i: October 2010

Monday, October 25, 2010

renovation update

The suspended slab for the first floor will be poured on Monday, we should have windows and a door on the ground floor shortly after that.

This is the new space on the ground floor.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

1001 decisions to be made when undertaking a renovation, no wonder people seek help!!! Don't you just hate those last few agonising minutes before you make the final decision on a permanent item such as a bench top or a window frame colour, even though you have known what you have wanted for 12 months! It is final, no more thinking or visualizing to be done. Move on to the next decision!

I am designing all finishes and colours for the shop and the apartment around our first colour palette. Murobond have a beautiful range of timber stains, so I had already decided to use the white limewash on hoop pine ply for all the joinery doors and the shop counter. We have concrete floors upstairs and down, and at this stage I think that will stay natural as opposed to have a wash of colour. After looking at some concrete bench samples this morning I think the benches in the kitchen will be left natural concete colour as well.

Throw in a little natural linen here and there to soften the look and we should have an easy to work with neutral base to build on. Important to me is that we use hardwaring surfaces and nothing too precious!

These are the wonki ware pudding bowls and salt dishes with some of the Murobond colours from the first colour palette together with samples for counters and the apartment kitchen.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

wonki ware

Our shipment of wonki ware has arrived from South Africa, and at least one set will be lucky to make it to the shop shelves. Sold as a set of 6 or as individual pieces. Pieces include dinner plates, side plates, soup bowls, pudding bowls, large and small salad bowls, salt dishes and jugs.

What is the wonki ware story, I hear you ask!?!

Wonki ware is handmade in South Africa, it's tag reads, "Keeping the Art of Pottery Alive". Di Marshall, the creative person behind wonki ware employs local South Africans to handmake the pottery.

Why is it so Good!?!

Wonki ware is chip resistant, dishwasher and oven proof. The dinner plates are a generous 30cm +, all pieces are handmade so each has it's own characteristics, hence the name wonki ware. And, of course it looks and feels devine!

Who loves wonki ware?

Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson both love to 'plate up' on wonki ware.

Why do I love wonki ware?

It has a very relaxed, down to earth feel, while still being of exceptional quality. I know the story behind what I am buying and I know that the people who made it enjoyed doing so and were paid fairly for their efforts.

Where can I buy it?

Wonki ware is exclusive to ecoco in Tasmania. We received a limited amount of complete dinner sets in this shipment (which by the way did an unexpected detour via Madagascar) along with 24 large and small salad or fruit bowls in white and blue/grey. Dinner sets come in all white or sand, which is white with a sand coloured edge.

So to all the foodies out there, if you are in the market for some new dinner ware, wonki ware is a must see and feel!

renovation update - slab day

Today the concrete slab was poured....

The guys had an early start this morning, when I arrived at 8.30 most of the slab had been poured.

By lunch it was done!!!

This photo is taken from the back of the slab looking through the new opening in the wall towards the front of the shop. Block work walls will start going up on Monday. Hope the boys enjoy their slab!!!