Orana Cactus World is a labour of love. It’s a magnificent garden and nursery located in the small town of Gilgandra, central NSW, about a six hour drive north-west of Sydney and about 45 minutes out of Dubbo. It is a quiet town with a small population of just 2700.

Words and photography: Jacqui Turk

On arrival the view of Orana Cactus World is spectacular. Tall and sculptural cactus rise high above the fence making their mark on the small town’s skyline. Nestled in-between neighbours, this impressive garden will excite anyone visiting. It’s hard not to stare in awe at all the spiky tentacles, knowing that they have taken years, in some instances decades, to grow.

Lester Meyers, has been here since 1972. His love of cactus lead him to purchase the half acre block to house his then growing cactus collection. A cactus enthusiast from a young age, Lester bought imported seeds from Mexico, seeking out new and interesting varieties. His collection has grown immensely over the years and he still has some of those original plants from imported seeds growing in his garden, over 40 years later.

Most of Lester’s plants are housed in a large greenhouse and all are grown from seed under his watchful eye. Cactus are sensitive to frost and Gilgandra can get frosty in winter. The greenhouse protects the plants from Gilgandra’s extremes. But the heat and lack of humidity are the optimum climate for cactus and succulent growing.

This garden is a must visit for any cactus and succulent fan. It is a long drive but the opportunity to speak to the inspirational Lester Meyers about his beautiful garden and possibly bring a cactus of your own home is definitely worthwhile.

Orana Cactus World is open most weekends or by appointment. Call Lester for address and to make sure it’s open before you make the long drive out!
P: 02 6847 0806.

Most of Lester’s plants are housed in a large greenhouse and all are grown from seed under his watchful eye...

I’m currently on the hunt for the perfect light for my living and dining areas. I’m leaning towards something with a mid-century flavour and in particular, something gold (what can I say, I’m a brass-junkie!). The ‘constellation’ style of light is hugely popular at the moment (especially in the US), although they can be a little hard to track down here in Australia. Today I’ve rounded up a few of my favourite pendant lights with serious wow-factor, and that yes, are available right here in Australia. I am obsessed with the striking ‘Aksel’ pendant light in brass from Beacon Lighting (also available in matte black), you can even adjust the arms to create your own unique shape, I love how they’ve configured it in the image above. The six light pendant is $895 (although currently reduced down to $805.50), so it’s a little on the pricey side, but the colour and style makes it a clear winner for me at this stage.

Other worthy contenders include West Elm’s ‘Mobile’ pendant in nickel (pictured above). It’s about half the price of the Aksel light, priced at $449. Whilst it is gorgeous and the perfect shape, I’m leaning more towards something in brass. They did stock it in the US West Elm stores in a brass colour, unfortunately it has sold out over there, and doesn’t look like they’ll be introducing this colour in this style of pendant to Australia. The nickel is still a classic choice, oh the decisions.

Anaesthetic’s ‘Constellation’ pendant (pictured right), is pretty awesome too. Unfortunately it is well and truly outside of my budget coming in at $1683. But if you’ve got the cash to splash, this could be the light for you!

Jardan’s ‘Emry’ pendant light (pictured above and to the left), has long been on my lust-list. I sometimes visit Brisbane’s Jardan store, just to stare at it like a crazed stalker! Its $1387 price tag (for its 5 arm pendant design in brass) is a little out of my price-range, but my gosh it fits the design brief in every way. Mid-century in style, tick! Brass in colour, tick! Perhaps I just need to save up for this absolute shining beauty.

Below I’ve rounded up some of my favourite pendant light styles.

