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!

TETRIS INSPIRATION

 I found these great Tetris furniture sculptures by Michael Johanssons and it made look at other things that were inspired by the Tetris game.  There are some pretty creative people out there.  Which one is your favourite?

Couch

Tetris Style Fabric

Truck and car transformations by 'notsonoisy'

Human Tetris by notsonoisy

Berlin Block

SUNDAY'S VIEW BROUGHT TO YOU FROM NYC

There is no pic of the house this comes from but I can only imagine it wouldnt really matter. I could sleep on a mattress and camp on the floor with a view like this.

The London NYC Penthouse

HOT CROSS BUN INSPIRED COUCH

 Inspiration comes in many forms and nothing like a traditional Hot Cross bun to inspire your furniture.  I doubt designer Elvis Pennetuzzo had Good Friday and warm toasty buns in mind when he came up with this funky arrangement of furniture but I like to think we can get inspiration from anything, anywhere and anytime. 

Have you seen any furniture inspired by the good 'ol hot cross bun?

4 WAYS TO RECYCLE YOUR DEAD BIKE

We love the environment, we love being healthy and we love riding our bike so here are 5 ways to recycle your bike and bike parts when you upgrade to that shiny new model.

LIGHTING

Bike chains are usually dirty horrible things that leave grease marks on your legs and a place to get your pant leg caught up in.  Usually you curse at them when they fall off when you cant get the damn thing back on but these chandeliers by Carolina Fontoura Alzaga are stunning.  Not only has she given these much sworn at items a new lease of life but she has created a traditional look by creating  sculptural talking pieces.  They maybe too heavy for delicate interiors but I think they have a place in many modern homes, even warehouses of today.

FURNITURE

Who would have thought bike rims and bike tubes could look so comfortable!  I think I'd like that chair to sit on the side of road races so when some-one breaks down I can ask them to 'throw a rim my way'. On second thoughts, I could end up wearing it after that remark.  Bike Furniture founder Andy Gregg has spent many years on the bike and in bike shops so it looks like he worked out where to unleash his frustration to make beautiful furniture that otherwise would have ended up on the scrap heap.

OUTDOOR FENCING

On a trip to Bright we came along this fence made from recycled parts.  There is a great bike track that cover Wangarratta, Beechworth and Bright so all I can imagine is there were a few of those who abandoned  the trip and decided the wineries or bakeries were a better option.

JEWELERY

I have seen some very ordinary necklaces 

made from a solid bike chain but these pieces 

actually have some style and class to them. 

Re-cycled Accessories are having a special at 

this moment and donating $6 to the Japan relief for 

every pair of earrings sold.

THESE SHOES WERE MADE FOR.......BATHING?

Now this has to be a Carrie Bradshaw must have!  Designer bath tub in the shape of a shoe?  It is not to everybody's taste but there must be a market out there for ladies who have a whole room (or wing of a house) dedicated to shoes.
These Audrey and Audreyette baths have been created by SIGIS who are known for their incredible mosaic designs and  strong colours.  The bath is created in a mold  and then the tile designs are put on by hand.  I cant even imagine how much it costs and as I am asking, I obviously cant afford it!

 What I do love is the waterfall spout that will tumble water down on to your luscious locks making you feel like an expensive, pampered goddess.

I still think they should have called them Carrie and Carriette!

Would you buy something like this if you could afford it?