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      Australiaโ€™s largest interior design, styling and renovation blog for the everyday Aussie. By former journalist and magazine editor Jen Bishop, the original interiors addict!
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A surprisingly stylish trip to the NSW Central Coast

July 16, 2019 1 Comment

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Now I don’t want to get off on the wrong foot with the Central Coast residents, because I can assure you I’ve always been a fan, but I have to be honest and say I never considered it as a particularly stylish place or a foodie destination. My recent weekend there with the family proved to me that things are starting to change and I’m happy to share more than a handful of places you must visit and eat at if you’re planning your next minibreak. Because let’s face it, it’s not exactly beach weather right now.

Norah Head Lighthouse

The Central Coast is a great option for our family. We live on the right side of Sydney for it to take no more than an hour to get there and it’s different enough to feel like you’ve really got away from it all and had a change of scene. Since Charlie came along, we haven’t been too keen on domestic breaks that involve flying. If you’re not going a long way or for a decent amount of time, it really doesn’t seem worth the hassle with a four year old and a baby. So the Central Coast is a no brainer and, after our most recent trip, I’m sure we will be back there again.

First off, where did we stay? We had two nights at Kyal and Kara Demmrich’s (of The Block fame) Airbnb (The Coastal Retreat at Toowoon Bay) which is effectively the most high spec, stylish, two-bed granny flat you’ve ever seen! It was gorgeous, well equipped and styled to perfection. Thoughtful touches like wine, cheese and chocolate went down a treat too!

Before we even got there however, we stopped in Gosford on the way up and had a delicious early lunch at The Bon Pavillion, a Sean Connolly restaurant which opened in the heart of town earlier this year. What a great start to the trip that was! I loved the dark and moody interior, the impressive staircase (come on, I’m an interiors person!) and the fact you could see into the kitchen where the action was.

Damian declared his steak to be the best he’d had all year and my chicken and prawn pie was mouthwatering. Sebastian polished off the fanciest fishfinger sandwich he’s ever had from the kid’s menu (nothing from a freezer box there, I assure you!) and we had a lovely relaxed meal with nice service. The less formal front of the venue was packed with locals enjoying brunch and coffee and you can even grab a takeout from another section. The Bon is a project of the John Singleton Group, run by Karina and Brian Barry, who also run Bells Of Killcare. Oh, how we used to love that place before we had kids (who aren’t allowed!).

En route to our Airbnb, Damian and the boys dropped me at Glow Beauty Space in Wamberal, which I already knew from Instagram! I mean, look at the place! The beautiful interior is by design duo Stewart + Highfield, who appear to be behind almost every cool space in the area! With a couple of hours of child-free pampering ahead of me, a glass of wine in hand, and lots of beautiful design details to look at, I was in heaven.

I had a pedicure and the Glow Facial (which included an eyebrow and lash tint) and left feeling like a new woman! The staff are all beautiful (inside and out) and make you feel so relaxed and looked after. I will be back, even if just as part of a day trip with a girlfriend. Best. Facial. Ever! Plenty of locals (clearly regulars) were enjoying getting their hair and makeup done for their nights out and the atmosphere was so relaxed and friendly. Owner Jade Pentony is all about incorporating beauty into the everyday, for busy women who want to enjoy these treatments but don’t have hours of time to spend. I hear you, Jade!

We spent a quiet night in at the Airbnb (yup, we have two young kids and the previous weekend had been spent in hospital with Charlie and a bad case of bronchiolitis so it was just what we needed!). We had a great sleep and the next day we were excited to explore some more. We took a drive though hip Long Jetty and can see why it’s being touted as the Newtown of the Central Coast.

We continued on to Avoca Beach where we had a beautiful lunch at Bombini. This is definitely somewhere we would have missed if we hadn’t been told about it, and I’m so glad we didn’t.

Situated on a leafy two acres in one of the Central Coastโ€™s oldest homesteads, Bombini (Italian for bumblebee) by Cameron and Hayley Cansdell offers modern Italian cuisine with an emphasis on fresh produce selected from Australia and Italy. With a focus on sustainability, the property includes on-site vegetable gardens and we even saw chickens in the car park! We had traditional woodfired pizzas and, being in holiday mode (AKA greedy) couldn’t resist a side of wood roasted pumkin with gorgonzola, honey and walnuts. Well, you can imagine! Food coma! Seb enjoyed his pasta from the kid’s menu while Charlie happily made his way through the bread basket (although I’m sure bread that good is wasted on a baby!). We sat in a cosy, sunny corner of the covered veranda and could have sat there for hours, it just felt so relaxing and comfortable! The service was friendly and the kids were made to feel welcome too.

Clearly still hungry (ha!) we headed to The Fragrant Garden at Erina for ice cream (for Seb, of course). What a gorgeous little spot which has recently expanded to include the Bar Botanica garden cafรฉ, a gelato kiosk by Mr Goaty and Distillery Botanica (they’re speaking my gin-loving language!) as well as the popular cafรฉ and lovely gardens themselves. This place is worthy of a day trip all by itself too.

