In Indesign#57 we took a look at the Bates Smart designed Corrs Chambers Westgarth offices in Sydney. We sat down with Brenton Smith and Hayden Crawford from Bates Smart to explore how customising their finishes, including rugs by Designer Rugs, helped to deliver a bespoke, luxe interior for their client.

One of Australia’s preeminent law firms, Corrs Chambers Westgarth, recently settled in to their new practices in the Richard Rogers designed 8 Chifley tower in Sydney, Australia. With tenancies designed as a series of “vertical villages”, the firm enjoys a two-storeyed atrium linking those floors that house the centralised hospitality, meeting and reception facilities.

“Custom designing the feature rugs for levels 17 and 18 allowed us to imbue the space with more of a hospitality quality and by way of textural contrast; the rugs serve to soften the expansive use of stone, glass and the city-scape beyond,” explain Smith and Crawford. “In collaboration with Designer Rugs we established a palette that pulled in subtle references to the base building colours as well as the hues of Sydney Harbour, visible outside.”

“Our intent was to allow the rugs to provide a layer of softness, as well as establish more intimate, informal meeting and waiting zones within the open-plan space. By selecting particular hues and tailoring the actual yarn and composition of the rugs, we were able to complement the textures and luxe ambience of our furnishings and their finishes. Neutral tones were referenced also from the veining in the stone floor; warm contrasts to the cool blues and sea foam colours present in the loose furniture.”

Designer Rugs
designerrugs.com.au