Furnishing the Cell Block

The restoration of the heritage cell block in Brooklyn jail, was no mean feat. When the work started, the space consisted of room after room of bare concrete, steel vaulted ceilings, leaky toilets, possums, and all manner of seemingly impossible issues.

The team at Denise O'Regan Design (Sydney stylists) got to work with no fuss. Concrete was sterilized, walls painted, possums relocated into their own little outdoor 'penthouses', and in what seemed only an instant we had ourselves a slightly French Provincial holiday apartment.

Everyone who stays in our little converted jail, comments on the sound sleep they have. The king bedroom above, has virtually no natural light, steel ceiling and double-brick walls. This encourages the most wonderfully long and peaceful sleep. In the hot summer, this room is cool, and in the cold of winter, it is so easily warmed.

Whether it be the cosy lounge, the atrium reading nook, or the little well lit dining room, Cell Block B is a testament to the Sydney team of Denise O'Regan Design who rolled up their sleeves and got on with the job

I left this massage, with the swagger and confidence of a Yogi

On every account of a Miri Miri massage shared with me immediately after the event, the recipient of said massage appears to speak with their eyes glazed over, their movements elegant and gazelle-like, almost like the rest of the world is simply 'background noise'. 

I have often wondered what on earth happens 

behind the hallowed doors of our local Miri Miri masseuse.

Firstly though, a Miri Miri massage is a sort of heavenly, spiritual, massage performed in the traditional technique of the New Zealand Maori. 

It is deeply linked to Maori culture and custom and is very much a holistic form of massage. Catering to the physical, emotional, spiritual and family needs of the people, it varies from Western massage because of its diverse applications. 

Despite living in the Northern suburbs of Sydney (in fact the tiny hamlet of Brooklyn) we are genuinely delighted to have our own resident expert in Miri Miri. An ex-patriot New Zealander, the skilled and gentle Rawi Pere offers a Miri Miri massage which is as relaxing as it is medicinal. Wondering what all the fuss was about, I scheduled a time with Rawi to give my muscles, soul, brain (and any other baggage) a workout, and she gave a virtuoso performance.

Wow, treat yourself. If you live within cooee of Brooklyn on the Hawkesbury River, then a Miri Miri in the Cellblock of 11 Bridge St - Brooklyn should be on your list.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the amazing carving skills of Rawis' husband Ngawati. How blessed are we? A tiny community, & we have such latent talent amongst us.

I love the symbolic shapes of the Maori culture.

The Cell Toilet is now the Bedroom Chair

When converting our heritage cell block into Cell Block B holiday accommodation in Brooklyn, one of the enigmas was the leaky, stainless steel toilet basin that came as a fixture of the particular cell that was to be the new King bedroom.

Enter Denise O'Regan Design http://www.internationaldesign.com.au and lo and behold we had ourselves a lovely bedroom chair. The first step was to turn off the water and flush out the toilet before filling it with disinfected sand.The toilet basin was then treated with a sealant and lacquered with several coats of pearlized aqua paint.

The D.O.D.upholsterer then fixed a padded seat and back, with the seat featuring a fabric with a cute metallic aqua logo. The flush button still sits proudly on the wall behind the 'chair', and the handy chair is put to good use by guests.

Our unique bedroom chair still incites giggles from guests, and the refurbish by Denise O'Regan Design has helped maintain the integrity of this significant element of Brooklyns old jail and the authenticity of building as a whole.

Full House in the Cell Block at the moment

Our last guests to check in are refusing to leave. They love Cell Block B and they love Brooklyn. It seems we are indefinitely booked-out.

That does not mean a visit to Brooklyn is not warranted. Far from it, we have a new Thai restauarant, the usual JJ's Seafood kiosk, Kingtide Restaurant at the Marina, Lifeboat Seafood, and the Anglers Rest. All serve fresh seafood harvested from the beautiful Hawkesbury River daily.
In addition we have houseboat hire, the quaint Broken Spines bookshop for recycled books, and the wonderful Edge Art Space at 120 Brooklyn Road. We also have the new Brooklyn Motel.
Our bushwalking tracks are superb, our fishing legendary, we also have Australias last riverboat postman, and of course the regular ferry to Dangar Island and Little Wobby.
We look forward to seeing you soon.