Source

Sydney Morning Herald

Thursday February 16, 2006

Melissa Penfold

FURNISHINGS

Decorating goddesses note: ottomans are handy little numbers. You can move them from room to room to use as seats, poufs, stools and side tables. Between use, you can stow them beneath a table. They are seriously multifunctional. Source recommends you invest in a couple of these affordable little chaps.

Bottom line Monterey and Jamaica ottomans, $99 each; matching table runner, $29.95; totes, $34.95; and utility bags, $29.95

Village Living, 45a Avalon Parade, Avalon Beach, 9918 9954, and Home Couture, 684 New South Head Road, Rose Bay, 9371 4211

CROSS

Source is going all religious (at least in the decorative sense) with crucifixes constantly coming to our notice in our travels. The buy of the moment has to be these Ethiopian orthodox silver and nickel ceremonial cross one-offs imported by Adam Huynh of Boxx. Styles vary according to which province they hail from.

(PS: Boxx closed its doors in Surry Hills this month but will reopen in bigger and better Darlinghurst premises in May.)

Bottom line From $280 to $2600

Macleay on Manning, corner of Macleay Street and Manning Avenue, Potts Point, 9331 4100, and Stem, 295 Darling Street, Balmain, 9810 5222

SALE

From next week, you can custom order a rug from 100 designs without being charged made to-measure prices or having to wait 12 weeks (it will be ready in 21 days). The system is being introduced at Tsar, which has opened its first Sydney showroom, just in time to launch the artist-designed Botanical rug collection, pictured. The Melbourne company is also launching a range of seamless carpet (meaning there is no wastage). It is preshaded (read, good lustre) and you can order in any colour. Also, it's a weighty 72 ounces. In the meantime, get 50 per cent off most of the 2005 range including the Neva pure New Zealand wool?tufted rugs in neutral colours and textures.

Bottom line Neva rugs in three sizes, $350-$1500 until Wednesday; new carpet (wall-to-wall) from $80 a square metreTsar, 146 Fouveaux Street, Surry Hills, 9331 4244

DECOR

Since the 1970s, the ideology behind the British textile house Designers Guild has been extravagance (read, extravagant use of its fabrics), which has been a smart exercise in marketing and branding, as they sell metres of the stuff. Still, going the whole hog is also one of the basic lessons in great decorating. Take note: swag your textiles in abundant folds from the ceiling architraves, upholster you walls, cover your squashy sofas, cushions and chairs in velvet damasks and contrasting taffeta plaids and watch your rooms sing. Don't be afraid, big gestures really do work. Oh, and the latest Designers Guild collection is worth seeking out.

Bottom line Samarkand prints, $150 a metre; Brocatelle flocks from $245 a metre

Fresh, Avalon, 9973 1211; No Chintz, Willoughby, 9958 0257, and Surry Hills, 9318 2080; Tempo Interiors, Mosman, 9960 2844

SHOP

Whoopee, the city has a serious new two-storey shopping gallery in the shape of Form and Design selling collectables from all over the planet. Owner Andrew Grzina has sourced everything from hard?to?find German WMF salad servers, olive spoons and pepper and salt mills plus Italian Servetto moulded?plastic coat-racks and valets in white, orange and silver, and Giannini stainless steel and timber storage jars, trays and cutting boards from Italy. But you will also find solid favourites such as Philippe Starck's iconic Juicy Salif lemon squeezer, Alessi's stainless steel Fruit Loop bowl by Melbourne designer Lisa Vincitorio, Kosta Boda art glass, as well as essential photo albums, picture frames, journals, even umbrellas.

Bottom line Alessi Fruit Loop, $369; Alessi Sebastiano pencil pot and Dozi magnetic paper clip holder, both $39.50; Servetto valets, pictured, from $395

Shop 5, 599 Pacific Highway, St Leonards, (entry in Albany Street), 9438 3344

DESIGN

A new name around town is Zebrano, which produces thoroughly mod entertainment units, credenzas, multi-media storage systems and bookcases in a range of pale or dark solid timbers, timber veneers or laminates with powder-coated aluminium bases. All designs have soft-motion self-closing drawers and doors, floor-levelling feet and are finished with a top notch polyurethane clear lacquer.

Bottom line Retro-Series coffee table in quarter-cut Tasmanian ash, $1700; Retro credenza, 1200mm long, $3050; Retro audio visual entertainment unit, 1600mm long, $3300; Classic series crown-cut American walnut bookcase credenza, 1500mm long, $4500, and multimedia unit, pictured, 1500mm long, $4700

Shop 2, 35 Buckingham Street, Surry Hills, 9699 9102, zebrano.com.au

TRENDS

Ritz spots, Raffles stripes and Savoy paisleys. It's a men's look that couturier Baubridge & Kay has opted for its second home collection, which embellishes everything from cushions to lampshades in silk and cotton drill furnishing fabrics. You can also pick up classic little leather cufflink boxes, photo frames, silk coat hangers, cotton cosmetic bags and French body unguents.

Bottom line Cushions, 60cm x 60cm, with duck feather filling, $119; table lamps, from $115; and Ritz spot cotton drill, $95 a metre

Baubridge & Kay, Level 1, Skygarden, 77 Castlereagh Street, city, 9223 6729

CERAMICS

Source has a weakness for beakers. The squatter the better. Not for quaffing liquids, mind (the sides are too straight for our tastes). But for storing pencils, scissors, glue sticks, business cards, even pretty green leaves, garden flowers and herbs. All of which means we'll be hot-footing it to High Tea: The Beauty of Beakers, where works by 20 of Australia's top ceramic artists will be on show including Phil Elson, Mel Robson, Chiko Jones, Jeff Mincham, and Liz Low. Until February 26

Bottom Line Mel Robson beakers, pictured, from $160

Collect, 88 George Street, The Rocks, 9247 7984

© 2006 Sydney Morning Herald

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