ROOM WITH A VIEW - KITCHEN WINDOW

Today's room with a room comes via my kitchen window!  Two weeks till winter and Autumn is doing her final coat of colours dance like a very proud peacock.  Last week it snowed only 30kms from my house but this morning the air has a warm tinge like an early breath of Spring.  Mother Nature confused? Well is was meant to be 'Rapture' yesterday, so a little weather hangover is understandable.  If this is Mother Nature's hangover I don't even need to take an asprin with this to cope with something so beautiful.
What is your favourite view from your home?  I would love to hear about yours.
Shaynna

PS The colours were not enhanced for this photo - it really is that stunning!

THE ROASTING WAREHOUSE - SYDNEY

Those who know me, know I don't drink coffee (I gave it up 6 years ago for those who are interested) and I love my tea but when you are stuck for one hour with no tea house in sight, a great coffee house is a good place to plant yourself while you are waiting for a meeting.

Di Bella Roasting Warehouse in Surrey Hills,  Sydney is the perfect combination of atmosphere, product and service.  The staff were happy and looked like they loved working there and to satisfy my needs, yes I was able to get a nice pot of White tea, and they even refilled with extra water with a smile!

 What I think works the best is the atmosphere they create with their interior.  Polished agragate concrete floor, simple industrial chairs and benches with knotted wood timber.

The warmth and feature comes from their roasted beans in hessian bags, fresh loaves on hessian blocks and the center piece being a huge working bean roaster.

Every thing on display you can buy, from the beans to the machines to the cups.  So the decor is working hard for them!

The acoustics aren't great but you are not there for fine dining, you are there for a robust coffee catch- up and so it works.
I don't miss coffee as the aroma of roasted beans is enough for me and this warehouse is filled with the warm, rich fragrances of coffee.  A place to please all the senses.

My only criticism?  Get some pots that pour the tea into the cup and not all over the bench :(  But that is an easy fix.
A definite recommendation for Sydney coffee lovers.

AUSTRALIA'S BARGAIN PROPERTY?

At $50 million you can hardly call it a bargain but when a property is reduced by almost  25% of its asking price ($18 million) it has to be a bargain - right?
Look at some the features -

2478 hectares of sprawling land

Two Swimming Pools ( where is the slide!!!!)

Two helipads, two pools, tennis court, river, dam and three cottages.  Only three? 

Artificial insemination room for 300 horses (handy for some) and a private polo ground.

It all sounds incredibly indulgent of things you 'just cant live without' but it really let me down with the sauna.  I can honestly say from all the homes I have visited and/or redesigned the sauna is the most under used and over rated room of any house.

Impressed? Unimpressed? What room or feature do you think is the most useless addition to a house?

COAT HANGER CHAIR - MILAN DESIGN WEEK

I don't know about you but I find my plastic coat hangers snap pretty easily that I am slowly converting them all to timber.  So I dont know how this Coat Check Chair by Joey Zeledon is going to stand (or sit) up to the wear and tear of daily use.   Plus I dont really trust myself not becoming a tangled mess in the hangers on the back.  Funky and colourful idea but I don't see this new design taking off.  Do you?

pic source 1 Design per day

Mothers Day Room with a view - AFrica

Happy Mothers Day to all you wonderful ladies.  Imagine a full body massage ending with a pedicure and a glass a champagne looking at this view from Signitia luxury game reserve.

Cheers!