Sydney suggestions?
Sun, 17 Jul 2011
I'm off to Sydney this week for a couple of days. (Thanks Freedom! I can't believe it's time for the new season's furniture launch already!) I plan to (window) shop till I drop. Last time I was in Sydney I blitzkrieged Surry Hills and Redfern. Vampt and Seasonal Concepts were stand outs but honestly you can't walk a block in these suburbs without finding a retail gem. Now I need suggestions for my next design hunt and gather. The Society Inc is on the books but number one is a visit to Sydney's hottest new shop Pure and General. Owned by Linda Gregoriou (her home sent the blogoshere into fits of jealousy) and managed by Cassandra Karinsky. Definitely can't wait to meet Cassandra at last! But I'm greedy. I need more suggestions. Shops, cafes, hole in the wall coffee, spill the beans so to speak!.
Reader Comments (21)
Koskela is a must!
After being home for 6 weeks now this kind of a Shop is where i really want to go for a quiet, peaceful moment!
Surrey Hills Area :
Ice Et La La
588 Bourke st
Surry Hills
Chee Soon & Fitzgerald
387 Crown st
Surry Hills – Fabric and homewares store . One of the best fabric stores in Sydney . Small but huge range . Great range of marimeko . Fantastic staff . will rememeber you and will rememeber the fabrics you will like .
Doug Up on Bourke .
901 Bourke Street, Waterloo NSW 2017
Largest collection of industrial and vintage collectibles in Sydney. if you want to find the best vintage and industrial pieces in Sydney this is the place to go . It is wonderful and huge . Just down the road from surrey hills . This place is a must to visit
http://www.douguponbourke.com.au/
David Met Nicole
382 Cleveland st
Surry Hills .. They have cool wooden industrial letters . cool lights and really quirky furniture they have a fantastic website which shows a fair bit of their stock . http://www.davidmetnicole.com/
Sydney Antique Center which is just near surrey hills is also well worth a look .Major & Tom are also worth a visit . 45 Barwon Park Road,
St Peters NSW 2004
Top 3
Bondi Junction store
Westfield Bondi Junction
shop 5001, level 5, 500 Oxford St NSW 2022 - Also crows nest store . Love this shop . http://www.top3.com.au.
and of course Society Inc - Sibella Court is a genius
Oh, I'm so jealous! Cassandra is wonderful; my husband and I meet her on our honeymoon in Marrakesh at her Kasbek store (I wonder if it's still there?). She gave us some great carpet recommendations and was very warm and gregarious (seems to be the case for all Aussies I meet abroad). Anyway, I hope you give us an update on your shopping excursion!
Caroline, Delft, The Netherlands
while in surry hills you must visit the winery in crown st for a look at the amazing decor!
also garden life in cleveland st opposite david met nicole is great and has a lovely garden cafe.
paper 2 in crown st and nearby O cafe for great organic food and coffee.
cheryl x
and fratelli fresh and surrounding restaurants and shops such as country trader all in the danks st area.
cheryl x
I did David met Nicole and Garden Life as well Mao and More, down to Redfern with Jason Mowen, Seasonal Concepts, Martyn Cook Antiques then back across to Danks St, with Country Trader on the way (OMG where do you begin with that shop) the PYD, Bromley Arcade, Ice Et La La and Doug up on Bourke after sticking my nose into Porters Paints. Forgot I did Chee Soong and Fitzgerald as well. I walked past fratelli fresh and now I'm kicking myself I didn't go in. There is a fabulous postcard type shopping trail freebie for Surry Hills and Redfern that takes you everywhere. I forgot to do Orson and Blake. Worth a backtrack visit? Hang on there is one in Woollahra too isn't there? Definitely must do Koskela and Major & Tom this time. Is there anything on the Paddington/Potts Point/Woollahra side that I should do seeing that I'll be at Pure and General and Society Inc?
