Awkward...not

I'm working on post about my recent trip to Thailand...in the meantime I wanted to share this little baby...the 'Awkward lamp' by South African design firm Anatomy Design is cool as a cucumber.



TTFN*

Right, I'm off (again). Yes, I know it seems like I was just away, and that's well, because I was.  This time we're headed to Bangkok for a few days and then Phuket for the rest of the week to attend another lovely wedding. We're staying here (as seen above) in Bangkok.  I'll be sure to give you all a few more Thailand travel tips upon my return.

*Ta ta for now. Ciao darlings x



What I'm reading

I've read a few interesting books lately that I thought I'd share with you...

First of all, "The Art of the Restaurateur" (note the lack of 'n' in the word), by Nicholas Lander, the food critic at the Financial Times, and former restaurateur. I had the fortune of meeting the author yesterday at a book signing and general discussion at Kelly + Walsh in Pacific Place.  Lander's book acknowledges that we live in the age of the celebrity chef, but aims to extol the virtues of the restaurateur, a person who is also sometimes the chef, but is often the person behind the chef running the show, and often the visionary who thinks of the concepts for their establishment/s.  A fascinating read for anyone involved in the food industry, and particularly illuminating for interior designers involved in the hospitality industry...especially the chapter on Adam Tihany.

The biography of British artist Francis Bacon, "Studies for a portrait", by his long time friend and confidant, Michael Peppiatt, was thoroughly enjoyable.  It was quite an illuminating look at the life of an incredibly creative and artistic soul who managed to use all of the hardships experienced in his life for the betterment of his paintings. As a longtime fan of Bacon's work I have to say I was quite captivated by the stories of his wild nights of drinking and gambling (and gambolling), and couldn't help but think that he would fit quite well into Hong Kong's society today...

I blogged about Spanish interior designer Luis Bustamante earlier this year here, and was lamenting that his book was only to be found in Spanish and not available to those of us outside of Europe.  Well, I'm happy to say I found myself an English copy at Potterton Books at their stand at Maison + Objet. The books is just as stunning as I thought, and I'm sure it will be a reference that I will turn to for inspiration time and time again.

And finally, this isn't one I've read, but one I've been looking forward to after I managed a sneak preview of a pre-release copy....Kelly Wearstler's new book "Rhapsody".  I have to say I think I enjoy her more recent work than what she was creating when she first came to the limelight. And regardless of whether you liked her work then, or now, or never have at all, she desserves praise for being constantly interesting and forever changing. I can't wait to flick through these pages at a more leisurely pace.

Casa Cor Rio

So lets take a skip and a jump up from Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro...to the annual Casa Cor exhibition.  I posted the space by Juliana Vasconcellos last year here...and her space this year is no less stunning. This year her team has designed a store where merchandise will be for sale for the duration of the event.  The theme this year was fashion / decoration /architecture, and Juliana says her inspiration was the Gucci Spring/Summer collection this year.  The inspiration is evident in the richly coloured geometric carpet, and the geometry of the furniture. Love it!

A few shots from the Gucci RTW SS2012 collection, from Style.com. I would like one of each, please.

Tony Chi in Buenos Aires

Whilst looking for something else entirely, I stumbled upon these images of the Buenos Aires home of interior designer Tony Chi and his wife Tammy Chou.  I've never seen any of his residential projects before, as he and his firm specialise in hospitality projects, let alone any of his own homes...so it was a bit of a treat.

I quite like the colour combinations he's used and the earthy, rustic yet minimal chicness of it. And that art on the Living room wall (2nd image) is amazing...have no idea if its actually applied directly to the wall, which is what it looks like.  Even if you don't like the art, its certainly a talking point.

From Departures magazine.

a working holiday

Well, I'm back. Have been for a week, but have been to busy this week to even think about my poor neglected blog. Our short, but very sweet, trip was amazing. I've had a few readers ask for tips and recommendations...so without boring you all senseless, I'll try to keep it succinct.

London: 
We had only 4 days, one of which was the wedding we attended (at the Montague on the Gardens Hotel - super cute, very small rooms, but served a great afternoon tea!).  

Hyde Park on a lovely sunny day

Some of our favorite eats were:

Daylesford Organics, Notting Hill - We had breakfast here, our first meal in London. A great way to start the trip. Everything about this place is inspiring, and a concept that is sadly lacking in Hong Kong. We bought a lot of preserves here to bring back with us.

Granger & Co. Notting Hill - possibly a silly choice as Australians to patronise the establishment of another aussie whilst in London, but it was highly recommended by a few people. We met an old friend for lunch and enjoyed the food immensely.  Our friends whose wedding we attended ate there a week later and sat next to Stella McCartney and her husband. Great food, great interior, both with a very relaxed Australian vibe.

