Getting the right mix

IT'S not easy to curate the right mix of hotel, F&B and retail spaces into a heritage complex, but the developers of the State Buildings got it right on the money with a collection of artisanal shops and renew-concept restaurants and bars.

On the retail front, The Honeycake offers just one product - a cake adapted from a centuries-old Czech recipe made of layers of raw, cold-processed honey from Margaret River and caramel - but it is so good that after just one bite, you find yourself thinking about how many boxes you can cart home.

Then there are the impossibly pretty cupcakes from Sugarplum Sweets, gourmet handmade chocolates by Sue Lewis chocolatier, skincare products made on-site with 100 per cent natural ingredients from Clean Slate and ready-to-wear/couture pieces from Aurelio Costarella - arguably Western Australia's most successful fashion designer. Costarella's quality craftsmanship and fabulous cutting has seen his evening wear donned by celebrities including Rihanna, Dita Von Teese, Nicole Scherzinger and Tyra Banks.