I love <a href="http://blog.piajanebijkerk.com/WordPress/">Pia Jane Bijkerk's blog</a>. She has such a great eye for style and mood that every time I read one of her posts I just feel...happy. It is by means of Ms. Bijkerk's blog that I found my kitchen envy of the week. Behold!

<img src="http://blog.piajanebijkerk.com/WordPress/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/PJB_vh_19.jpg" alt="Vaucluse House Kitchen" width="350/">

This wonderful kitchen is in the Vaucluse House in Sydney Australia. Built by William Charles Wentworth between 1805-1860's it boasts Gothic Revival façades to Sydney Harbour and a mix of styles through and through. The whole house is amazing but i simply love the kitchen and for these specific reasons:

- It looks like the kitchen I imagine Cinderella worked in. That's right, THE Cinderella from the books and cartoon films of yesteryear. This kitchen screams 'well to do' with a true, 'upstairs/downstairs' culture. It's large enough for the maids butler and cook to associate and work.  Using this kitchen is the thing fantasy's are made of. Well maybe not fantasy's but certain the stuff that will bring to mind burying ones nose in a good ole book when one was younger.

<img src="http://blog.piajanebijkerk.com/WordPress/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/PJB_vh_3.jpg" alt="Vaucluse Kitchen" width="350/">

- The size in this kitchen makes it a multi-functional space. There is room for huge baking projects with a bunch of friends, room for a table by the window to house a laptop to download recipes..or blog about them, space to set up a little area to style and shoot the ingredients for a dish, chop the ingredients, put things removed from the oven, all without tripping over oneself or anything else!

<img src="http://blog.piajanebijkerk.com/WordPress/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/PJB_vh_6.jpg" alt="Vacluse House" width="350/">

- The light is just wonderful. Maybe it's the time of day, but the room isn't flooded with light, it is gently bathed in it. This immediately sets the tone for how you will work in this space. Reflective, inspired and with love.

- The larder is the size of my current apartment. The thought of what great materials one could comfortable store there makes me giddy.

- The rustic charm of the kitchen gives it a homely though stately feel. And shouldn't every kitchen just feel like home?!

<i>images by <a href="http://blog.piajanebijkerk.com/WordPress/">pia jane bijkerk</a></i>