Paddington's shopping secrets

For the past few years, I’ve split my life between Sydney and London and, while this may make the concept of home a complicated one, it’s allowed me to see these two cities as the unique treasure troves they are. Not only do I come back to find brilliant new venues have opened locally, I’m also able to see local icons in an entirely new light.

So it is thrilling to start this new column about all things fresh and fabulous in Paddington — be they institutions with a flair for reinvention, or the latest enticing additions, such as Oxford House hotel and its West Hollywood-inspired pool bar. Enjoying a cocktail there upon my return (ensconced beneath umbrellas and palm fronds, and surrounded by well-heeled patrons), it felt as if the Sydney summer had truly arrived.

I went to Oxford House to catch up with Ray Zheng and Joe Zhou, the founders of Black Blaze, who create candles and scents that honour the natural world. Originally hailing from China, the duo is inspired by the landscapes of their adopted home — specifically its beaches, bushland and wide-open skies. Talking to Zheng, I’m reminded of just how glorious this city can be.

“Living in Sydney is very different to the life I had before,” he says. “It’s a new chapter. Life here is very relaxed. I can slow down and focus on what I want to do, what I love and where my passion is.”

And there we had it, my first Paddington (re)discovery: here, it’s OK to take things slowly.

Ainslie Curran of LoveDuck is equally besotted with Sydney, and Paddington in particular. I had walked past her Five Ways boutique many times, but — determined to embrace a slower pace — I took the time to stop by and strike up a conversation. It didn’t take long to realise how lovely it is to muse on life, work and the allure of terrace houses with someone who, moments ago, had been a complete stranger.

That’s something I’m learning about Paddington — community is key. This is a suburb defined by its friendliness and penchant for connection. And Curran couldn’t agree more.

“You can go 10km left or 10km right, and you won’t find the same community. From all the little shops to the elderly who live there, to the dog walkers, everybody looks after everybody … Especially in my creative world. You meet so many creative people and you’re able to link your businesses together.”

I pondered Curran’s words from the balcony of the Village Inn — a Glenmore Rd grande dame that first welcomed revellers back in 1850. Character-packed and adorned with Chesterfield couches and wood panelling, it’s the epitome of an unfussy yet extremely welcoming pub.

While I waited for a friend to join me for a spritz (I think slow living and indulging should go hand in hand), it dawned on me that the Paddington pub scene well and truly rivals London’s. Things feel unhurried, mates gather, pub trivia is treated like an art, and there’s a sense (in an atmospheric setting such as this) that if the walls could talk, they’d have outlandish stories to tell.

And then there’s the people watching — for is anyone more debonaire than the window shoppers of Paddington?

It was while watching the comings and goings of the sartorially savvy on Glenmore Rd that I spied a newish addition to The Intersection — Santa Maria Novella. This flower-bedecked perfumery is the Aussie flagship of the eponymous Florence institution, which was founded in 1221 as a monastic pharmacy by the Dominican friars of the Santa Maria Novella convent.

The decor of the Florentine store dates back to the Enlightenment — and some of that floral magic has been carried through to Paddington. Today, Santa Maria Novella celebrates stories and time, and my scent of choice is Angels of Florence. With hints of peach and rosemary, it honours those who came to Florence to save the city’s art and architecture after the Arno River flooded in 1966.

I’ll need to wait a little longer to savour treats from Melbourne’s Lune, which opens on Oxford St later this year. Created by pastry chef Kate Reid (previously an F1 aerodynamicist), Lune’s buttery, flakey croissants have garnered a cult following.

If you’re equally impatient to tuck in, the Lune cookbook is out now and worth investing in for the food photography alone. I picked up a copy at Ariel — a bookshop where the recommendations are always spot on, meaning you’ll likely depart with more than you expected.

On this occasion I also invested in Laura Reid’s Aura (a dazzling collection of coastal photography) and Dog Trip Sydney, the newest travel book from photographer Andrew Grune and Evi O, a multi-disciplinary designer and artist, and a darling of the beloved Saint Cloche gallery. The book shines a light on 52 dog-friendly adventures you can enjoy in Greater Sydney, and is a follow-up to the couple’s Day Trip Sydney, a book I’ve used to plot many nature-packed sojourns.

I meandered, books in hand, down to Five Ways to claim a spot on the Royal Hotel rooftop; one thing Paddington pubs have over London boozers is an abundance of sunny nooks ideal for reading. Chatting with local shopkeepers is glorious — as is getting excited about baked goods and Italian scents — but there’s a lot to be said for whiling away an afternoon with a good book, and remembering how new and exciting the familiar can be.

Oxford House, 21 Oxford St

Black Blaze, 58 Oxford St

LoveDuck, 222 Glenmore Rd

The Village Inn, 9-11 Glenmore Rd

Santa Maria Novella, Shop 10, 12-16 Glenmore Rd

Ariel Booksellers, 326 Oxford St

The Royal Hotel, 237 Glenmore Rd

Village of Plenty