Waiheke Island Yacht Club, San Francisco

Not only are we making a splash on the waters in San Francisco (winners of the Louis Vuitton Cup and hopefully the America's Cup), we're also taking the restaurant scene by storm with our delicious New Zealand food.

This is Waiheke Island Yacht Club, a pop up restaurant located on Pier 29 on the Embarcadero. A collaborative team of architects Fearon Hay, furniture designers Douglas and Bec, chefs Desmond Harris and Hayden McMillian, and restaurateur Tony Stewart have created this relaxed culinary experience inspired by Waiheke Island and its nautical freedom. Leaving the building mainly as it is, the space has a central bar topped with New Zealand terrazzo, custom leather chairs, long communal tables and spirited kiwi hospitality personalities on the floor.

I like that the tableware is from Heath Ceramics, a great San Francisco brand from which I brought home a gorgeous vase earlier this year. I was sorely tempted to bring back a lot more.

Go Kiwis!



Photographs via Waiheke Island Yacht Club.

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Last of the Holiday Photos

The window display at Converse retail store, Santa Monica.

To finish off the week, here are some highlights from my trip. And as from next week, we'll be back to all things interior design. I hope you have enjoyed my images as much as I have re-living them.
On the way to Italy, I stopped over in Los Angeles for several days and stayed with a friend and fellow architect in Santa Monica. We had lots of fun.

This is how they advertise MAC make up in Santa Monica.

Bamboo forest, Huntington Gardens

We visited Huntington Gardens and I cannot recommend it enough. If you like gardens and landscaping, this place is worth a visit. Just stunning.

Desert Gardens, Huntington Gardens

Lots of gorgeous trees at Huntington Gardens.

Walt Disney Concert Hall by Frank Gehry, downtown Los Angeles.

Jacaranda trees were in flower all over LA and Santa Monica.

The double helix staircase at Vatican Museum.

While in Rome, I spent one of the days at Vatican City - there is lots to see and take in. It was amazing to be inside the famous Sistine Chapel and the Raphael Rooms at the Vatican Museum. Be prepared to look up a lot - incredibly detailed ceilings. I also did a lot of looking down - lots of cool tiled floors.

Frescoes are everywhere - so detailed.

Lots of cool tiles

Looking up the domes at St. Peter's basilica

Climbing up the high dome of St. Peters and looking down

View from behind at the top of St Peter's Basilica.

The view from the top - Piazza San Pietro and Rome beyond.

The detailed Duomo - Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence.

While staying in Tuscany, we visited the nearby towns of Florence and Siena. Beautiful.

Looking over the famous Piazza del Campo, Siena

I do like angels and there are plenty of them in Rome.

Passionfruit flower in the Villa Borghese Gardens, Rome

Near Galleria Borghese, Rome.

A well deserved gelato on a hot summer day in Rome

I was captivated by draped fabric on statues - so realistic. This lady was at Piazza del Popolo, Rome.

I came across this vintage carousel on the way to Vatican City, Rome.

Photographs by Charlotte Minty.

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Dahlia Galore in San Francisco

Have you seen anything as amazing as this? This is the Dahlia Dell at Golden Gate Park, San Francisco - and the dahlia flowers were in full bloom early this October. I did not know that the Dahlia is the official city flower for SF and when they're planted together like this, they look stunning. Read more about them here.
Photographs by Michelle Slatalla for Gardenista.

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