Oh, and the gelato was amazing but we couldn’t even finish half of it. Top marks for effort though.

Bar Botanica

We were so lucky with the weather and after all that food and sunshine another night on the couch was in order! The next day, after checking out of our little haven, we had a look at the stunning beach down the road (literally). Toowoon Bay itself is a cute little place too with a handful of cafes and shops. And then it was off to our last dining experience of the weekend, Saddles at Mount White. Run by the same couple as Bombini (and another John Singleton project), our expectations were high! What an amazing spot. It is literally half an hour from our house, just off the M1, but you could really be anywhere. Again, we’d never heard of it, but to be fair, we have been living in newborn land (how long can we use that excuse?) and it only opened a year ago.

There’s just something about being by water isn’t there, and eating by water is so relaxing, especially when it’s outside on a wraparound veranda. The inside area was super gorgeous too though, with a really luxe comfortable feel.

This trip really changed my ideas about the Central Coast and also made me realise it’s an awesome place to go in cold weather too. I might have to go back again without the boys to discover the shopping, which I didn’t really get a chance to touch on (too busy eating, frankly) but I’ve heard there are some real homewares gems!

For more Central Coast inspo

Love a well designed eatery as much as I do? Check out more stylish Central Coast eateries by stylists Stewart + Highfield

Disclaimer: Our accommodation and meals were paid for by Visit Central Coast and some of the venues in exchange for an honest review of our experiences.

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Do I recommend a timber vanity top? A big fat NOP Do I recommend a timber vanity top?

A big fat NOPE! ๐Ÿ’ง 

Which is why we have recently covered ours with a Caesarstone top (thanks to @justinplace_sydney for the advice and supply) and the sweet RELIEF of not having to worry about this high traffic area anymore, I'm telling you!๐Ÿค—

Doesn't matter what they tell you or how many times it's sealed, I'm not sure it's a great idea in a room which is so, well, wet!

I love having the warmth of timber in the bathroom and it's a beautiful piece, but timber on the top? Never again.

Ours probably lasted a year (if that) before it started to go downhill (and we want a good decade out of a bathroom, right?!). 2.5 years on, everything else in this bathroom looks virtually brand new and the water marked vanity top was really letting the side down and making me sad!

But I'm so pleased with this solution, I have to say! Took the plumber less than an hour to remove the sink, install the top and connect the sink back up. We didn't need to move the tap and it isn't too close to the basin.

The kids are allowed to brush their teeth and wash their hands (liquid soap ๐Ÿฅด) in here again and I can leave my hair straightener on there with gay abandon ๐Ÿ˜†

The reflective surface (which I can clean with whatever I like!๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿป) brightens the room up too!

Next week I'll tell you what I really think of my brass tile trim too ๐Ÿ˜‰

#interiorsaddictbathroomreno2 #interiorsaddictfamilyhomereno #timbervanity
Is there a more decadent and delicious soup than F Is there a more decadent and delicious soup than French onion?

I think not!

Grab the recipe on the blog this morning via link in bio.
Get to know me! I haven't done one of these in YE Get to know me!

I haven't done one of these in YEARS so there's possibly thousands of you who don't know my back story. Here's a few things you may not know about me!

โœ”๏ธ I'm English ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ and I moved here (just for one year) back in 2008๐Ÿ˜† 

โœ”๏ธ I can't end the day without a bath, even if I get home really late or on a really hot day. It's a mental health thing and my happy place. ๐Ÿ› 

โœ”๏ธ Before becoming a blogger and running my own small business, I was a journalist from the age of 18. My favourite news gathering times were as a newspaper crime reporter (bit different to interiors!) ๐Ÿ““ 

โœ”๏ธ I once worked at New Scotland Yard in London ๐Ÿš” 

โœ”๏ธI had an interview at Oxford (didn't get in!) but chose not to go to uni at all after being offered a job on the local paper #universityoflife ๐Ÿ˜

โœ”๏ธ My mum died when I was 3, I have an excellent dad and one sister (younger) in the UK โค๏ธ ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง 

โœ”๏ธ At school, my favourite subject was French ๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท and I was head girl ๐Ÿค“๐Ÿค“

โœ”๏ธ I'm addicted to โ˜•๏ธ , long hot baths and๐Ÿ’„ (been wearing it since I was about 14!)

โœ”๏ธ I'm not a phonecall person and will never ever pick up an unknown number. Ever. They can leave a message ๐Ÿ˜

โœ”๏ธ My favourite cuisine is Japanese ๐Ÿฃ ๐Ÿœ and Damian and I honeymooned in Tokyo and Venice 

โœ”๏ธ I have zero design qualifications. I just started blogging about my passion, which is trying to persuade everyone to #heartyourhome That was 11 years ago...

