Alexandria has always been a place where things are made, tested and transformed, making it a fitting home for one of Saturday Indesign’s most hands-on precincts. Across the neighbourhood’s expansive showrooms, visitors can move between material experiments, live craftsmanship, product launches, installations and conversations that look more closely at how design comes together.
There’s plenty to discover throughout the day. Mobilia will bring landmark European design to Sydney, while Space Furniture and Poliform invite visitors to engage with materials and ideas through making. At Kaolin Surfaces, porcelain becomes a thread connecting history, ritual and contemporary Australian design; nearby, Anterior XL, Krause Bricks and Havwoods turn attention to the possibilities held within stone, clay and timber. LightCo and Reece Bathrooms create space for established and emerging voices, while Living Edge, Technogym, Hali, Few & Far and the collaborative CDK Stone, DECO and Havwoods program each offer a very different reason to spend time in the precinct. Coco Republic also joins the Alexandria line-up, adding another leading furniture showroom to explore as visitors make their way through the area.
With a mix of scheduled talks, workshops and live demonstrations alongside experiences running all day, Alexandria is best explored with a loose plan and enough time to stay curious. Here’s everything happening across the precinct on Saturday 12 September.
Explore all day
Alexandria’s all-day program stretches from immersive installations and international product showcases to competitions, material experiments and hospitality, so there’s plenty to experience between the scheduled sessions.
At Mobilia, the Southern Hemisphere’s first presentation of the Eames Indoor Office Pavilion arrives direct from Triennale Milano. Developed by the Eames Office with Kettal, the pavilion draws on the modular architectural system Charles and Ray Eames originally devised for the Eames House. Alongside it, Kettal Workplace brings together new work by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby and Foster + Partners, as well as an iconic Verner Panton re-edition fresh from Salone del Mobile 2026. Visitors can scan QR codes throughout the exhibition to learn more and enter the draw to win a trip to Barcelona, including return flights, a visit to the Kettal factory and the chance to experience the city’s architectural landmarks.
Material exploration continues at Space Furniture with Making Matters: Material Alchemy, a hands-on look at the ideas, materials and stories behind celebrated pieces of contemporary design. Nearby, the newly renovated Poliform showroom becomes the setting for Poliform & Listone Giordano Collective Creativity. Inspired by Lines of Nature, the living artwork will evolve through visitors’ contributions across the day, connecting collective creativity with the forms and patterns of the natural world.
At Coco Republic, the showroom itself becomes a sensory experience. Visitors are invited to encounter the space through all five senses, from the brand’s signature scent and carefully layered soundtrack to the textures of its furniture and eclectic vignettes. Coffee and a French croissant complete the experience, creating a relaxed moment to pause and take in the showroom as a whole.
At Living Edge, Destination Living Edge transforms the showroom into an international design journey, with product, storytelling, hospitality and sound unfolding along a considered flight path. Design with Purpose adds another layer to the experience, bringing together architecture and interiors studios to reimagine the Magis Puppy in support of a charity partner. Visitors can explore the entries and vote for the design they believe deserves to be crowned Top Dog before the winner is revealed later in the afternoon.
Technogym brings movement into the design conversation through four experiences running throughout the day. Discover the brand’s new Sandstone design identity, explore its latest solutions through guided product experiences, see Technogym Reform in action and complete a guided Technogym Check-Up to discover your Wellness Age across physical and cognitive measures.
There are also plenty of opportunities to take part. At Hali, Wool You Hit It? challenges visitors to land a rug pom on a ball of yarn for the chance to win a $5,000 Hali voucher. Krause Bricks invites visitors to imagine The Brick of the Future, developing a custom brick around texture and glaze, circularity, or curved and complex forms, with the winning design to be fired in the Krause kilns. At Havwoods, visitors can vote for the timber tones they think will shape interiors in 2027 and enter the draw for a $200 dining voucher to The Bergs at Bondi Icebergs.
Over at the CDK Stone showroom, CDK Stone, DECO Australia and Havwoods bring a distinctly Italian mood to the day. Design by Night transforms the space through a 1970s-inspired bar installation, while DECO’s activations introduce palettes drawn from the 2027 Dulux Colour Forecast, reveal a new architectural cladding range and give visitors the chance to unlock a limited-edition gold Frank Green x DECO bottle. Another all-day competition offers the chance to win two tickets to Australian Fashion Week. Hospitality unfolds in stages, with freshly piped cannoli, Italian-style charcuterie, and drinks and live music available throughout the day.