1 DALTON CHANDELIER  /  2 EQUALIZER CHANDELIER  /  3 AERIAL PENDANT LIGHT

1 AKSEL LIGHT /  2 ROWAN GOLD LEAF CHANDELIER  /  3 LANCETTE LIGHT

CUSHION  /  VASE  /  ART  /  TRAY  /  THROW  /  CLUTCH
SOFA  /  CLOCK  /  ARMCHAIR  /  RUG  / JAR  /  TALLBOY

I have to say, this is OZ Design Furniture’s hottest collection to date – so many beautiful pieces of furniture and homewares that suit the very on-trend look of contemporary/Scandinavian interiors right now. I’ve put together a curated collection of my favourite looks from their latest Winter campaign and I think you’ll agree, there’s lots here to love. In particular, I love the new Amanda dining chairs, and that Ravi dining table and bench seats with copper legs. I think it would look equally good indoors as it would in an outdoor space. I’ve also been impressed with their collection of homewares and photographic art prints.

And from tomorrow, you’ll save 25% off in store and online with their EOFYS 3 day blitz sale. Ends Monday 27th June, so be quick! You can shop the range online by clicking here.

Photography: Hannah Blackmore  /  Interior: Three Birds Renovation  /  Art: Danielle Cross

It’s the art trend we can’t get enough of – beach aerial photography. Adorning contemporary and coastal style homes, this style of art is truly breathtaking. We’ve rounded up our top 4 contenders in the beach photography market.

1 DANIELLE CROSS

Australian abstract artist Danielle Cross has expanded into photography lately, and we’re loving what we see. Initially we discovered Danielle’s artwork through Three Birds Renovations, who regularly showcase her artwork in their renovation projects. It’s not hard to see why Danielle has become a firm favourite of the Three Birds Renovations team – the beach prints really showcase the depth of colour in water and the patterns they can create. Our favourite piece from the collection is pictured below titled We Are Sole.

Photography: Hannah Blackmore  /  Interior: Three Birds Renovation  /  Art: Danielle Cross

2 CLAUDIA CHLOE

Chloe Masco, owner of Claudia Chloe, uses photography as a tool to accentuate and simplify the beauty that surrounds her in her travels. It’s no surprise that growing up in Jersey Shore in the US, she is heavily influenced by the playfulness of the beach-goer lifestyle. Chloe’s photographs highlight the beauty of beach umbrellas, swimmers, holiday-makers and sandy shorelines. Chloe is based in the US, so you’ll need to contact her through her Etsy store to find out the cost of international shipping on her beautiful range of prints on canvas and paper. You’ll find an assortment of aerial beach photographic prints of Jersey Shore and Miami. Here are some of our favourites from her Etsy store (click here to shop the range).

3 AQUABUMPS

Aquabumps were definitely at the forefront of the beach photography trend, in fact, Aquabumps founder and sole photographer Eugene Tan has been capturing beaches since 1999! What initially started out as a website and daily email dedicated to early morning beach life, quickly turned into one of Australia’s leading print stores. There’s more than just aerial shots, however they’re probably some of our faves. From Sydney’s Northern Beaches to vibrant Rio De Janeiro, you’ll find an assortment of stunning beach photography from all across the globe. Click here to shop.

 4 SALTY WINGS

Salty Wings is headed up by two beach-loving friends Jampal Williamson and Michael Goetze – who use drones to capture Western Australia’s beautiful and often secluded beaches. Brilliant blues meet jade green hues, in Salty Wings’ vivid photographic prints. All prints are made and photographed in Western Australia too. Keeping it local has led this brand new business to gain quite the loyal following on Instagram. If you’re loving what you see here, you’ll need to add them to your feed – @saltywings for daily coastal inspiration. Think we might need to book a trip to WA quick-smart! Click here to shop their range of prints.

ART  /  VASE  /  FEATHER HEADDRESS  /  BLANKET  /  PENDANT LIGHT  /  CUSHION
CANDLE HOLDER  /  CANDLE  /  RUG /  CHAIR  /  COFFEE + SIDE TABLE  /  LAMP (SET OF 2)

Fashion label Mister Zimi captured their Poolside SS16 collection across various sun-drenched holiday destinations including Palm Springs. Oh, this just feeds my obsession with this Californian desert town.

