Hallowed Grounds Espresso

This is a job we just finished at Hartleys. The cafe opened a few days before Xmas and is trading over the new year period, as those of us staying in Brisvegas over the hols still want coffee!

It's located on busy Logan Rd, pretty much opposite Photo Continental and beside the Raine and Horne real estate office. If you're lucky you can jag a street park out the front, but there is also a heap of parking behind the store. Just look for the blue P sign directing you up a narrow driveway.

This is the tenancy a couple of months ago before the fitout.

Above photo is the progress of all the finishes starting to come together.

This is the more developed selection finishes that I did at Hartleys. The scroll pattern is the feature wallpaper. The longer rectangular sample is the black timber vinyl used on the floor. The other samples are laminates used on the counter and other various joinery.

The lovely Baresque wallpaper installed behind the counter.

The dark wall contrasts really well against the "Zebra timber" chairs the owners selected.

The menu boards are being re-written this week as the owners just did these as temporary boards and it's very tricky to do black boards until you've had some practise.

Owners Jon (left) and Clive (right)

The guys will soon be extending their hours for weekend breakfasts and early 5:30am starts for commuters who are chasing their wake up "cup of joe".

Keep an eye on their website currently being developed.

www.hallowedgrounds.com.au

Happy & successful trading Hallowed Grounds.

Warwick

 

I called in at Warwick Fabrics yesterday. It seems every time I go there they have some cute new upholstered seats or ottomans to showcase their fabrics. These scriptive ottomans were very eye catching.

This beautiful big day bed is near their gorgeous external courtyard. It gave me lovely ideas about spending some time over the holidays relaxing with my always massive pile of books and magazines.

And to finish off, their very stylish designer Xmas tree at the front door.

Merry Christmas.

Lyssy May

Today's store is for the girls! It's called Lyssy May and the store specialises in beautiful hand made hand bags. The actual store is based in Melbourne, but Alyssa who is the creative genius behind the brand, has a fantastic web site, which just makes me drooll every time I have a peak.

Originally when Alyssa started her shop she was based in Brisbane and I used to often drive past and get stopped at the red light out the front. I was always looking in the window until one day I finally went in and became hooked. This is my own collection featured above. The one at the back with the red stick handles is called "chopsticks", as they are actually chopsticks. I use my bags for special occasions, or when I know I'm not going on site, as I'm always worried about them getting covered in plaster board dust. And like any woman who appreciates shoes and handbags; I love them all!

When Alyssa was based in Brisbane I hosted an afternoon tea handbag party. It was a lovely excuse to have a girlie afternoon and get dressed up and enjoy champagne and nibbles, whilst "shopping" all under the shade of the jacaranda trees. These lovely ladies above are Di Dalton (my best friend's MIL) and Suzanne McCarthy (my sister in law)

Half the fun in hosting a girl's afternoon tea is the planning and decorating and all the little touches. I sent out hand made invitations and then decorated the trees with these simple hanging silk flowers, all in the same colour scheme as the invites. They looked very effective "en mass".

My gorgeous and always stylish friend Rachie Dalton (above) enjoying pink champagne and browsing.

Some more decorating touches that I'd potted up a few weeks earlier and painted the simple terracotta pots to match the colour scheme also.

Check out the latest Lyssy May range and I bet you'll become hooked too.

http://www.lyssymay.com/

Rosalie Village Garden Centre

Head from Milton Fruit Bowl back up Baroona Rd towards Wine Experience (shown on a previous post) and you'll find Rosalie Village Garden Centre. This "store" lies between Wine Experience and the Rosalie Deli on the corner. You enter via this narrow staircase between two shops.

It's not huge, but they do carry a good range of plants. It's always a great location if you are looking for a "living" gift for a friend.

For 10 minutes you can loose yourself from the cafe bustle below and immerse yourself in greenery and the gentle sound of trickling water and the scent of flowers and plants.

Milton Fruit Bowl

I love this store. Milton Fruit Bowl on Baroona Rd has been here for years. But it's more than just a fruit shop. It's a feast for your eyes. The owners are very switched on and carry a gorgeous selection of French market baskets, timber crates in assorted sizes and also other beautiful products like these cymbidium orchids.

If you are looking for a special type of fruit or vege, they're sure to have it. They have awards on display for mushroom retailing. They don't just carry one type they have an amazing array of each fruit and vege.

They also stock a huge selection of nuts and spices. This is the place to go if you are looking for good quality and something that you can't find elsewhere and take your time to enjoy browsing!

Flight

Here's a job recently completed by Hartley Shopfitters. It's the new function room attached to Era restaurant at South Brisbane. If you've been to Era before you may remember that they had a large bottle shop next door. After the January floods where they ended up with approx 300mm of water through the restaurant they assessed what they wanted to do. They decided to reduce the bottle shop to around half its size and create a function room which can be accessed via the restaurant.



This stunning chandelier is from Yellow Goat a light manufacturing company based on the Gold Coast. They create the most incredible mind blowing light fittings. It makes a fantastic feature.

http://www.yellowgoat.com.au/

This really effective look on the windows is a pattern used elsewhere in Era. It's in a small version on some of their suspended lamp shades. We blew this up and played with the layout. It's done simply with frosted film. Sometimes the most simple things can have the most outstanding effects. The Hamilton Family, who own Era added the mesh curtains, which look fantastic.

There are two doors into the function room. This one in the left corner of the photo below, comes in from the restaurant. We reclaimed a couple of bays from the beautiful wine display wall.

It was a pleasure to work with Brad and his family and I'm sure that anyone dining at Flight will have the same outstanding experience of food and service that I have previously enjoyed at Era.

http://www.erabistro.com.au/