LightCo keeps the conversation moving beyond its scheduled presentations. In Conversation offers informal opportunities to continue discussions with the day’s speakers and special guests, while Makers & Materiality brings together a behind-the-scenes film and interactive installations exploring the materials, processes and craftsmanship behind the showroom’s collections.
At Anterior XL, visitors can begin the morning with barista coffee and something sweet, and return later for an afternoon Spritz. The all-day Guess the Weight & Win competition puts material knowledge to the test, asking visitors to estimate the weight of a solid block of marble for the chance to win a prize.
At Few & Far, RE/CRAFTED presents one-of-a-kind works created by invited artists, each of whom has transformed an existing Few & Far piece through their own medium and visual language in response to this year’s Project theme, Alchemy: Material. Mindset. Impact. Visitors can also explore the latest collection with founder and creative director Tara Solberg and hear the travel, sourcing and design stories behind it, with drinks and refreshments available throughout the day.
The material story continues at Kaolin Surfaces, where the all-day CLAY PLAY: Twenty Hands, One Table installation introduces NING, a new collection of handmade Chinese porcelain tiles. Created with ceramicist Chris Ma and interior designer Alexandra Kidd, the project brings together individual tiles made and glazed by participants before they are curated into a single coffee table: twenty makers and twenty colours held within one object.
Begin with material, making and new perspectives
The timed program starts at 9am with two very different openings. At Mobilia, Colezione sets the pace with espresso, conversation and an early look at the showroom’s latest European collections. At Kaolin Surfaces, Clay Play with Chris Ma and Alexandra Kidd offers a much more intimate beginning. Limited to 20 guests, the one-hour workshop moves from an introduction to porcelain, glaze and firing into hands-on making, with each participant shaping and choosing a glaze for a tile that will later become part of a collaborative coffee table. Advance registration is essential.
At 9.30am, Alexandria hosts three conversations about transformation at very different scales. LightCo begins its Perspectives on Transformation series with Catriona Venn of Electrolight, considering the projects, practices and ideas shaping design. At CDK Stone, the official Design Discussion Milan and the 1970s Resurgence brings together Bradhly Le of RIZEN Atelier, Michael Drescher of DKO, Maryann Schmidt of Hunt & Design and Lara Patane of CDK Stone. Drawing on themes from Salone del Mobile and Fuorisalone, the panel will explore the return of 1970s influences, layered materiality and sculptural form, as well as the way international movements are being interpreted in Australian interiors.
At Reece Bathrooms, Reflections on Design brings the founders behind several Australian design brands together for a candid conversation about turning creative ideas into enduring businesses. Hosted by design writer and former Vogue Living Deputy Editor Virginia Jen, the panel features Bobby Gordon of Robert Gordon, Fleur Sibbel of Zuster, Tara Solberg of Few & Far and Vanessa Katsanevakis of Sussex. The 30-minute discussion will be followed by a 15-minute audience Q&A, exploring craftsmanship, entrepreneurship and the experiences that have shaped each founder’s approach.
At 10am, Kaolin’s morning workshop flows into Clay Talk: The Record of Time, a cross-disciplinary conversation between Chris Ma and Alexandra Kidd about the impressions materials carry and the role of intentional craftsmanship in shaping spaces. At the same time, master craftsman Aaron Crothers will be at Krause Bricks for Crafting Clay, shaping clay by hand and bringing a centuries-old technique into the showroom. The roaming cannoli service also begins at the CDK Stone showroom at 10am and continues until midday.
At 10.15am, the first of LightCo’s three Community Voices sessions gives emerging and established creatives up to ten minutes to share a project, idea or challenge inspired by the theme of transformation. Then, at 10.30am, Hali gathers Georgina Wilson of Georgina Wilson Associates, Shona McElroy of Smac Studio and stylist Bea Lambos of Bea + Co Style for The Rules We’d Break. Hosted by Hali Managing Director Dan Swart, the panel promises an honest conversation about the design advice worth questioning, the trends they would retire and the moments when moving beyond convention led to stronger work.
Also beginning at 10.30am, Reece Bathrooms’ Reflections on Design Workshop moves from conversation into materials and making. Across three repeated sessions at 10.30am, 11.30am and 12.30pm, Robert Gordon, Zuster and Sussex offer a closer look at the processes behind Australian ceramics, furniture and tapware. Visitors will hear how ceramic glazes are developed and refined, see how Zuster’s solid American Oak Marigold handle combines CNC precision with hand-finishing, and learn how Sussex approaches skilled local manufacturing, waste reduction and carbon neutrality. The hands-on sessions celebrate the experimentation, detail and craftsmanship that turn raw materials into enduring products, with a special goodie bag for participants.
