SPRING IS SPRUNG!...GIFTS FOR THE BOYS WHO HAVE EVERYTHING....OUR HUGE POT ARRIVALS AND WE GIVE YOU THE GOSS ON GRC...BREEZING THROUGH AUSTRALIAN HOUSE AND GARDEN...SCALLOP, ARTICHOKE AND ASPARAGUS SALAD (YES PLEASE!)...SASSY SPRING SENSATION COCKTAIL...WHAT A WAY TO WELCOME IN SPRING!

SPRING IS IN THE AIR....FINALLY!!

It's officially Springtime!...but really Spring arrived here in Brisbane about a week or so ago.  We have the most amazing Jasmine plant growing in our back garden and to me one of lifes very simple pleasures is sitting in the sun on a Saturday afternoon with the smell of Jasmine wafting in the air.  

...AND IT'S TIME TO THINK ABOUT GETTING THE GARDEN IN SHAPE

Our front courtyard is now fully stocked with the new shipment of spectacular Pots, Planters and Urns, perfect for your garden, deck or front verandah.  Its time to start sprucing up your place for the coming warmer months and Charcoal Interiors is just the place to find that perfect piece for the garden.  Whether it be a large centrepiece Urn, or smaller planters we have a large selection to choose from!


Did you know that we only stock GRC pots and urns?....What is GRC you ask?...well its a composition superior to traditional Terracotta.  GRC is Fibreglass Reinforced Cement which is lightweight, yet strong and wont crack after a few years like Terracotta.

www.charcoalinteriors.com.au

Big, lightweight pots are an excellent choice for the garden, balcony and even indoors.  Large garden pots for flowers, trees and shrubs are so much easier to move around and put less stress on buildings and structures.
Purchasing a quality pot, urn, statue or planter from our range ensures a lifetime of quality.
Pop in and see us this weekend at 59 Doggett St Newstead, or phone us on 07 38526002 for more details on our selections.

Our Aztec Pot now in stock!

Ridged Desna Feature 

Our Marita Pot is a true statement piece over 1 metre in height.

The Niken Pot in gorgeous Fossil with a closer up detail photo below...just makes you want it more right?

Our Yoku planters come in 3 sizings

Looking for exclusive styles for the garden...with quality AND durability?  Pop by the showroom and set your garden up for Spring/Summer.
59 Doggett Street Newstead. Brisbane.  Ph. 07 38526002

More options available now on our website
www.charcoalinteriors.com.au _____________________________________________________________


THANKING THE BOYS

We wanted to give the boys who laid our timber floors (thanks to Queensland Timber Flooring) a present for all their hard work and diligence on the job.  
David and Andrew  (brothers) are the essence of all that is good in the world with their lovely manners, work ethic and excellent attitudes.  But, what to buy them?...both the boys aren't into beer or spirits but they did love it when we supplied lollies and biscuits with their daily coffee, so we decided to get the biggest jar we could find and pack it full of their favourite sweets!
They loved it!

And here we are presenting them with their card of thanks and lolly jar, which from the way Andrew is downing them most likely wont last very long!
Thank you again to the boys, and we will have more on Queensland Timber Flooring in the coming weeks.

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LIFE'S A BREEZE

Look what we found in the latest Australian House and Garden magazine!
Our Breeze dining chairs and dont they look great on this plantation style back deck.
European design and with a 5 year guarantee, full outdoor use, no fading and quality polypropylene weave...not to mention just so stylish and comfortable....ticks all the boxes!
Available through Charcoal Interiors...contact us for the details.
charcoal@charcoalinteriors.com.au


www.charcoalinteriors.com.au

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GRILLED SCALLOPS WITH ARTICHOKE AND ASPARAGUS SALAD

Only takes 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook!
Serves 4 and will propel you to legendary status with friends and family.

