INDESIGNLIVE

Chunky and Feel Stripe: Instyle

Siobhan Markus — Thu, 23 May 2013 05:27:55 +0000

Larger than life with a hand-woven aesthetic, Chunky is Instyle’s play on an exaggerated textured fabric. In ten colourways, the contrasting yarns intensify the three-dimensional effect of the non-mulesed, wool-rich blend.

Feel Stripe is a beautiful marle, wool and alpaca blend fabric with a dynamic, large scale, random stripe. It is available in seven colourways.

Chunky and Feel Stripe are ideal for heavy duty commercial upholstery use, as well as screens and wall panels in any interior space.

Instyle

www.instyle.com.au

Mafi Brushes The Floor

Siobhan Markus — Thu, 23 May 2013 05:18:15 +0000

Mafi offers Larch wooden flooring with a beautiful close grain and vivid surface appearance. Sourced from forests in Austria, Mafi have a range of styles and finishes, free from chemicals and VOCs.

The collection comes with a finish of white, natural, or grey oils and can also have a Lye treatment applied. This is unique to Mafi’s all-natural philosophy, and the tone of the timber flooring can be tailored to befit one’s own style.

The Mafi Vulcano Heat Treatment is another all-natural process, which is used to darken the wood with just heat, wind and water. This gives the larch a warm, honey colour.

Similar to most Mafi wooden floorboards, this product can be used over underfloor heating due to the three-layer engineered boards. Larch is suitable for heavily frequented areas including the bedroom, children’s room, kitchen and dining room and it is also suitable for commercially used areas.

Mafi

www.mafi.com.au

Zuster: Classically Modern

Siobhan Markus — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:43:24 +0000

The modest Richmond based factory boast a modern and chic range of wooden furniture that have grown in popularity since their inception.

Described as timeless and paradoxically as ‘antiques of the future’, the clean lines and quality use of American white oak bring a sense of depth and warmth to the pieces. Zuster step away from industrial trends and bring forth what they enjoy, which can be seen in the quality of design and understood by all those who experience it.

Zuster’s elegant solid American oak Sabrina chair with leather seat and backrest. Zuster Hooks in solid American oak are part of the company’s new handcrafted Home collection designed as functional 3D wall art.

Jade lamp tables in solid American oak with cross-curved base. The beautifully detailed Sabrina coffee table in solid American oak.

Asia Pacific Property Awards 2013

owen Lynch — Wed, 22 May 2013 03:32:32 +0000

At this year’s Asia Pacific Property Awards, a total of 429 awards have been bestowed on 260 companies from 23 counties in the region, making it the biggest International Property Awards regional event in the awards programme’s 19-year history.

Malaysia – Naza TTDI Sdn Bhd (public service architecture / public services development)

Out of the 5-Star winners, a total of 43, one from each award category, have also been selected to represent the Asia Pacific region in the 2013 International ‘World’s Best’ Property Awards, to be held in London in December.

Beijing, China – Xingchuang Development Co Ltd (mixed-use architecture)

“The record level of participation that we’ve seen from Asia this year has elevated the caliber of this competition. With the bar set so high, the other regions have their work cut out for them if they hope to outshine Asia in the International Property Awards final event,” says Stuart Shield, President of the International Property Awards.

Singapore – Cameron Woo Design (interior design apartment)

Out of the top winners selected to compete in the International edition, the highest numbers have come from Malaysia, India and China. Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam have also come out strong. Australian companies took home 23 awards. Winners included FJMT, Archer + Wright, CBRE and more.

Hong Kong – The XXS Ltd (office interior)

In 2012, the region was awarded a total of 13 or 30 per cent of the World’s Best Awards, doubling or even tripling the number of awards some of the other regions took home.

Asia Pacific Property Awards
propertyawards.net

Hero Image: Singapore – SP Setia International (S) Pte Ltd (apartment development)

Jackson Square at Cavit & Co

owen Lynch — Wed, 22 May 2013 03:08:32 +0000

Cavit and Co’s Surry Hills Showroom in Sydney drew a huge mid-week crowd for introduction of the newest collection from McGuire. High-end residential and hospitality suited, the Jackson Square collection now joins the likes of Bassam Fellows’ collection for the famed Californian furniture manufacturer.

Cavit & Co.

cavitco.com.au

Sebel Pier One Suites Launch

owen Lynch — Wed, 22 May 2013 02:53:58 +0000

The lavish new rooms and common areas by Bates Smart were revealed over the course of the evening with each luxurious suite boasting unrivalled views and terraces overlooking Sydney Harbour, nestled beneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Working respectfully within heritage, budget and time contraints to deliver brand new rooms into a building that was built over 100 years ago, the design team led by Brenton Smith achieved remarkable results.

We’ll be bringing you more on the refurbishment soon!

Bates Smart

batessmart.com.au

Sebel Pier One

sebelpierone.com.au

Best Of The Best at the NGV

owen Lynch — Wed, 22 May 2013 02:24:51 +0000

A unique dining experience at the NGV with 40 tables, each designed by a different interior designer, artist, jeweller, florist or creative; Best Of The Best is a fundraising event with a creative twist.

