A Hankering for the Old Country

I am happy to say that I have had very few moments of severe homesickness (for London that is, I still get homesick for my original African home). Sunny, warm days and living opposite the beach might have something to do with this. But every now and then, I find my mind straying to a snug, low ceilinged pub with a crackling fire, or a sleepy stone town in the Cotswolds, or our teeny tiny house in our little close and it’s there, a pang of homesickness to rival none other. I’m indulging that feeling today by posting about The Wild Rabbit – a beautiful traditional pub and hotel located on Oxfordshire, just a mere two hours outside of London. I’ll let the pictures do the talking but needless to say, it has me missing things.

Images via The Wild Rabbit

Clever with Copper

My fondness for copper is very well documented here on Wishful Thinking (case in point). I can never quite turn down the opportunity to immortalise the clever use of it on my little corner of the internet. And so we travel to London’s East End to Trade restaurant and coffee shop. Copper is abound – from the balustrades, the screen covering the bar to my personal favourite, the overhead lighting frames and pendant stalks. Finished off with open shelving, spot on signage and textured bricks, it gets a very big *sigh* of appreciation from me.

Source | Remodelista

Photography | Dominic Harris

Windows, doors and blinds!

I primarily choose a restaurant because I know/have heard the food is very good. Atmosphere and service comes second but are still very important to me. It’s an added bonus when the restaurant I choose is a little unusual – something out of the norm. It becomes a talking point for everyone eating there and soon the dining area is filled with a buzz (what a clever way to create immediate atmosphere)! It’s a little too far away for me to visit but I came across Bon Restaurant in Bucharest and thought it would tick all the boxes for me. Over 200 reclaimed doors, windows and blinds were used as wall panelling. The seating arrangement is relaxed and the lighting is simple and cozy. Apart from the obvious aesthetic, the food and service is not too shabby either, with Tripadvisor reviewers giving Bon 4.5 stars!

Designed by Corvin Cristian & Vlad Vieru

Images via

Another use for a loo…

A few months ago, I was half-heartedly watching an episode of George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces, when a subterranean one-bedroom flat in Crystal Palace caught my eye. It has to be seen to be believed but architect Laura Jane Clark managed to create an incredible space from.. wait for it… an underground disused public toilet. (If you click on this link to her blog, please note the wall tiles in the kitchen, yes, these are the original tiles from the toilet). Public toilets are now largely closing down in the capital and clever residents are picking up prime real estate at bargain prices. There is no doubt that a project like this would take serious guts, determination, imagination and a sense of humour but I for one, am loving the resulting spaces.

I came across another unique toilet project that I just had to share - the Attendant Café on Foley Street in London. Built around 1890, the former Victorian toilet had been dormant for more than fifty years. Their website describes the project: “After two-years planning and restoration the old Attendant’s office has been turned into a little kitchen and the original porcelain urinals have become an inspired line with green seating to match the original Victorian floor tiles”.

Guess where I am grabbing my coffee this weekend? What say you of toilet renovations? Could you live/eat in a converted toilet?

Some before pictures to give you the creeps:

Images via

Dining in Bali…

My best friend recently saved some money, packed in her high-flying job and decided to travel the world with her boyfriend. I don’t think I have ever been more jealous of anyone (but ecstatic for them at the same time). My inbox pinged with an email from her yesterday (current location: Bali), she regaled me with tales of midnight volcano walks, sunrises, diving, wonderful travelling companions and incredible street food. There were photos too. This all whilst I was elbow deep in old drawings, submission papers and general work misery. In my mind, I had already checked out and travelled to Bali. In homage to my friend and my virtual travels yesterday, I wanted to post about an enchanting restaurant, apptly located in Seminyak, Bali. Introducing the lovely Bistrot…

Images via