Ingredients
8 asparagus spears, woody stems snapped off
1 globe artichoke, peeled, outer leaves removed
1 small carrot, peeled and sliced in ribbons
1/3 cup of pine nuts toasted
12 large scallops, roe removed
1 tsp thyme leaves for garnish

Dressing
100ml extra virgin olive oil
10g thyme sprigs
3 bay leaves
 1tbsp white peppercorns
50ml white wine vinegar

1. To make dressing, place olive oil, thyme sprigs, bay leaves and peppercorns in a small saucepan over low heat....bring to a simmer and cook for 5 mins.  Turn heat off and allow to cool slightly then add vinegar.
2. Bring a saucepan of salted boiling water to the boil.  Blanch asparagus for 1 minute, then drain.  Cut asparagus in half, then slice stem sections in half again lengthways.
Place in a bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature.
3. Cut artichoke in half and remove choke with  a sharp knife.  Finely slice artichoke on a mandoline and add to bowl with asparagus.  Add carrot and pine nuts, toss well, season with salt and pepper and dress lightly.
4. Heath a little vegetable oil in a frypan over high heat.  Fry scallops on both sides until golden brown and just cooked through.  Sprinkle with thyme leaves and serve with artichoke and asparagus salad.

Enjoy!



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The beginning of Spring, heralds the re-introduction of our regular Cocktail section of the blog.  It's time to reacquaint ourselves with some old favourites and introduce exciting new concoctions.
This week, Cocktail season starts with a real beauty...I mean if this Cocktail was a dress, then I would wear it.  We call this the Sassy Spring Sensation and oh my...its just divine.

SASSY SPRING SENSATION COCKTAIL

You will need:

2 pitchers
1 pint of blueberries
1 pint of blackberries
1 and a half cups of rosemary simple infused syrup (dont screw up your face..its easy!)
4 cups lemon juice
16 ounces of club soda
12 ounces of gin

What to do:

To make the simple syrup, combine 1 cup of sugar with 1 cup of water and add two sprigs of rosemary.  Bring to the boil, and take off the heat and allow it to steep for about 10 mins.  Meanwhile, juice your lemons and add the juice as well as the syrup over the berries.  With a wooden spoon smash a few berries.  Allow it to sit for at least an hour in the fridge to macerate.  Add 8 ounces of the gin, 8 ounces of club soda and a cup or two of ice.  Taste and adjust to your liking.  Pretty it up with a sprig or two of fresh rosemary....and enjoy!

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Wishing you all a wonderful weekend....Love, Light and Laughter...The Charcoal Team
xxx

You can view all our products, latest projects and promotions, media and more by visiting our website.

www.charcoalinteriors.com.au

AXEL VERVOORDT...KATIE NOONAN & BREAST CANCER RESEARCH...FLOORED BY QLD TIMBER...MORE LOOKS WE LOVE....WARMING BY THE FIRE WITH CHICKEN PIE AND FRANGELICO HOT CHOCOLATE...YES PLEASE!! HAPPY FRIDAY TO ALL.

When I first started working for the Charcoal Team I had never heard of Axel Vervoordt..let alone spell or pronounce his name.  Over my time here I have come to recognise the main design influences of Colette and Cathie, with one of them being Axel Vervoordt.  He is undoubtedly one of the most influencial designers in the world, and you will find that there are not many experienced Interior Designers out there who have not heard of him. 

 Axel Vervoordt 

Amongst his many achievements, Axel has established a castle in a locale near Antwerp called 's-Gravenwezel, and Kanaal gallery in a restored industrial complex on the banks of a nearby canal. Vervoodt started buying and selling antiques when he was a student. As a young adult, he bought and restored a 16th-century house in the center of Antwerp. When numerous admiring clients asked him to do the same, he fell into decorating. Now, with a staff of 100, he personally supervises between 12 and 20 interior design commissions a year for a variety of royalty, pop stars, museums, bankers, collectors and musicians.