โœ”๏ธ My favourite tipple is a good GnT or๐Ÿท 

โœ”๏ธ Cheesy as it sounds, ๐Ÿ’โ€โ™€๏ธbeing a mum is my absolute biggest joy in life ๐Ÿง’๐Ÿ‘ฆ

โœ”๏ธ I will never give up my old school paper diary! Has to be A5 and week to view ๐Ÿ“– 

โœ”๏ธ My official surname isn't Bishop. I kept my maiden name for work after I got married but changed it for everything else. Often confuse myself!

โœ”๏ธ I didn't get my Ps until I was 37 and I'm still a terrible parker ๐Ÿ˜ฏ ๐Ÿ…ฟ๏ธ

Hope you feel like you know me a bit better ๐Ÿ˜˜

๐Ÿ“ธ @vanlowvanlow
Blue, green or lilac? ๐ŸŽจ @nood_co coloured con Blue, green or lilac? ๐ŸŽจ 

@nood_co coloured concrete basins is a great Aussie business success story. Although co founder Matt Di Costa first found fame as one half of Matt and Kim on The Block, he hasn't relied on this to build his brand.

โ€œWe are very honoured to have been a part ofย The Block, and all they have done for us. I am, however, a believer in letting the product take centre stage,โ€ he says.

Read our interview with Matt via link in bio now.

๐Ÿ™Share your favourite colour basin in the comments!

#colouredconcrete #noodco #colouredbasin #blockheads #the block #bathroomtrends2022

Pic 1 by @naibudesign_ and 2 by @twostyleinteriors
I'd love to see more colour in Aussie interiors! I'd love to see more colour in Aussie  interiors! ๐ŸŽจ 

At the end of the day though, it's a matter of personal taste. I love pops of colour but it's not for everyone. 

We couldn't resist featuring this Canadian house tour today. The amazing Kelly Green  hutch (swipe) was an upcycled $200 find ๐Ÿค—

Head over to the blog via link in bio to see the rest including one of the best playrooms we've seen in ages!

Project by @in.house.design
๐Ÿ“ธ @philcrozier
Create an unexpected city oasis with an emphasis o Create an unexpected city oasis with an emphasis on light and nature.

That was the brief for the conversion of a corner shop and a warehouse bakery into a luxury family home in Sydney's Newtown. And how about the library?!

Take the tour of this very special @annacarindesign project on the blog now, via link in bio.

Pic: @justinalexanderphoto
The things that excite me as a 40 year old ๐Ÿคญ N The things that excite me as a 40 year old ๐Ÿคญ

None of us enjoy laundry (OK, there are a few of you out there who do. Weird!) but we have to do it. And often. So if your laundry bin can be as good looking, functional and space saving as this, then why wouldn't you?!

I've lost track of how many baskets I've thrown out because they've gone soggy or mouldy. They look pretty, sure, but they're not fit for purpose and they're often messy and overflowing.

Here's what I love about his @brabantia_australia one:

โœ”๏ธ ventilation holes
โœ”๏ธ no need to remove the lid for small items plus it hides your dirty laundry from view
โœ”๏ธ easily removable and washable inner laundry bag that velcros back on 
โœ”๏ธ corrosion resistant so fine in bathroom or laundry 
โœ”๏ธ Brabantia make things as sustainably as possible
โœ”๏ธ compact, sleek, European design
โœ”๏ธ 10 year warranty
โœ”๏ธ tall and skinny so takes up less floor in my tiny laundry

The Rolls Royce of laundry bins? I think so ๐Ÿ‘Œ๐Ÿป

TOLD you this was going to be exciting!

Now I need to know, do you have your laundry basket in the bathroom, the laundry, every bedroom? We used to have one in each bedroom but moved to the laundry-only situation which I much prefer (one for colours and one for whites). My boys know to put their used clothes in the bin in the laundry each night and they're 7 and 3!  #raisingfuturehusbands

#gifted
"Living rooms are important spaces where our publi "Living rooms are important spaces where our public and private lives intersect."

So says stylist @nataliewalton in her gorgeous new book Style, the Art of Creating a Beautiful Home.

"They are where we gather to welcome guests and entertain. But they are also where we decompress and relax at the end of the day. Increasingly, they are open-plan spaces and need to work within a greater scheme. Bringing all the elements together cohesively requires care and consideration. And, if you want a space that lives up to its true potential, make it personal and create with conviction."

Read an extract, the chapter on elevating your living room, on the blog today via link in bio.

Published by @thamesandhudsonau Pix by @chriswarnes 

#livingroomdesigns #nataliewalton #coffeetablebooks #designbooks #interiorsbooks #livingroominteriors #elevateyourspace
Kids and husband messing with my vignettes again๐Ÿคจ

PS. The coaster was RIGHT THERE ๐Ÿคช
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About Jen Bishop

Jen Bishop is our owner and publisher and an experienced journalist and editor. Interiors Addict has been her full-time job for more than 8 years. She is married to Damian and mum to Sebastian and Charlie.

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  1. AvatarLeanne Hall says

    July 23, 2019 at 1:07 pm

    It’s beautiful up here, so much to do and discover. A lovely review of a truly lovely location.

    Reply

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