Some of those involved in creating a unique table setting were Hecker Guthrie, Schiavello, Stephen Akehurst Associates, Opera Australia, Country Road, Fenton & Fenton, Space Furniture, Julia deVille for Sophie Gannon Gallery.

Adam Cornish: Hands-On

owen Lynch — Wed, 22 May 2013 01:45:58 +0000

Nicky Lobo: Firstly, can you tell me how your new ‘Foliar’ wall treatment for Wovin Wall came about?

Adam Cornish: This project was actually a truly organic process. After some initial sketches and drawings, we produced and tested samples continuously. In fact, I rarely touched my computer for most of this initial stage, instead, I was hand cutting a lot of materials and working hands-on. Only then did I return to my computer to finalise the project. It was a very wholesome and grass-roots process.

NL: Have you designed anything like this before?

AC: No, not really. I quite simply took the ‘wall surface’ brief and ran with an idea. I was inspired by nature, by plants and their differing shapes – whether they are opening, closing or growing. I then combined this idea with the belief that you don’t have to have a wall that is just simply flat. The idea is that one day you can have a wall that is closed, the next day it can be open, the next semi-open, and so on. It is extremely playful and allows the shapes of the natural foliage to create interest.

NL: So is this more of a decorative wall rather than an acoustic wall?

AC: Well yes, it is very visual. And I intend it be used for both residential and commercial projects. It is almost an inter-changeable artwork. It is also a snap-fit structure, and is easy to disassemble. It can also be shipped anywhere around the world. It was a beautiful project to create. I wanted to create a project that could spread organically, almost like algae. In fact, the Lily flower that was growing in my backyard inspired me during the stages of my design.

NL: What was the biggest challenge for you in designing this?

AC: Detail. Making sure it works every time, in every space. And making sure the mechanisms work of course.

NL: What do you think of Milan?

AC: It is the dream to come over here and work for these large international companies. But recently, a lot of young Australian designers are looking to work closer to home, with companies in Australia. The need to travel for design is not essential these days. And with international distribution, this is now possible. So it is just great to come over here and work with an Australian company.

NL: And just quickly, a game of word association:

Dog: Cat

Sustainability: Core

Bad Design: Ruin

Culture: Travel

Home: Melbourne

Australia: Home

Milan: interesting

Finally, what’s the best pick of Milan this year?

Magis. I love this company and the way they approach design.

Adam Cornish

adamcornish.com

Wovin Wall

wovinwall.com

Retail That Sticks: Super Glue by RAD

owen Lynch — Wed, 22 May 2013 00:58:27 +0000

RAD Studio’s Richard Alexander knows that retail today isn’t just about selling stuff. “You have to give the customer an experience,” he says. “And you have to engage with them.” Heeding his own advice the Sydney-based design director has succeeded in creating an instantly appealing fit out for Super Glue.

The newest retail addition to Melbourne’s Highpoint Shopping Centre is an ambitious multi-brand store that sits within a stark 990sqm space. Alexander has masterfully used the cavernous shell to his advantage and his resulting design concept is as functional as it is memorable.

“I like to call it a shop with vignettes,” he explains. “So customers are met with these little ‘stories’ as they walk through it.” Each of these vignettes has its own clearly defined design identity, which differentiates one brand from the next. It’s a clever wayfinding strategy that essentially orders the space into six zones.

Bright colour punctuates each zone and Alexander has been inventive with his material palette. A red shipping container activates an otherwise dead corner of the fit out and shoes are displayed on glass panels that wrap around smart timber storage systems. The middle of the store even boasts a timber-lined blue shipping container that serves as a rustic espresso bar.

These design flourishes inject just the right amount of playfulness into the fit out, but the overall result is far from chaotic. The space has a lightness to it that is reinforced by generous circulation paths and elegant timber-clad columns. It is genuinely inviting and a lot subtler than what one would initially expect.

The lack of a traditional storefront also adds to this sense of lightness. But then again, Alexander didn’t want customers to feel like they were walking into a billboard. “We’re bombarded with so much crap everyday that if you give customers too much information they’ll just switch off,” he says. “But if they get a feel from an interior then they’re instantly engaged.”

RAD Studio

radstudio.com.au

Glue Store

gluestore.com.au

45 Years Strong: Statewide

Siobhan Markus — Tue, 21 May 2013 06:33:16 +0000

Since 1968, Statewide Office Furniture have been making offices more spacious, adaptable and efficient all the while being visually stunning.

The Australian, family-owned manufacturer of steel storage systems brings a bold yet classic aesthetic to a familiar office furniture archetype. Through the variety of finishes and options offered, the Statewide collection proves itself flexible.

Across each colour option comes a vast selection of storage products such as lockers, cupboards, tambour door cupboards, mobile caddies and planter boxes.

All products can be customised to suit their application, which in the constantly evolving workplace becomes more and more necessary.

As one of the only remaining Australian manufacturers of vertical filing cabinets their business model is based around selling at a wholesale price point, providing quality and great looking products for the design community.

Statewide Office Furniture

statewideoffice.com.au