5 Minutes with John D'Agata

Minutes with…

JOHN D'AGATA

For our 100th issue, we chat to John D’Agata, our Head of Luxury, who has been with us since the very first issue of this magazine yet has never done a “5 minutes with”… time to change that!

FAVOURITE AUCTION PURCHASE

I’d have to say that my favourite Leonard Joel purchase was my French Art-Deco dining suite. It was a nerve wracking buy because it was being sold in five separate lots and I wanted to buy the whole suite and keep it intact. I remember leaving super high absentee bids on all the pieces and am happy to say that I was successful on the whole suite. It’s really elegant and gives me much joy.

FAVOURITE WINE / COFFEE / COCKTAIL

It’s no secret that I enjoy a whisky. The smokier the better. God bless Scotland and the clever inventor of this satisfying brew. I’ve learnt to drink it neat and savour the flavour slowly. I often joke with my colleagues that certain information would cost a bottle of whisky. There’s at least one colleague who still owes me two cases.

LEONARD JOEL STAFF ALL SEEM TO HAVE A SIDE PROJECT OR TALENT. WHAT'S YOURS?

I may look like I never get my hands dirty, however I’m an extremely practical person. My greatest achievement is my country garden, which I planned myself and designed by eye. No professional surveying tools were used at all. With the help of my partner, we have created something that is truly magnificent and are always busy maintaining and adding things along the way. FAVOURITE BOOK

I love biographies, especially those of entertainers and their rise to fame, and sometimes fortune. Lately however, I’ve taken an interest in alternative books that delve into spiritual and metaphysical philosophies of life. My go to is an easy read by Florence Scovel Shinn called ‘The Magic Path of Intuition’. It has recently been released from an unpublished manuscript. Staying true to yourself and being positive in life is a virtue. I find the straightforward text soothing and inspiring especially in these troubled times.

YOUR IDEAL DAY IN MELBOURNE

Am I allowed to have an ideal day in Melbourne & Glenlyon as well? I love the bay, so I would have to say that walking the dogs (who aren’t really dogs because they are poodles) along the beach and stopping for a drink or two just taking in the atmosphere is fabulous. In the country I’m known as the hermit because I rarely leave the house. I enjoy being outdoors with my partner and the poodles, then a shower and feet up for an evening whisky and dinner by an open fire…blissful!