Welcome to my third post of "The Café and Restaurant Inspo Series"! After London and Tokyo, here are a few places I would love to visit in the land that brings us kangaroos and koalas – Sydney, Australia!
1. The Botanica Vaucluse
As you can probably tell from my previous blog posts, I'm a sucker for pink. And who doesn't love dining in what feels like an outdoor garden? Looking at their photos, this seems to be a super popular venue for weddings and baby showers, and I can see why!
I find there's a huge difference in opinion when it comes to white walls. It seems you either love them or hate them. I'm personally in the "love them" group. They make my small rooms seem bigger and on a sunny day especially, they make the whole atmosphere feel so light and airy. I think the main thing is what colors you use to complement them. The generous use of pink and green and that eye-catching purple carpet really brightens up the room, with the white walls as the perfect backdrop.
2. Kitchens on Kent
Another restaurant where white plays a dominant role! But see how the hardwood floors and beautiful teal glass light fixtures warm up the room? And the vases of yellow flowers add just the right pops of color.
And I think here's a perfect example of how a simple flower arrangement can instantly make your dining table look a lot more inviting. It doesn't have to be a fancy, expensive bouquet. A bunch of cut tulips or daffodils from your own garden in a pretty vase will do the trick. Why not make every meal just a bit more special? You deserve it!
3. Luke's Kitchen and Bar
Then at the other end of the spectrum, black! With the black furniture, striped carpet and that amazing chandelier, it seems like there's so much going on, but it goes together so well. This seems like such a great place to hang out with friends after work for food and drinks (apparently they have live music too!).
That chandelier is definitely the star of the show. And what I really like is that instead of the usual gold, it seems to be brass. I think the duller and more subdued tone of brass adds a different level of sophistication to your home décor. If you want something with a bit of shine to add to your room but think that gold or silver is a bit too much, then I think brass is a very good alternative.
4. The Butler Potts Point
What better way to spend a lazy Saturday morning than breakfast or brunch in a sun-filled room? I love wicker. The combination of wicker and light wood makes it feel like you're eating outside on a garden patio somewhere.
Remember how I said that a floral arrangement on your dining table doesn't have to be a fancy, expensive bouquet to get the job done? Even just green leaves will do! My favorite are camellia leaves. Cut a few branches, plop them in a vase – done! Plus, I haven't quite gotten the hang of growing beautiful camellia flowers yet, so being able to use the leaves at least makes me feel a tad better!
5. Nour
Now, the color palette is a bit subdued for my taste, but what a great idea to fill the sitting area with a row of cushions! I've always had trouble deciding how many cushions to put on my sofa or couch. Should it just be one per seat? Should I put more at both ends but leave the middle empty? Help!
Problem solved, I'm going to put an entire row! I love switching up my cushions once in a while because they're so easy and so effective at changing up the look of a room instantly, and relatively inexpensive. I especially love using brighter colors in the spring and summer and darker, more earthy tones during the fall and winter. With an entire row of cushions (which for my three-seater sofa would be about 7 to 8 medium-sized cushions), I get to play with different textures and prints, but will do so in the same color family or in complementary colors. Once summer rolls around, I'm going to try a nautical theme with a mix of white, textured cushions, blue-and-white striped ones, and solid navy. Sit back with a cup of coffee and dream of my next cruise!
Have you been to Sydney? Do you have any café or restaurant recommendations? Please share!
Products You May Like
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