In 1984 Vervoordt bought the castle, from which he operated his antiques and design business, and when he ran out of space his search for larger quarters led him to the Kanaal in 1999.....as you do...
Though the Vervoordt castle and Kanaal are two entirely different buildings, some of the spaces and the way they are arranged with furniture, art or objects look very similar at the hands of Vervoordt.

"I like to live in the warm, rich world of the baroque and the serene, calm world of the Orient. I love Zen houses ... and I also admire Thai monasteries because even unrestored and empty they have a real aura of peace and beauty," writes Vervoordt. In the castle, many of the spaces are minimally furnished, with a few pieces of furniture and sculpture.

 The Kanaal


When Vervoordt decided to buy the Kanaal, a complex of warehouses, grain silos and a large round building, he wanted a truly minimalist environment where he could exercise his vision of "limitless spatial purity." By stripping the buildings down to the bare wooden board or cement floors and exposed brick or whitewashed-cement block walls, Vervoordt hopes to show "how we might wish to live in the 21st century." Not only is the variety of the antiques and art that he offers awe-inspiring but so too is his philosophy. "I consider myself a very eclectic collector and dealer. I treasure the timeless and disdain the trendy," states Vervoordt.

"My taste spans centuries, continents and economic strata. I love the tension between different object and different cultures." Two elaborate silver candelabra "taken away from some princely 18th-century dining table become not table decoration, not emblems of wealth and power, but strange and beautiful abstract objects," he writes.

The castle and Kanaal are both opened to the public once a year, and those who appreciate his work flock to see for themselves the incredible beauty of the interior and grounds.



COMPLETELY FLOORED BY.....

Queensland Timber Flooring now have a permanent post here at Charcoal Interiors, and we are very excited to be able to showcase such a premium product.
They are the oldest company in Brisbane to supply and install Tongue and Groove strip flooring over concrete and provide the largest range of timber species available with the availability also of Antique Wide Boards.  Queensland Timber flooring can even install parquetry floorboards, and every person who works for the company has a background in the Timber Industry.

Sunshine Beach Project

For those of you who have always wanted a beautiful timber floor, but thought it was an unattainable dream, we invite you come in and have a look at our display that you can touch, walk on and see for yourself the quality and beauty of real timber flooring on concrete.
Queensland Timber Flooring Display now at Charcoal Interiors 59 Doggett St. Newstead, or visit their website www.queenslandtimberflooring.com

KATIE AND FRIENDS

Raising money for Breast Cancer Research for the PA
From left: Tracey McGown (McGown Creative), Katie Noonan (Songstress Extraordinaire), Melinda Leisemann (breast cancer survivor), Georgie Lewis (Channel 10) and Simone Plunkett (PA Research Marketing Mngr)

We love music here at Charcoal.  Firm believers in the fact that your shopping experience should encompass a treat to all the senses.  This is our sanctuary, and we want it to feel like that for you too.  That's why we love to play the music of Brisbane based songstress Katie Noonan.  We have been fans for years now, so you can imagine how excited we were for our friend and client Tracey McGown from McGown Creative when she got the job to look after Katie who is one of the ambassadors for Breast Cancer Research Fundraising via the PA Hospital.  Apparently at a fund raiser held on Wednesday night of this week, Katie was asked to say a few words but asked if it would be OK if she sung instead....Wow!

With about one and a half million new
cases of breast cancer diagnosed globally
every year and predictions the incidence
of this disease will increase substantially
between now and 2019 – Dr Naderi from the PA and
his team are upping the ante in their fight
for a more effective treatment with better
outcomes.

How can you help?  Donate to:
www.pafoundation.org.au
Or, you can call 07 31762359

 LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO THIS WEEKEND?

Discover the Newstead precinct with an array of quality cafes and restaurants, Art Galleries, parks, bars and more...one of our favourite little haunts is just down the street...a little place called 33 Squares.  Our recommendation?...The Turkish Bread toasted sandwich washed down with one of their superb coffee blends.

Then, call up the road to number 59 Doggett Street and say hi to us! Pick up a bargain in our Sale!