Photography: Ming Nomchong  /  Styling: Alice Roberts

There are few places quite like Palm Springs. A small desert town, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, sounds like an unlikely holiday destination on paper, however its mid-century modern architecture, soaring palm trees, mountainous location, and high temperatures make it the perfect oasis in the Californian desert. I’ve been lucky enough to visit twice now and still I never tire of it, usually I’m up for holidays to some place new, I rarely like to visit the same place twice. The exception to that is Palm Springs for sure. Oh take me back. These images make me long for the piercing desert heat, especially now that winter is well and truly upon us. Enjoy these images (and the fashion) from Mister Zimi.

The desire to update my kitchen has completely taken over and I’m currently in the process of getting quotes for re-tiling the kitchen splashback and changing the sink and tap to matte black ones! It’s all very exciting I must say. Another item I want to change in my kitchen are the bar stools. Today’s blog post explores some possible options. First off are these stunning marble stools ($299) pictured above, by Harpers Project. Their Scandinavian approach to design and philosophy of Buy once, buy well, really resonates with me. I’ve been guilty of buying things in the past, based purely on price or current trends, which hasn’t always paid off in the long run. It’s expensive to have to replace major pieces of furniture every couple of years – you could say I’ve now learnt my lesson. When choosing larger pieces I’m now opting for neutral colour, classic styles, and clean lines.

Photography: Annette O'Brien  /  Styling: Greenhouse Interiors

Another contender in the neutral Scandi/coastal aesthetic are these Muuto Nerd bar stools ($739) pictured above. They come in a range of colours – but my favourites are the light grey colour and natural beech timber finish.

Another design by Harpers Projects features opposite - their kitchen stools ($199) look to now be sold out unfortunately. They were featured in Rebecca Judd’s ‘The Style School’ renovation project. I absolutley love the colour scheme in this kitchen – so refreshing. For a small kitchen, it certainly packs a punch. I’ve got my eye on that sexy black tap! If you haven’t seen the rest of this space you should definitely check it out by clicking here.

Below, you’ll find Three Birds Renovations’ latest kitchen design, featuring OZ Design Furniture’s Tractor stools ($149). They have a slightly industrial/rustic quality to them, making them work well in a Hamptons or classic style kitchen.

I’ve done a round-up of my top 3 favourite bar stools in varying styles below. Which is your favourite?

Photography: Hannah Blackmore  /  Interior: Three Birds Renovations

1 GRAND GUSTAVE BAR STOOL  /  2 SMED BAR STOOL  /  3 BANDINI BAR STOOL

1 MARBLE STOOL  /  2 NERD BAR STOOL  /  3 SWENI BAR STOOL

1 POP BAR STOOL  /  2 SADLER BRASS + TURQUOISE BAR STOOL  /  3 HAZEL BRASS BAR STOOL

I absolutely am loving the combination of blush pink, black and white. Add a pop of gold, and a bit of marble and ooh la la, it gives my heart palpitations every. single. time. The Daily Edited would have to be my go-to label for luxe leather goods. Their handbags are out of this world good, and I’’m particularly enamoured with this pale pink shoulder bag. Equally as good are their thank you card sets. Paper on one side with leather-like backing on the other, you’ll love the thickness and luxurious feel of these notecards. As far as stationery brands go, I can't go past kikki.K and new-comer Jot It Down. Working from home means I'm always on the hunt for beautiful pens, notebooks and other bits and bobs to help keep my desk tidy and stylish. Pictured are just some of my favourite finds at the moment.

NOTECARD SET  /  SCISSORS  /  CLIPBOARD  /  PEN (BOXED)  /  NOTEPAD
MARBLE BOX  /  BAG  /  FEATHER PEN  /  HOME ORGANISER  /  CLIPS  /  JOURNAL

THROW  /  ART  /  PENDANT LIGHT  /   MAKEUP MIRROR  /  CHAIR  /  CANDLE
CUSHIONS  /  SIDE PLATE SET  /  HAND WASH + MILK SET  /  VASE  /  MIRROR

Anna Chisholm’s childhood dream of owning a shoe shop is not so far from reality when her job as a footwear merchandiser segued into opening a flourishing retail haven for fashion and home.

