We have established that it is Monday. We have also established that I dream of escaping the drudgery of the work day. Perhaps the workplace wouldn’t be so bad if I could spend my lunch breaks up on the roof, in a secret work garden. Get away from the everyday. Head for the hill. A green roof installation in the Melbourne CBD by BENT Architecture. Photography by Dianna Snape.

It’s a Monday. I want to escape the working week. Time to runaway to a luxury getaway faraway, at least in my dreams. Zash is, the the hotel’s own words “a country boutique hotel where historical fragments meet a contemporary taste, in an ‘elegantly quiet’ project, to let nature’s physicality emerge, to respect our past vestige and to satisfy our traveller’s needs. A place which is refined in its rooms, rural in its context and vital for the soul.”

Old meets new in a startling juxtaposition that makes each element stronger. Clean, minimalist lines enhance the crumbling stone shell of the original building. Perched on the hillside amidst citrus trees Zash is in eastern Sicily in the province of Catania. A building of contrasts just like Sicily is a land of contrasts, hulking Mt Etna and crystal blue seas, barren lava and rich agricultural land, where the warmth of stone meets sleek manmade finishes, rugged and luxe.

After a long dry winter, faced with the prospect of failed summer rains and a dying garden, I sit and stare at my computer screen green with envy. Two small courtyards by Sawyer Berson. Both in New York. Both lush, moist, marvellous. I can feel a faint mist in the air, a soft breeze ruffles the leaves in the trees while cool water naps carved stone. (You may recognise the second courtyard as Julianne Moore’s.)

Move away from the light my darling. Revel in the shadows. Deep within the bosom of this home, retreat, renew, resist the trauma of the harsh and jarring world. Live your life… darkly. Startling dark beauty by New York based Sawyer Berson.

Beautifully considered and refined. Minimalist luxury and stylish clarity. With an an exquisite shell by architect Luigi Rosselli, Alexandra Donohoe of Decus had two days preparation and two weeks notice to carefully curate the interiors of  this Sydney home. Definitely no ruffled feathers from the rush just sublime simplicity.