Possibly the prettiest geometry?

Life is full of patterns. They’re everywhere you look, don’t believe me?  Then, perhaps you’re not looking hard enough. I mean, take the picture below, what’s the pattern there?

There’s many. The obvious pattern is the tiles, with its pretty pastel triangles that draw your eye along and through creating a pretty geometric pattern.  But there more. The three mirrors, and even how the items are laid out on the worktop.  Stepping back, the wash basins and even the spotlights add a further layer of detail.

And you’re probably wondering where these fab loos are, well they’re in The Sipping Room in Canary Wharf. That’s where the UK launch of the 4K Outdoor Oven from Everdure by Heston was held, and well, it would have been rude not to check out the loos wouldn’t it? There were certainly more than usual…

So, I’m guessing that it’s a popular haunt with the Canary Wharf workers, and it’s easy to see why as the bar and terrace are also lovely. I’ve some pictures of those too, but am saving them for another day, and you never know I might make another visit to see if the decor changes to match the season.

Quotes on mirrors, seem to be a bit of a thing in City/Canary Wharf bars. Perhaps it’s one following the other, perhaps it’s a thing more widely and I’ve just not picked up on it. But then again the places I visit outside of town, have a completely different vibe so quotes on mirrors probably isn’t their thing. I do like this quote though, on face value, it’s true but there’s also something deeper that each of us should remember, isn’t there?

There were lots of fabulous touches around the ladies loo - including this fur ‘rug’ or mat for the lantern - and that’s what I was wondering, as in April when it was a bit chilly the fur rugs were in keeping with the season, but in the midst of summer (if and when it arrives) they might look a bit odd.

The sweets though, they’d be welcome come rain or shine. A great addition to the loos!

There were also two more of my favourite things (I’ve moved on from the sweets). I meant the succulents, how fab is that bowl or saucer of succulents. I’ve a plan for succulents in my garden this year, which involves a picture frame and a visit to the garden centre. There’s much to do in the garden before I can play with that idea though, so that’s a case of watch this space, but don’t watch too closely as it’ll be a little while.

The other favourite thing of mine is mixing old with new. Not everything needs to be brand spanking new, sometimes it’s nice to keep a bit of the building’s history, especially in this case when it seems to be helping to hold the building up! I know a sharp corner looks good, but does it have as much character as something like this? I think not!

Concrete wash basins at Chai Ki

After our trip around Canary Wharf admiring the lit up trees and other installations as part of this year’s Winter Lights, we needed feeding. And watering. This year, learning from our last visit, we’d planned ahead and booked at table. MOH chose Chai Ki a restaurant neither of us have been to before, and one that serves “modern Indian fare” and as it turned out, great decor too.

And with great decor - and good food - I was hopeful for the loos. I wasn’t disappointed.

They had a modern feel to them, with concrete grey and an unusually-for-a-ladies-loo blue scheme for the decor, and had a kind of railway carriage feel too. I’m not quite sure what makes me think that, and I can’t quite describe it, perhaps my brain works in a mysterious way (no need to answer that), or maybe there’s something in it.

The blue on the doors continued through onto the tiles which had a less than uniform feel to them, in direct contrast to the symmetry of sinks and mirrors above them. The soap dispensers too, added a touch of personality, and have quite obviously been chosen for the detail they add.

Actually, I think it’s the mirrors that have prompted the railway carriage feel - either way, they’re pretty stylish aren’t they? I think that’s enhanced by repeating them along the wall, not something that many of us have the luxury to do at home though.

So, this is quite possibly the first Indian loo in the series, what did you think?

Illuminated trees at Crossrail Place Roof Garden

I knew it had been a while since I’d been to the Crossrail Place Roof Garden but I was surprised to learn it was 2016. I thought we’d visited the last time we went to the Winter Lights which was in 2017, but maybe we didn’t. Either way the last time I shared photos of it here, it wasn’t illuminated and it looked quite different - pop over and take a look.

I think I quite like it illuminated though. The lights give it a magical feel, and accentuates the shape and form of the trees and bushes, don’t you think?

The whole roof garden was full of greens, reds and pinks and it’s own atmospheric “smoke” - well I hope it was atmospheric, although it was rather cold.

As we approached the end of the garden and the Big Easy (which we avoided visiting on this visit) we saw the Vena Lumen - or pulsing light - bench. There was quite a queue to try this one out, and so I’m rather pleased with my grabbed shot during the changeover when people who had rather Britishly queued to wait their turn. The dark plate that you can see on the arm is for your hand, and that contact made the lights dance, to much amusement and oohs and ahhs.

I had to smile though as behind the bench were the slightly less patient, with people crouched behind it taking their photos and no doubt a few of these have appeared on social media too. I didn’t even have the patience for that, and was more than happy to return to taking pictures of illuminated trees, while MOH patiently waited.

Perhaps that’s when he hatched his plan for a glass of wine in Waitrose, who knows. But as plans go it was a pretty good one and one that hurried me along. Well, it would wouldn’t it?