Somewhere we didn't make it was Ottolenghi, in the same neighbourhood as these two. Also was highly recommended, and the deli style food I saw in the window when we walked past between breakfast and lunch looked amazing. I actually asked my husband at 10am if it was too early for another coffee and some cake. Needless to say it will be high on my list for next time, as will the sister establishment, Nopi in Soho.

Fortnum & Mason - the new Diamond Jubilee Tea Rooms designed by none other than David Collins are stunning. The afternoon tea set, which regrettably I did not have with the champagne that was available. Nor did I have the appetite to make the most of the endless refills of the delicious scones (best ever, which I can only say now that my Grandmother has passed away) or the cake trolley. Slightly wasted on us as we were so full from the previous 2 amazing meals we'd had that day, but amazing none the less.  I recommend you go with an empty stomach though.

Borough Markets - we wandered around for hours, on what was only our second trip here.  I would quite like the time to spend an entire day here and have 3 or more meals.  So much to taste and tempt you. We bought many varieties of saucisson, cheese and potted meats to take with us to eat on our travels, some of which actually lasted til we got home.

St.John - We had dinner here with the bride and groom to be, and I was  not disappointed. I love the space and the ambiance.  I thought the food quality, the serving sizes and quality of service was amazingly good value in a city with a reputation for being expensive.  It outclassed anything I've had in Hong Kong (although I have to say, most of our meals in London did). I was slightly underwhelmed by the main I ordered, but all in all I loved it and would definitely go back again.

Massimo - in the recently refurbished Corinthia Hotel, also designed by David Collins. We enjoyed  a very well priced set menu with the good friends we were staying with.  I enjoyed my meal, and the interior was captivating.  So many beautiful details, that Mr Collins is known for, that we could have sat for much longer and still picked up on something new. 

The Serpentine Pavillion by Ai Wei Wei and Herzog & De Meuron 

Other highlights: 

Tate Modern - Getting to see the Munch exhibit at the Tate was definitely a highlight, as I have admired his work greatly for many years.  I own a book of his work so was familiar with much of it (and was not disappointed at all that none of the versions of the famous "Scream" paintings were included), but was still pleasantly surprised by just how vivid his use of colour was. So inspiring.

Potterton Books - Definitely one of the best design bookshops anywhere handsdown, with outposts in New York and LA. I bought a couple of books, and could have spent a fortune on more had my credit card and weight limit as an economy passenger not restricted me...

The Orangery at Kensington Palace

Paris:

We were fortunate enough to here to celebrate our 11 year anniversary whilst in Paris.  Bofinger was recommended by a few people to us, and was fortunately a short walk from our charming hotel in Le Marais. We were taken to a table upstairs, which the waitress described as 'très jolie', and it was. However, the photos of the downstairs dining room with the lovely Art Nouveau detailed ceiling was what sucked me in, and I kinda wished we'd been able to sit there.  Despite this, the food was lovely, very rich in a traditional French sense, but very enjoyable.

L' oulette - this was probably the best meal of the trip, if not at least in Paris.  A charming little bistro, also a short walk from our hotel, which has a great menu of French classics.  I had Duck confit (amazing), and my husband had Cassoulet (also equally amazing). 

Our last night we dined at Chez Julien (from the stable of the Costes brothers, of Hotel Costes fame), also recommended by a friend.  The food was more of a modern French style, which I enjoyed, and the interior is also quite charming.  Luckily also walking distance from our hotel, which took us along the Seine.

Parisians enjoying a sunny Sunday in the Place des Vosges

Other highlights:

I finally made it to the Decorative Arts Museum, a place I had been dreaming about ever since I discovered its existance, shortly after my last trip to Paris six years ago.  The collection is small, but amazing.  Pieces by Royère, Arbus, Prouvé - just to name a few. The bookshop attached is also a jaw dropper if you are into rare and out of print books on French design.

A rainy Paris day, as seen from the Musée des Arts Décoratifs

And of course, Maison & Objet.  My first trip, and somehow I manage to cover most of it in a day.  A pretty mean feat, anyone who has been will tell you.  Not sure where to even start, which was pretty much my feeling when I arrived there.  The vast range and quality of product on show is overwhelming. I don't know that I will list off my faves in this post, but if I ever get around to perusing my fair catalogue I might do it in another one, another time.  Needless to say, if you're in the industry its a must see.  Now that I've checked that off, I am now aiming for Milan next year.