LOOKS WE LOVE.....

No explanation needed
(sigh)

EASY LEEK, MUSHROOM AND CHICKEN PIES

Mmmmmm?? Easy you say?  Yes!  These little pies are so easy to make and Leeks are in season, so you get the full nutritious benefit.  Mushrooms are my all time favourite food and combined with the Leek and the Chicken I found this a very moorish recipe.  It truly is easy and you will have the kids coming back for seconds and thirds with nary a notion that they are ingesting anything remotely 'healthy'.....enjoy!

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 6 sheets filo pastry
• 50g butter, melted
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 6 chicken thigh fillets, cut into 2cm pieces
• 200g Swiss brown mushrooms, halved
• 2 leeks, white part only, thickly sliced
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup (125ml) sour cream
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 1 tbs coarsely chopped tarragon

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Cut the filo sheets in half lengthways. Cut each filo strip into thirds to make squares. Brush the filo with butter and layer sheets into 4 stacks. Line four 10cm fluted tart tins with removable bases with the pastry stacks. Place on an oven tray. Bake in oven for 10 minutes or until golden.
2. Meanwhile, heat half the oil in a frying pan over high heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning occasionally, for 5 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a bowl. Heat remaining oil and add mushrooms and leeks. Cook, turning occasionally, for 5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Return chicken to pan. Add the mustard, sour cream and lemon juice and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and sauce thickens. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Add the tarragon and gently toss to combine.
3. Place filo cases on serving plates and fill with chicken mixture. Serve immediately.
   
   WELCOME TO COCKTAIL FRIDAY...THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE WEEK
   
   
   
   
    THIS WEEK....FRANGELICO HOT CHOCOLATE THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
   
   Hot Chocolate and Frangelico combo says to me gotta run 30 kilometres over the weekend, and carrot sticks for all of next week...but who cares?  It's all worth every seductive sip.  We bought one of those cool outdoor fireplaces (not the mexican chimenea type...ewwww) the other day and its been a camping experience every single day of the week since!  We are hooked on this fireplace, although I am coming to work every day smelling a bit like a lump of coal, but its all worth it!  So what if the house reeks of old smoke and my voice is a bit '1900 raspy'??  Just to be able to sit by the fire every night is better than telly!  And the teenage kids sit with us too now. So much fun.  So, as a little dessert treat I made Pete the Greek and I a Hot Chocolate with the frangelico.  Frangelico is a hazelnut liqueur of Italian origin.  A little does go a long way, so you can also use it in desserts.  There are some great recipes out there using Frangelico.  I also like it over ice with lime...yes..lime...have I mentioned before how much we like lime?...sorry LOVE lime.  So, may I suggest that if you do have a fireplace, brazier or even a wood barbecue, you light it up, pop the feet up and enjoy this delicious drink that is guaranteed to warm you from the inside out.

Make this recipe just before serving. Frangelico is a hazelnut-flavoured liqueur. If unavailable, you can use amaretto, an almond-flavoured liqueur.

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 1.5L (6 cups) milk
• 375ml (1 1/2 cups) thickened cream
• 125ml (1/2 cup) Frangelico liqueur
• 200g good-quality dark chocolate, finely chopped

Method

1. Combine the milk and cream in a large saucepan over high heat. Bring just to the boil. Remove from heat. Stir in Frangelico.
2. Divide the chocolate among serving glasses. Pour over the Frangelico mixture and serve immediately.

 Enjoy!

Wishing you a terrific weekend.  I have much to do in the herb garden.  Cathie is going to be here on Saturday so pop in and say hi whilst checking out our fabulous Sale (up to 50% off selected furniture styles, furniture and accessories).  And so we leave you with this beautiful quote from Audrey Hepburn...its an oldie but a goodie and I have shared it in the past, but worthwhile posting it up again for those who have not seen this before....until next Friday.....Cathie, Colette and Jen....The Charcoal Team