Move into conversation and live craft
The precinct becomes especially busy at 11am. At Anterior XL, sculptor Mehrnoosh Tavakkoli will transform marble blocks and quarry offcuts into hand-carved works during From Quarry Offcut to Art, showing how material that cannot become slabs or tiles can find a new purpose through craft. At Few & Far, the first Meet the Artists session begins, offering two hours to explore RE/CRAFTED and speak with the artists about the ideas and processes behind their work.
Also at 11am, Space Furniture hosts the official Design Discussion The Dream Career: Designed or Discovered? Moderator Sue Davies of Global Design Citizens will be joined by Angela Biddle and Jakob Reh of FK, and Sally Campbell and Mitchell Page of BVN. Moving beyond titles and traditional definitions of success, the conversation will consider ambition, sponsorship, creative fulfilment, career-defining opportunities and the unexpected decisions that shape a life in design.
At 11.30am, LightCo welcomes an international special guest for the second keynote in its Perspectives on Transformation series, followed by the opportunity to continue the conversation informally in the showroom.
At 12pm, two live material stories unfold. Havwoods presents The Art of TreeAzzo, with Nick from Crossingham Timber Design crafting a side table from reclaimed timber offcuts and eco-conscious resin. At Kaolin Surfaces, NEST – Kaolin × Rifco presents Australian-made vanities pairing full-slab, book-matched and mitred porcelain tops with custom cabinetry by Rifco. Visitors can compare finishes at the material bar and meet the makers behind the collaboration. Italian-style charcuterie also begins at the CDK Stone showroom from midday.
At 12.15pm, the second Community Voices session begins at LightCo, introducing another hour of short, informal presentations and fresh perspectives.
Spend the afternoon exploring design across borders
At 1pm, Living Edge presents Design in Transit, a conversation about the growing overlap between workplace, hospitality and residential design. David Caon of Caon Design Office, Nasim Koerting of Merivale and Jared Webb of J.AR OFFICE join moderator and design editor Alice Blackwood to consider how a hospitality mindset can make the spaces in which we live, work and move feel more welcoming, flexible and memorable.
At 1.30pm, visitors can choose between two more intimate experiences. The Ritual – Tea Ceremony with Rita at Kaolin Surfaces is limited to just five guests, tracing the relationship between porcelain and tea through a slow, considered tasting. The tea and clay come from the same land, connecting the ritual directly to Kaolin’s approach to land rejuvenation and material provenance. At LightCo, Cushla McFadden of Tom Mark Henry takes the floor for the next Perspectives on Transformation presentation.
At 2pm, the second Meet the Artists session begins at Few & Far, creating another two-hour window to meet the people behind RE/CRAFTED and look more closely at how each familiar object has been reimagined.
At 2.15pm, LightCo’s third and final Community Voices session introduces the last group of short presentations. From 2.30pm, Mobilia moves into an afternoon mood with Sunset Drinks & DJ in the courtyard. The winner of the Barcelona trip will be announced at the same time, bringing the showroom’s all-day competition to a close. At the CDK Stone showroom, Aperitivo, anyone? begins at 2.30pm, with Aperol Spritz, Prosecco, beer, Italian-inspired charcuterie and live music continuing until 4.30pm.
At 3pm, NING – Handmade Tiles, A First Look introduces Kaolin’s new collection through the history, making and material qualities of Chinese porcelain, from kaolin clay and glaze to the transformative role of the kiln. At Living Edge, Aperitivo brings premium wines and artisanal accompaniments into the final part of the Destination Living Edge journey. Anterior XL also begins its afternoon Spritz service at 3pm, offering a relaxed place to finish after exploring the precinct.
At 3.30pm, LightCo’s final keynote brings Lachlan Kirkland of YSG into the Perspectives on Transformation series. Then at 4pm, the day reaches its closing moments in two showrooms. Living Edge announces the winner of Design with Purpose, while Bar Sodalite opens at Kaolin Surfaces for cocktails, conversation and a final chance to meet the makers after a day shaped by Australian craft and Chinese porcelain heritage.
Complimentary hop-on, hop-off buses will connect Alexandria with Surry Hills, Waterloo and Paddington throughout the day.
Register free and start planning your day now!
Ahead of the Saturday program, Anterior XL and Krause Bricks host the first official Design Discussion – SJB Special: Permanence and Longevity at Billyard Avenue at 5.30pm on Friday 11 September. Adam Haddow and Victoria Judge of SJB join Peter Walsh of North East Corp to explore the prestigious Billyard Avenue residential project through long-lasting materials, permanence and the value of designing beyond short-term trends. Registration for this session is essential.
