A bespoke commercial fitout needs bespoke design solutions, right down to the specification of the chairs, where exactly the right shade of upholstery, or a leg base, can underpin a whole project.
Founded in 1984, Advanta has spent forty-plus years specialising in commercial seating. With its local production, the Australian business is equipped to collaborate with designers to customise each piece to suit any interior aesthetic. With two factories in Perth and Sydney, the company has continued to develop its expertise, specifically in the commercial chair niche. Delivering seating for corporate, healthcare and education fitouts, Advanta is uniquely placed with a depth of knowledge that gives control and customisation back to designers.
For much of its history Advanta reached the market through resellers, but today it works directly with the design community – a shift that allows for a broader scope on a project. With manufacturing capability from raw components right through to the finished chair, Advanta is able to match the product perfectly to any kind of interior.
“Our job starts with someone else’s idea, and it stays theirs the whole way through,” says Andy Craddock, Advanta’s General Manager, adding, “Wherever we can, we’ll shape the product to fit the moodboard or the design intent, not the other way around. It’s not that we’ll do anything at all costs. It’s that we treat the brief as something to build to, not something to negotiate. That’s how we try to run every project.”
Beyond the aesthetics, Advanta also brings an expert level of engineering and production know-how. This means designers can be reassured knowing all components and schedules are achievable. Local production comes with many benefits such as quality control, often shorter lead times, and a clear overview on where your order is at. Having worked so closely with the industry for many years now, Advanta has also developed tools to make the process even smoother including a schedule builder with live pricing and lead times, and Revit files to streamline specification.
Advanta is set to launch ‘Designed by you, Engineered by us’ at Saturday Indesign in collaboration with Billy Blue College of Design. Taking their cue from the exhibition’s Alchemy theme, design students have built an immersive walk-through tracing a chair from its raw, deconstructed components to its finished commercial form – the same transformation behind every project.
Advanta’s real skill is in the fact that it is so much more than a supplier, the team is an extension of a designer’s toolkit – a local manufacturer, with the local skill and knowledge to help bring custom chair options to life.