Words: Pip Miller  /  Photography: Annette O’Brien  /  Styling: Anna Chisholm

As one of Melbourne’s homewares meccas, Bungalow Trading Co (named after Anna’s renovated Californian bungalow) opened in May 2013. It was during her years at home raising two young sons that Anna discovered her passion was not just for shoes, but interiors as well, with hours spent ‘fluffing’ and styling her own nest.

“I frequented many of the small, unique and well curated homewares businesses around Melbourne – shops like Hut 13, Turner & Lane, Fenton & Fenton and Crate Expectations. There was nothing like these shops in my local area so I saw an opportunity and made my shop-owning dreams a reality – opening up next to a new, busy café.”

Bungalow was embraced by the community from the start and the business flourished and has evolved most recently with a fresh new look thanks to the help of Industria X furniture.

According to Anna, Bungalow’s core business is homewares (art, soft furnishings, decorative pieces, lighting) and a lovingly curated range of fashion, jewellery and accessories for women with some décor and toys for children.

With regards to Bungalow and its retail philosophy, Anna says that this is very much built on her desire to support local artists and designers and a commitment to stock as much locally made and designed product as possible.

“I am also passionate about the people I meet in this industry. I have the utmost gratitude for my regular customers – many who have supported the shop since we opened. Many are now friends and some are staff!”

Though not a huge fan of religiously following trends, Anna says she is awake to noticing what is new on the market and says that she is particularly partial to a resurgence of ceramics and textural layering with linen – especially the variety of luxe bed linen on the market. “I like to pick and choose from key trends and let them merge with favourite pieces and evergreen ranges. More often than not, trends emerge in either colour, texture or form.”

Anna does admit to a soft spot for styling with colour and at the moment is into mixing pastel pinks and peaches with forest green, orange with lilac, burgundy and pink, and mustard with soft blue. “Pink is a recurring favourite. I love pink.”

Bungalow Trading Co is just one of the many stores that stock Adore Home Magazine. Visit their store at 187 Booran Rd, Caulfield South, Melbourne.

United Interiors have officially opened their new showroom in Moorabbin, Melbourne and you’re all invited to celebrate with their pop up and warehouse sale.

Styling: Emma Blomfield  /  Photography: Ren Pidgeon

The new United Interiors showroom showcases their latest artworks, decor and rug collections, sitting alongside a carefully curated collection of furniture and decor, complementing United Interiors’ products. To celebrate the new bricks and mortar store, they’re hosting a pop up and warehouse sale on Saturday 23 July between 9am-4pm. During the sale, you will even have the change to meet with United Interiors’ designer collaborators – The Block’s Alisa and Lysandra (10am-1pm) and The Living Room’s James Treble (2-4pm). Plus partner Dani Wales (pictured opposite) of Basic Habitat (and former The Block contestant) will be there with her pop up shop from 1.30-4pm. Basic Habitat will be offering a hand-picked collection of homewares and accessories not to be missed!

And it gets even sweeter, with the first 100 customers who walk through the door receiving a mini boxed chocolate from Insta-famous dessert artist Caroline Khoo of Nectar & Stone. Yum! Perk Me Up’s coffee cart will be stationed outside the showroom, to ensure shoppers are well fuelled for some serious shopping.

So what kind of sales can you expect on the day? Well in the warehouse you’ll find rugs from $79, cushions from $10, framed prints from $69 and canvas prints from $59. In the showroom, you’ll receive 10% off furniture and lighting, 20% off all decor, 30% off all rugs, and 40% off outdoor panels. Craziness! I so wish I lived in Melbourne to check out this fantastic event. But the good news is, if you can’t make the sale event, their showroom is open to the public six days per week (closed Sundays). More details about the grand opening pop up and warehouse sale can be found by clicking here.

Visit United Interiors' new showroom at
253 Wickham Rd, Moorabbin, Melbourne.

