, not the fish) and for many years they were almost all you could get if you were looking to buy a piece of Adelaide prestige property.

Professional fisherman enjoying a winter mullet run. Picture by Peter Lorimer.

Crows player Taylor Walker enjoying his own mullet run back in the day.

Me enjoying how inappropriate this mullet looks. Picture: Anna Vlach

But things are changing. And, thankfully, Adelaide’s streets are now dotted with contemporary homes that break away from that expectation. Award-winning homes that still offer every single bit in the way of the level of prestige and the lifestyle you’ll get on offer in one of our prized mullets, and in many cases, because they were started from scratch with a singular contemporary vision as opposed to tacking an extension onto an existing structure, are possibly done even better.

Homes designed for today’s living with tomorrow’s world in mind. Homes offering a luxurious lifestyle, just in a different way. And homes that are breathing new life into and changing the faces of Adelaide’s suburbs.

And they’re changing swiftly.

Homes like this one at 81 Seaview Rd, Tennyson,

this one at 23 Wattle St, Fullarton. Supplied

And this Aldgate stunner, which featured in the Advertiser’s Top 50 Homes

Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show renovation spending nationally last year was up 33 per cent on 2020s efforts to $12.3bn.

That’s almost double what we spent on renovations just 10 years ago. That’s a lot of mullets.

Now, I’m not having a crack at the mullet house. I’m not bashing character homes, nor saying we shouldn’t change or modify them as we wish, and I’m not suggesting we should bulldoze our history and cultural identity.

All I’m saying is a little variety is nice. We have an amazing history in SA that should be cherished and celebrated. We also have a bright future and are blessed to have talented builders and architects with a clear vision of how to take us therewith style, substance and a healthy dash of flair.

Speaking of a healthy dash of flair, here’s 15-year-old Reece Mcgrath. The future is in good hands. Picture: Mark Stewart

So, getting back to my original point – why do some things catch on and some don’t? It’s what we want.

Does what people want change over time? Of course.

Does that mean we’ll start seeing people get the words “Ob-la-di, ob-la-da” tattooed on them in a cursive font?

Hopefully not …

But, hey, if you want one, go for it!

Que sera, sera.