Ciccone and Sons: A cool idea in an area that's heating up

The news that a sorbettorium had opened in the hip end of Redfern (Regent Street) spread like the proverbial wildfire throughout the Fern.
(Shiftazine wrote an article about this exact area entitled ‘Retro on Regent  in Redfern’ October 2013.)

This strip of street has seen better days.
It has been forgotten and has fallen into a sense of shabbiness.  
But inside these faded and peeling facades exciting, stylish and inventive businesses have set up shop, and Ciccone and Sons is one of these.

When you walk in, you are not sure how it all works, as there is no real counter or divider from the customers and the two fantastic gelato artists,
who create all of these incredible taste adventures in the back, co- owners Mark Megahey and Sean O'Brien.
One such taste adventure was the Gin and Tonic sorbet created from Ink gin and Capi tonic.
The ingredients of the full range of flavours are uber fresh and Australian produced. 

Wooden benches (with a modernism feel from the 60s) and a couple of small marble top tables let you sit and watch the comings and goings of the neighbourhood,
while one reflects on one’s day, the gelato one’s are madly ingesting and the wonderful music which is constantly playing.

Ciccone and Sons195 Regent Street Redfern, Sydney, Australia
Hours: Wed: 8am - 6pm; Thu to Sat: 8am - 8pm; Sun: 8am - 6pm
Check them out on facebook.

A Street Tableaux

Street Chairs: A street tableaux. 

“Haven't you felt a peculiar sort of worry about the chair in your living room that no one sits in?”
Nicholson Baker http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/chair_2.html#4Gj8uLOdA0MoSVjg.99

This may be one theory behind the never-ending supply of Street Chairs. They just never sat right in their environment.

Timely Timelessness

The other day shiftazine was wondering the streets of inner city Sydney (Redfern) when a vision of design wonderfulness came into view.

There it was, a Figaro.  

The Figaro was introduced at the 1989 Tokyo Motor Show under the slogan "Back to the Future",

and the name "Figaro" was a reference to the main character in the play The Marriage of Figaro
by Pierre Beaumarchais.
It was built by a Nissan special projects group called Pike Factory, which also produced other niche automobiles such as the Be-1, Pao and S-Cargo.
It was based on the Nissan Micra aka March.

                                                 

Only four colours were available: Topaz Mist, Emerald Green, Pale Aqua and Lapis Grey.
Each colour symbolised a season of the year. When the car was launched, Topaz Mist was the least popular colour.
There were only 2,000 produced in Topaz Mist hence they have become increasingly rare.

The Figaro was equipped with leather seats, air conditioning, CD player and an open roof.
It was designed by Shoji Takahashi, who won a design competition with the car.

Only 8000 were originally available with an additional 12,000 added to production numbers to meet demand.
Prospective purchasers had to enter a lottery to be able to buy one of these cars.
Limited edition cars came with passenger side baskets and cup holders.

This information was found on Wikipedia (thank god for Wikipedia)

One word says it all

One word says it all...

A brush with pretty

Lumière de l'Atelier Art récup ... Rebecca Szeto Fine Art où l'art de transformer de vieux pinceaux en belles demoiselles en robes ...

Art Recycled... Rebecca Szeto fine art where the art of turning old brushes in lovely ladies in dresses...

This is a beautiful example of shiftazine thinking and doing.

Visit Lumière de l'Atelier for more wonderful stuff and ideas.