SHEEPSKIN HIDE  /  THROW  /  CUSHION /  KNIT CUSHION  /  PENDANT LIGHT
VASE  /  BASKET  /  TROLLEY  /  CHAIR  /  FLAG  /  PRINT  /  BOWL SET

Images courtesy of kyallandkara.com

We’ve developed a new colour crush – seafoam and dusty turquoise hues! Here, we’ve rounded up our top 3 interiors that utilise this refreshing colour palette to fabulous effect.

1 KYAL & KARA

Former The Block contestants Kyal and Kara proved to be a formidable couple on the hit renovation TV show, and now the talented duo are sharing their own home renovation journey on their website! Their coastal dwelling couldn’t be any more perfect, mixing tones of sea blues with plenty of beautiful timber accents (which the couple were known for on their time on The Block). Their bedroom wall painted in Taubmans’ ‘Silver Mink’ suits the Easycraft VJ wall panels to a tee. The overall look is unmistakably contemporary coastal.

In the kitchen, they made the slightly risky move of painting their cabinetry in Taubmans’ ‘Midnight Hour’, a deep turquoise blue. But the risk paid off and the look is totally delicious don’t you think? Paired with the timber stools and gold tap and hardware, we think it’s a match made in heaven. Click here to check out their full renovation journey.

2 WRIGHTSON STEWART

Photography Kylie Hood  /  Styling Lachlan Sinclair courtesy of WSworkshop

Brisbane architects Wrightson Stewart certainly had some fun with colour in this Toowong apartment. The design utilises colour-blocking in a refreshing mint and dusty jade palette. The overall effect feels youthful and fresh. That painted front door has given me the idea of painting my own apartment door (well on the inside at least). A great way of injecting extra colour into a space. Click here to see the full apartment tour.

3 BIASOL DESIGN STUDIO

Photography Ari Hatzis

I personally think a restaurant/cafe’s interior is crucial to its success or failure, (and obviously the food needs to be equally as amazing). Melbourne has possibly the best designed eateries in Australia and just one example is this one – Kitty Burns. I absolutely love the way in which designers of the space, Biasol Design Studio, have dispersed this lush minty blue colour throughout. Against the blonde timbers it really is a fresh look. Even though this is a commercial space, I feel like a lot of the design principles and ideas could be applied to a residential design.

We’ve fallen in love with The Rug Collection’s new nursery to living room collection – Harper.

Photography Jeremy Blode  /  Styling Little Liberty Interiors

The Rug Collection’s new Harper collection is just adorable. These rugs work so well in kids’ rooms or nurseries. They’re available in round and rectangle sizes like 110 x 160cm, 160 x 230cm, 150cm round and 200cm round (priced from $499), making them perfect for smaller spaces – even a study would look cute with one of these pastel coloured rugs. They could even be used in small living rooms.

Available in four pastel colours - Dove, Azure, Peppermint and Blush, the Harper collection features a loop pile design, made from a NZ wool blend, giving it a warm softness and cosy feel. Click here to view the collection.

These rugs work so well in kids’ rooms or nurseries.

Kmart has taken its design cues from Cuba, the Hamptons and Scandinavia to inspire its new August ‘Inspired Living’ range in stores now.

You’ve got to hand it to Kmart, lately their range of homewares and furniture is on point! Inspired by international trends, and adopting a bold approach to colour and print, their new August ‘Inspired Living’ range has me totally excited. And on top of that everything is so affordably priced. Not everyone has thousands of dollars to completely decorate their home, so Kmart is really making it easy for the majority to really get the designer look for substantially less.

Kmart Australia’s General Manager Living, Julie Miller-Sensini explains, “We never rest at Kmart – we’re always looking for the next hot item, the latest trend and how we can bring this to life. Each season, we put more emphasis on new designs, improved quality and more of what Australians love. We take pride in helping people create the homes of their dreams.”

Embracing daring palm prints in beautiful hues of emerald green, Kmart’s design team has curated the Daintree Paradise range, which mixes monochrome with leafy motifs to striking effect. This tropical vista is juxtaposed with a riot of colour, reminiscent of lively Cuba streets, brightening the mood in light-hearted patterns.