A good day to be inside, the Louvre in Paris

Brittany / Normandy:

We stayed at Maison Violette, a lovely 300yr old cottage in a tiny but very cute town named Bazouges la Perouse. The town itself is definitely one of the prettiest in the area, and is only a 45 min drive from Rennes, the capital city of Brittany.  We took a train down from Paris (about 2 hrs), and then hired a car and drove for the rest of the time.

Maison Violette, in Bazouges la Perouse.

Making Bazouges our base, we did a lot of driving over the next few days...and without going into excessive detail, these were the highlights of that part of the trip...

The stunning Mont St Michel, only a 30 min drive from where we were staying

 Stunning seaside walled town of St. Malo, about 40 mins from Bazouges

Coastal town, Cancale, home to the best Oysters ever!, very close to St. Malo, we did both in a day

the Château de Combourg, about 20 mins drive away

and last, but not least, the crumbling ruins in Fougères, the largest medieval castle in Europe

(only 30 mins away from Bazouges)

all photos taken by moi!

Girl did good

I just returned from a fantastic two week trip.  London, Paris and a few days driving around the country side in Brittany.  It was one of those trips when you feel like you've been gone for twice as long, but it still went way too fast.  While I gather my thoughts and put together a post of all the wonderful sights and tastes I'll leave you with this.  I've not always agreed with Nina Garcia's thoughts as a judge on Project Runway, but I think her decision to work with Carlos Aparicio on her apartment was spot on. The mix of early 20th Century French and Scandinavian pieces is spot on. Love it.

Photographed by Björn Wallander for Architectural Digest, October 2012.

Wowsers...

Its been a while since I've seen anything that's made my jaw drop...and maybe even longer since its been from Victoria Hagan.  Not that I'm not a fan of her work, but this? This is to die for. And I don't normally like white...

Photographed by Melanie Acevedo for Veranda magazine (Sept 2012).

London calling...

I'm beyond excited that we are off to London next week...its been two years since the last trip, and this one also happens to be for a wedding.  I have a long list of new bars and restaurants to check out that have opened since I was last there, along with some others that I missed last time...but if you have any recommendations please feel free to let me know!  

Speaking of which, this might just be on my hit list...Galvin @ Windows in the Hilton Park Lane in Mayfair, which was just refurbed by the talented team at Central Design Studio.  The Michelin starred restaurant has incredible views of London's most iconic landmarks, and the interior was inspired by the 1930's and the golden age of cinematography.  Sounds divine!

Meet you at the bar? I'll have a G+T please...

Villa Meissen

I know I haven't been around here much lately...and I don't even have a note from my parents to explain my absence! Things are a bit busy...and that might be a bit of an understatement.  It's certainly not a complaint as I know there are people around the world who'd kill to be in my position right now.  Things are good, business is going better than expected, and I am pretty happy about all that I have achieved this year.  It just means my poor little blog has been a bit neglected and unloved of late.  I don't want to start posting average material just to avoid awkward silences though...I've always strived to make sure that this is a blog that I would want to read, look at, and be inspired by, and I hope that by sticking to my guns it means that it will still appeal to like minded people.  So if you are one of those people I'm sure you'll forgive the sparsity of my posts, and with any luck you'll enjoy this one.

Villa Meissen in Milan.  I've been seeing images pop up in the printed media over the last few months, and honestly, I think I could move right in.  I'm guessing that is the idea.  Many of us are familiar with the name Meissen, it is a town in Germany whose name has become synonymous with luxurious porcelain, due to the fact it was the site of the very first European production of the mysterious white clay outside of China.  The name has since become better known for the company that has perfected the production.  Over their long and illustrious history the company has diversified and started to offer a much more diverse product range, and it seems the Villa in Milan is the perfect showcase for these products.  The interior is definitely my kinda space.  I'm loving the soft serene colours, the mix of classic and contemporary elements and of course the Meissen porcelain products.  I feel the need for a trip to Milan very, very, soon.

 

Reincarnation

Forget about coming back in another life as a person...I think I'd quite like to come back as this kitchen.  Sexy and practical.  Must appeal to my inner Gemini!

Black and Brass. Yum. Kelly Wearstler designed kitchen from the latest Elle Decor, photographed by Mikkel Vang.

Barbara's world

This has to be one of the most overdue books in the design world....surely.  Barbara Barry was one of my first style icons and one one of the most influential informers of my own aesthetic.  My own style and taste has changed, expanded, morphed and developed, while Barbara Barry has stayed true to her singular vision. And this is partly why she still remains to be an inspiration.  To say I'm excited about this new release by Rizzoli is a bit of an understatement. 

Seems there are a few cover options...the first is from Rizzoli's website, the second from Amazon.  I think I prefer the first one. You?