tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60356582798702583702012-02-16T17:17:47.204-08:00Unique retreat experience blending modern luxury,contemporary design & lush quality of the past Build,Interior Design and Styling by Rachael Leslierachael lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09701764174672605547noreply@blogger.comBlogger111100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6035658279870258370.post-12501184060858545332011-02-28T01:05:00.000-08:002011-02-28T01:05:40.660-08:00

rainy days and humid weather has helped our garden grow this spring and summer with the gum trees towering now and the wattles stretching wide. we ate recently at the perfect drop and blissed out on the lamb three ways and the lovely service from beautiful brigit. soon to be zahalka next door is in the planning and we'll keep you in the loop, meanwhile enjoy the green summer and step lightly

rachael lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09701764174672605547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6035658279870258370.post-40000658745993954172010-09-01T23:22:00.000-07:002010-09-02T00:03:10.247-07:00

     Interior Designer and Stylist Rachael Leslie was inspired to name her newly constructed and impeccably styled country retreat after a great Australian photographer. Zahalka House, hidden in a delicious stretch of Daylesford countryside, was named in homage to Sydney-based photographer Anne Zahalka, whose Iconic work features throughout Australia's major galleries.       Leslie’s co-stylist

rachael lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09701764174672605547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6035658279870258370.post-53509119127516268262010-09-01T02:19:00.000-07:002010-09-01T23:00:19.931-07:00

aaaaaah winter........ not much to do in the cold and blustery weather but to lie in late, read the paper, have a big bath and whip somebody's proverbial at scrabble, now renamed squabble.... recent guest and photographer amanda from blog 'brisbane a la mode' wrote a lovely blurb about her stay, see - http://brisbanealamode.blogspot.com/2010/08/stay-little-getaway-to-daylesford.html we love it

rachael lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09701764174672605547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6035658279870258370.post-70673135803523534792010-02-03T20:26:00.000-08:002010-02-03T20:26:22.202-08:00

ah, a spice drawer! for all the foodies we have loved before, we have stocked one of the kitchen drawers with loads of yummy things to cook with. After Anne Zahalka came to stay with her family, her husband Collie, cook extarordinaire and keen as mustard curry maker suggested that this might be a nice pairing to the many fresh herbs already available in the garden. et viola!   It's been a while

rachael lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09701764174672605547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6035658279870258370.post-28305434228256006872009-03-18T00:38:00.000-07:002009-03-18T02:03:42.210-07:00

jasmine, my illustrious business partner and i have been busy styling a beautiful home in Hampton- owner Steph stayed at Zahalka with her gal pals for a wild weekend, she won the meat tray raffle at the farmer's arms, raided 'the Mill' for all things Zahalkaesque and declared that she wanted to bring a bit of the magic and style we've created there into her home too. We spent weeks looting for

rachael lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09701764174672605547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6035658279870258370.post-10079885056303788642008-07-16T19:33:00.000-07:002008-07-16T19:59:57.784-07:00

brrrrrrrrrrrrrr Amber and the Kids and myself got out of town for the weekend and came up to the lovely Zahalka for some TIME OUT! The kids ran amok on cornish hill and we weeded a good deal of the vegie garden and planted peas and the left over tomatoes that were still having a go at it even through these cold months. We have a NEW TABLE! those who come back again and agian will appreciate that

rachael lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09701764174672605547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6035658279870258370.post-31044904847517517312008-05-31T01:12:00.000-07:002008-07-16T20:14:33.603-07:00

mmmm a kitchen to truly revel and unwind in is our zahalka galley. You'll find spanish casseroles, french iron pots, tapas plates and japanese platters, old wooden chopping boards and french monogrammed napkins. Loads of glass ware, tho someone did point out there were no champagne galsses. hmmmmm, that's because I developed a habit in france of always drinking form a glass tumbler and now it

rachael lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09701764174672605547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6035658279870258370.post-21974705581194273142008-03-25T03:13:00.000-07:002008-07-16T20:22:22.821-07:00

the best thing about having your mates come and stay at your own weekender is the all night wining and dining and music and woo hoo, last dinner we had local organic goat and the best bress pinot.. the worst thing is never being able to get them out of bed in the morning, quiet, peaceful zahalka.....aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhwe sat around bagging gordon ramsey, maybe he is married to anthony bourdain

rachael lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09701764174672605547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6035658279870258370.post-42303259544241619222008-03-25T03:00:00.001-07:002008-07-16T20:25:08.503-07:00

At last! Zahalka house has moved in to blog land, with the hope of enlisting like minded style obsessed weekenders from around Daylesford and the rest of Australia...............so, this the first day, the first crack at blog land

rachael lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09701764174672605547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6035658279870258370.post-24143696005127735692008-03-25T02:42:00.000-07:002008-07-16T20:26:59.476-07:00

mmmmm, another lovely bar meal at the farmers arms, and back to zahalka for a relaxing evening of revelrie....the leaves are falling and the house has been flat chat, a group up from mercedez benz, another lovely family back for their second stay.....I've stayed a few nights to try and egg the pot plants on just a little more and to add a few lovely bits and pieces here and there. just waiting on

rachael lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09701764174672605547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6035658279870258370.post-86623681086281257792008-03-23T04:34:00.000-07:002008-05-31T01:38:09.715-07:00

zahalka house started as a response to the over abundance of doily clad fluffy toilet seat and floral bedspread b and b's in the daylesford area, as well as a reaction to the only other alternative which all look like something out of a freedom furniture catalogue (blerchhhh)the first always have that creepy maybe grandma is going to walk in on us any second feel and the second always makes me

rachael lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09701764174672605547noreply@blogger.com