by Kate on April 12, 2012
There’s a lovely place called Bangalow near Byron Bay in northern New South Wales with that old-charm, rustic, vintage, rows-of-terraces, step-back-100-years thing going on. But nice. I recently had the joy of going there with some of my newest favourite people on a great road trip adventure north. We found this heavenly nook filled with paper and pots and glass jars filled with shiny things. I’m now trying to remember the name of the shop, which had me in such a pretty bower-bird whirl I could barely look up from Instagram to get to the credit card. I welcome suggestions as to the name of this gorgeous place. There were shiny white railway station tiles along one wall, and jars for wooden spoons, and bowls that would make a green lead salad look like a masterpiece. There were two grand chairs I want to grow old in, holding the warm hand of my man in the other chair.
Bangalow is what Byron Bay might have been had I got there earlier, say 20 years. We need Byron for beach and sand, but for rain and quaint, there is Bangalow. And there wasn’t a schoolies kid in sight. It’s kind of smart and chic and has an elegant Melbourne set opening up dream shops. There’s an antique store off the main road, too, all trinkets and food-styler heaven with old Coke crates and distressed turquoise painted things. Damn it, I’ll try and remember then name of that place too.
I do remember the name of the cafe-restaurant Town, though. There is Uptown and Downtown at this restaurant. Downtown is big eggy breakfasts and massive salads and Paul Bassett coffee. Uptown it’s a degustation serious affair that locals told me was the best dinner in town. Ha. An amuse bouche come just before a Kingfish starter with ponzu, macadamia and wild rice. There are pink scallops served with cauliflower, buckwheat and mustard, then a snapper done with ginger, shallot and choko. Hearty mains begin with duck served with carrot, verjus, Brussels sprouts. Basically it’s a fresh trail of flavours with a tinkering of Asian flavours. Then there’s Gabriel Coulet Roquefort cheese cake, which comes with a celery and caramelised walnut salad. Migas is done with a shaved mango granita, a great dollop of sauternes custard, crumbs and a mango “Egg”. The restaurant Town helps turn this little intricate town Bangalow into a must-see day trip from Byron, or an essential stop on the great adventurous road trip north.
All photographs by Kate Gibbs
The Barbican in London has recently launched the Food Hall and Book Bank. Market stalls, a deli and sweet counter contained in this extensive arts centre, which has more than 18 different stores and nooks. There’s also a Book Bank – a bring-and-take-away bookstall stocked by Pan Macmillan. The formal restaurant upstairs boasts a macaroon mixologist – truly. It’s a man who matches macaroons to cocktails, of course.
.PSLAB collaborated with architects and designers SHH to create a site-specific treatment for the project. Light fixtures were conceived to suit the rough style of the building fabric and also to abide by the restrictions of the listed building. The ground floor is spatially divided into multiple seating areas via low ceiling levels; due to the duct system and various seating layouts. Floor-to -ceiling shelving structures hold multiple glass jars holding energy-saving light bulbs. The result if a twinkling gorgeous place, where a lacquered steel metal structure complements the rustic space.
The jar-shelving structures were then adapted into ceiling suspended modules to provide functional light. And then smaller modules of these shelves are repeated into wall-mounted fixtures over the seating booths. Pretty lovely.
Barbican Food Hall and Lounge; (barbican.org.uk).
Beautiful things by Arian Behzadi. Trying to figure out where I can buy these images to hang on bare walls. Love the newspaper clippy montage thing he has going on.
by Kate on March 21, 2011
Oh spare us the unrelenting, delicious cool. This gorgeous line of vintage products is designed for the rugged, yet sophisticated gentleman. “If Steve McQueen carried a beat-up leather duffle bag on the back of his motorcycle; what would be in it and how would the products look?” Well, like this.
1. Blahblah cushion: Maybe it appeals for its literary cool, but the graphic is also quite quaint. 2. Missoni Home cushion: scatter-worthy in the most pretty colours ever. Pick up at Missoni or from Selfridges, as with the other cushions, online. 3. Some days you just need a pillow that says it all for you. 4. Castle & Things, and things. 5. I’ve discovered this new thing, it’s called caviar. Have you heard of it? Awfully pricey to be sure but a lovely treat with the champagne. And when it’s all gone I shall keep the tins to keep other precious things. 6. Lights on please. All of them. Their cords are all so pretty I want them all sparkling.
by Kate on February 24, 2011
This completely gorgeous hotel is Sir Terence Conran’s first foray into hotel design. The English designer, oddly, has gone to Vienna to showcase his clear talent. There’s not standard issue room design, and instead a nod to individual modernity is made in each room.
The design reflects a dedication to modernity and high quality materials and workmanship. This is not some mass-produced furnishing found in franchised hotel chains, and instead the rooms and suites of the hotel Das Triest have each been designed to actually fit each room. The hotel is decked out in art and accessories by local and international artists. The lighting concept sets out to create an intimate atmosphere in every corner of the house. The hotel itself says it is going for an eye-candy look. Looking pretty delicious too.
by Kate on December 13, 2010
Love these things from creative design studio Ma + Chr, who have done restaurant and bar interior designs as well as their own happy little pictures you can buy. It’s based in Paris and was founded by Mathilde Aubier and Christine Delaquaize.
by Kate on November 16, 2010
Playing with paper… All from Etsy.
by Kate on September 30, 2010
Carl Kleiner’s amazing photographs of ingredients before they get turned into biscuits, dough, cakes… Styling by Evelina Bratell.
by Kate on August 25, 2010
This beautifully designed and heart-wrenching site, Donate-A-Meal, gets viewers to fill the plates of hungry children. Apparently 16,000 kids living in Dusseldorf, Germany, are hungry. They are growing up in welfare benefit households and their tummies are “rumbling and grumbling”. They wait in a queue as you fill their plates with schnitzel and potatoes. Click through and just try to resist their little faces looking back at you, waiting.