Moving toward a more classic aesthetic, the Classic Cove range nods to the calm quiet of the Hamptons. Tranquil tones of blue are brought to life by natural textures such as wood, marble and cork, with pops of brass adding instant warmth to the palette.

Rounding out the August Living offering is the effortless, form-meets-function design of the Eco Urban range. Perfectly suited to the Southern Hemisphere lifestyle, the Scandinavian simplicity speaks for itself as matte black ceramics and clean-lined colourless glass are mixed and matched for a playful, yet refined look. Below we’ve rounded up our favourite finds from the new range – and the best bit, everything is under $50.

STOOL  /  PENDANT LIGHT  /  PRINT  /  THROW  /  SIDE TABLE  /  BASKET
CUTLERY SET  /  POT  /  DESK  /  CUSHION  /  OUTDOOR RUG

CARD  /  ART  /  HANGING PLANTER  /  CHAIR  /  KEYRING  /  BASKET
NOTEBOOK  /   ROUND CUSHION  /  CUSHION  /  INFLATABLE FLAMINGO

Artist Kimmy Hogan is back with a new range of prints – the ‘Foliage’ collection. We caught up with Kimmy, who shares with us, her gorgeous print designs.

Photography: Cricket  /  Styling: Anna Chisholm for Greenhouse Interiors  /  Styling assist: Joy Design Co

Tell us about your new ‘Foliage’ collection of prints.
My new ‘Foliage’ collection is once again a tribute to my love of plants and bottles. It’s somewhat an extension of my ‘Still Life’ range from last year but a bit more free flowing and less formal. There is a lot of sunlight in my new work which I hope people can see and feel when they look at them. There are a total of four new illustrations but I expect to keep adding to this range over the next year.

Is this your first range you’ve worked on since giving birth to your son late last year?
Yes it is! It’s been lovely being home with my baby and taking my time to work on this latest collection. I have more drawings in process at the moment too, which I plan to release in the coming months. Stay tuned!

Tell us about the process behind your prints.
All the pieces are digitally drawn – that means it’s still a ‘hand drawn’ process with every line and shape being created with the stroke of my hand, I’m just holding a mouse instead of a pencil! The process starts with me raiding the local florist and I really study each plant and take loads of photos. I draw from a photo rather than from real life as the drawings take such a long time to create (especially with two kids to look after). I like to capture the arrangement with the right lighting and aim for the best reflections on the bottles, so then I have the perfect capture to go by when creating the artwork over the following weeks and months. To create one collection I might experiment with about ten different drawings before honing in on a final collection.

Kimmy Hogan’s artwork can be purchased through Greenhouse Interiors (both retail and wholesale), various retail stores (for a list of stockists click here), and through Kimmy’s website: www.kimmyhogan.com.au

It’s the hot new colour trend we’ve fallen in love with – mustard and soft pastel pink. Team it with black or charcoal greys and you’ve got a winning colour combination, that’s part feminine, part masculine.

Kicking off this lush colour trend, is Brent Rosenberg’s newest print collection (in the 2 pictures above), beautifully styled by NC Interiors (for Greenhouse Interiors) and photographed by Annette O’Brien. If you love these prints you can purchase from Greenhouse Interiors (click here). The pink velvet Coco chair from Clickon Furniture in the top image, and camel Croisette velvet armchair from Bastille & Sons pictured above, are so sumptuous looking (and possibly my favourite two chairs of 2016). Team them with bold black like in the Taj hexagonal bone inlay coffee table from GlobeWest (in the top image) and in the Halo buffet from Zuster (above) and you’ve got some serious edgy sophistication.

This is an oldie, but a goodie – the bedroom of Hayley Neal pictured above (which appeared in our Family edition), photographed by Hannah Blackmore, and styled by Claudia Stephenson. That dramatic black wall just totally works with the white tufted headboard, and Castle pillowcases in the rust cloud design and pink velvet.

