WERE YOU BORN IN A TENT

Tuesday 31 December 2013

UAE

487 High St, Northcote

Visited: 21st October 2013

Design: There is something I love about the v-shaped windows of shop fronts in the outer suburbs. Rather than a flat window, to be guided in by two diagonal lines to the central part of the door, I feel it's an unconscious homage to the door itself. The rustic wooden charm of this door is the first thing that instantly makes one feel welcomed and ready for an interesting experience. Like visiting an old friend or sitting in your favourite couch, the look and feel of this door is familiar and comforting. The term shabby chic has been thrown around so much lately I feel dirty using it, but this door holds those qualities in a good way. What looks like something that has been thrown together from scraps of wood, the construction of this door has been lovingly assembled and for me that holds a lot of appeal. The framing of the central window along with the patched nail holes and the gold art deco handle, unify to form a beautiful combination of materials. Up until this point, I don't think I have had the pleasure of opening a door from the right hand side. Great for the lefties in the world. The combination of pastel mosaic tiles, a retro shop number, stainless steel framing, natural timber and a brilliantly designed logo all work together in harmony. They shouldn't, but they do. An interesting feature was the OPEN / CLOSED sign displayed in English and Arabic Script. The squeak of the door once inside was soft and pleasing to the ear. I really loved the copper glazed lock on the interior. Above the door you are presented with some lovely ribbed glass, however I guess over the years one of these panels had to be replaced and they couldn't find the same glass which throws the symmetry off a little. Apart from that there is little to fault here. There is minimal fuss on the glass apart from a menu and some hand written trading hours, so there is little to distract the eye.

Door resistance: 2

Closure mechanism: Manual

Draft: Maximum

Squeak level: 2

Change return time: 47 sec

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PROFESSIONAL DOOR REVIEWER

Searching the world for the perfect door to eat behind.

First impressions are always important, especially for a restaurant or cafe. So many people are focusing on the food these days that I felt there was a hole in the reviews world. No one was looking at the most important thing, THE DOOR! Everyone complains when it is left open, death stares are exchange when the unsuspecting group of friends having a fun night enter the premises from the cold only to walk straight in and go straight to their table totally oblivious they have left the door wide open to allow an arctic strength gale force wind to cut through the previously warm interior. Like a scene from a western film where everyone in the premises stops what they are doing and cuts down the new comers with a deathly stare. Occasionally you will get the confident diner who gets up, walks across the restaurant and closes the door with a BANG! Just to let the new comers know they have done wrong and to NEVER, EVER DO IT AGAIN!!!!! This individual makes their way back to the table staring at the newcomers, just to make sure they got the message. The only problem is, is that 5 minutes later another group come in and do the same thing and he/she feels obliged to continually do this for the rest of the night.

Well hopefully this blog puts a light on the owners of these establishments and encourages them to lift their game and create doors that allow diners to sit and enjoy their meal, to give the diner an experience before they enter the building. It is also a thank you to the makers of quality doors who care about craftsmanship.

I have developed a scoring system based on,

DESIGN:

This is assessed by the materials the door is made from, whether the door is themed, cluttered or minimal and whether there is an element of surprise or not.

DOOR RESISTANCE: 1 to 5

1 = light push

5 = heavy push

CLOSURE MECHANISM: Manual, automatic or

hydraulic arm

DRAFT: Minimal, medium or high

SQUEAK LEVEL: 0 up to 5

0 = No squeak

5 = Ear piercing

Then the last assessment is the,

CHANGE RETURN TIME:

This is the amount of time it takes to get my change once I have given the waiter the money for the bill. Last impressions are always just as important as first.