Potts Point is pretty amazing - great shops and top cafes, there's a cafe called Yellow that has incredible fresh baked treats. Macleay on Manning worth a look there. Newtown is also worth a visit, great shops and the best coffee in Sydney at Campos, seriously, it's the only beans we buy. A-mazing. I know you've done Surry, but Orson and Blake are worth a look, Koskela is absolutely worth a repeat trip alone, Planet furniture on Commonwealth street. Anyways, have fun!
pure and general is amazing!! fell in love when i went. so good. love mao and more, the society inc as well. that michael white did a pretty great run through for you. go to the flying squirrel in bondi for tapas or come to the beaver down the road and ask for nicki! have a great trip!
There is also
HFOC Sydney
Address 23 Doody St, Alexandria, NSW 2015
Great Dane
613 ELIZABETH STREET, STRAWBERRY HILLS,
TAIT
611 ELIZABETH STREET, STRAWBERRY HILLS,
MArk Tuckey
303 Barrenjoey RoadNewport Beach, NSW 2106.
For Cool Whimsy off center design check out . These guys have a lot of suck UK items and are rather cool .
Museum of Contemporary Art Sydney Gift Shop
140 George Street
Sydney NSW
Viaalley
Shop 3, 285A Crown Street Surry Hills
http://www.viaalley.com
Remo General Store
219 Bondi Road at Imperial Avenue
Bondi
http://remogeneralstore.com
Hey Jo. You asked about Potts Point - Macleay on Manning. http://www.macleayonmanning.com/
Other than that, I'm horrified by how few places I know here. I'm making an avid list of others' suggestions.
Have a good visit!
'course, if you'd asked about old dumps I could've come up with a few!
Surry Hills welcomes you!
For the best diner experience in town head to THE FALCONER at 31 Oxford Street, Surry Hills - www.thefalconer.com.au - great coffee, lovely low key vibe, very, very handsome and lovely waitstaff.
For a fix of the best high end designer furniture Sydney has to offer LIVING EDGE STUDIO at 74 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills - www.livingedge.com.au - come see Eames classics, the latest from Walter Knoll & Established & Sons plus much more.
Hey Jo, I've just spent a week up your way!
If you are going to be in Paddington/Woolhara, all the fabric houses are in that area. Sentosa Design has just moved to Paddington. They do Colonial style furniture plus more. Piggotts Store in Woolhara is a favourite. Woolhara has lots of Antique shops including Imagine This and you must go to the Butcher's there just to check out the decor. Have a good week and hope the weather is kind for schlepping.
Jennifer xx
If you're heading to Newtown, hit the St Peters end of King Street for retro and thrift store finds. Bloodwood on King Street is a great spot for food. Or have a couple of cocktails and some tapas at Sonis/Madame Fling Flongs. Corridor bar is also good. Sydney is starting to get a few tiny bars like those hidden gems in Melbourne. Campos, as mentioned earlier, is the place for coffee. Plus drop into Mag Nation on King St for all the most creative old school printed magazines.
You've got to check out Potts Point - such a quaint part of Sydney. Yummy food + bakeries, beautiful views of the harbour and so many pretty flowers! Take a peek at my day in Potts Point http://lovelyvelo.ca/2011/02/sydney/ Enjoy!!
Thanks everyone. These are great!!! Matthew are you sure you don't work for NSW Tourism or the Retail Association :P Fabulous list! Pimp my bricks - I'll have to do an old dump tour next time I'm down. Starting your end of town? Keep an eye out for me everyone. I'll be the one with a cane toad tattooed on my head and licking the shop windows with covetous delight.
Just tip me the wink, Jo.
PP
You can't miss Bills for breakfast in Darlinghurst - order everything off the menu, seriously. Ok, at least the eggs, toast, and granola. We went back 3 times, we spent a week in New Zealand and when we flew back to the US through Sydney we actually made our plans around hitting Bills one more time before we left. You're so welcome.
Unfortunately i dont work for NSW Tourism or the Retail Association . I actually live in melbourne though love visiting sydney for its fantastic designs finds and love all its cool stores . If you ever down melbourne way I have a similar and much larger melbourne and victoria list of cool shops and hidden treasures . I hope you had a wonderful time in sydney and I am glad i could be of some help .