Another bedroom setting (above) that embraces this colour palette, comes from Melbourne store Feathered Arbour. How divine are all those layers and textures! You don’t get much better than velvet and sheepskin teamed together. I could literally jump right in. Photographed by Armelle Habib and styled by Julia Green of Greenhouse Interiors. We’ve rounded up more products in this colour palette below.

CLIPBOARD PACK  /  PRINT  /  BLANKET  /  PENDANT LIGHT  /  DREAM TRAY  /  CANDLEHOLDER
BLUE CUSHION  /  GEOMETRIC CUSHION  /  SIDE TABLE  /  SHEEPSKIN  /  POT  /  QUILT COVER  /  CHAIR

Looking for a country escape with a dash of timeless glamour? Hunter Valley’s newly renovated Sebel Kirkton Park offers just that, thanks to renowned Australian interior designer Greg Natale.

Photography Anson Smart  /  Words Loni Parker

It’s not often that a hotel in the countryside catches my eye. However once I got wind of Greg Natale’s latest commercial project, my partner and I, couldn’t resist booking in a few nights last week, at The Sebel Kirkton Park’s newly refurbished hotel in New South Wale’s Hunter Valley.

Upon arrival you walk through to the beautiful foyer complete with Greg Natale’s wallpaper design for Porters Paints and his range of luxe furniture in collaboration with Hudson Furniture. The cobalt-meets-monochrome colour palette is reflected throughout all of the interiors, including the rooms and restaurant/bar. I would have loved if the colour palette was extended to the exteriors as well. I think the hotel has just kept it as is (creamy yellow with burgundy trim). Painting the whole thing white, with a grey trim perhaps, would have kept it looking more fresh, while still keeping to the classic look. In saying that, it’s a relatively small thing as you’re not staring at the exteriors all day (it just would’ve made a better first impression, in my opinion).

The restaurant, whilst gorgeous, only offers a two or three course menu for dinner. I think for that reason there were hardly any customers and if it were an a la carte menu, I think more people would have dined there. We didn’t dine at the restaurant because it was quite pricey and I usually only eat one meal anyways, and possibly share a dessert if I’m still hungry. We did however try the food off the bar menu in Epoche – the onsite bar. They offer woodfire pizzas, burgers, chips etc – much more of a casual dining experience which I didn’t mind. I had hoped they would have had the fireplace in there, going every night, but unfortunately only one out of the three nights we stayed there, they lit the fireplace. As it was winter, and really cold at night, I think this would have definitely attracted more guests (it was usually pretty quiet in there).

So on to the rooms. When we checked in, we were pleasantly surprised to have been upgraded to a suite at the Manor House. It was very spacious with separate bedroom and living room area, overlooking the Pokolbin Valley. The bathrooms were kept as is (i.e. no budget for renovation I’d say) and felt a bit dated. This wouldn’t have mattered so much if it were clean, however there was a lot of black mould on the tiles and bottom of the shower door screen. To me, this let the room down. Also at night time, a group of middle-aged party-goers staying in the room below us decided to have a bit of a get-together outside which was loud for us (no double-glazed windows here folks). We asked reception if we could be moved to another room and thankfully they were really friendly and helpful in moving us. It was a smaller room, however we only paid for that, so weren’t expecting to stay in a large suite anyways. I actually found the smaller room to be nicer and the bathroom was a bit more cleaner than the last one (however there was still mould at the bottom of the shower screen!). It was also much more quiet. I dare say they don’t get too many noisy guests so it’s safe to assume this was an isolated incident. It’s mostly couples wanting a romantic escape to the countryside.

So overall, what do I think? Well, I would definitely recommend this hotel, despite a couple of small things which I’ve outlined in my review. If I were to give it a rating, I’d give the interiors which were renovated, a 10/10 and would rate the hotel’s attention to detail a 7/10. I probably should point out that I am quite fussy about hotels that I stay at, and it’s very rare that I can’t find any faults (I guess it’s the perfectionist in me). I think anyone who is a fan of opulent interiors, will just adore The Sebel Kirkton Park. And hopefully with a few slight tweaks from the staff, this hotel will come pretty damn close to perfection.

Click here to book.