The smell of wood smoke permeated the air as crowds of people, all sporting bright orange lanyards, stopped to watch the traditional smoking ceremony which officially opened Saturday in Design. This took place on Elizabeth Street, in front of Great Dane’s showroom, and was performed by an Indigenous elder from the Redfern-Waterloo area.

Once the smoking ceremony was complete, the crowds and plumes of eucalypt scented smoke slowly dispersed, moving into Great Dane and neighbouring showrooms where the latest products and inspired installations lay in wait.

UK designer Benjamin Hubert was in Sydney with Great Dane for Saturday in Design, and spent the day conversing with guests and presenting on his many lights and chairs, on show in the space.

Next-door TAIT OUTDOOR wowed visitors with their assortment of colourful products, punctuated by bright Basil Bangs umbrellas and striking outdoor tables and chairs.

Also on show at TAIT was AU.THENTIC, an exhibition and project by studio one8one7. Integrated into the front of the space, the exhibition presented work by numerous Australian and Australia-based designers. An afternoon presentation from the designers themselves really brought the concept to life, exploring the way in which Australia is engaged with the world creatively.

On this same strip was the Artisan Workshop, where Autumn Products, DesignByThem and Inde presented their latest work. This was a really fun space, filled with the essence of new Australian design, and invited you down to chill out and socialise with the up-and-coming design scene.

A short, sunny wander away was Studio Becker, brand new to the Sydney scene. This is a showroom that will change your life! At the very centre of Studio Becker is the Black Box. On entering into the blackened space, kitchen settings were magically illuminated, one after the other, revealing the finer elements of Studio Becker’s ultra sophisticated storage and kitchen solutions. Here electronic draws and benchtop storage silently appeared at the mere brush of a finger. Fridges materialised from sleek cabinetry and benchtops stretched seamlessly for metres at a time.

At Site 207 on Young Street, Prototype Commercial Furniture teamed up with Design Clarity for The Project. This was brought to fruition using a shipping container with new product ranges, set upon a rough topography of pallets and guarded by roaming wild animals. Outside, the guys from FDC sizzled up a storm with a charity BBQ.

Further inside was the Bloom stand where Henry Pilcher and DQ magazine teamed up for The Project, papering the glowing bloom stand in DQ pages. This created a forest floor of pages, lit by the changing hues of Bloom’s pots and rocks.

Also sharing this space was Nook Nook, Skheme, Blinds by Peter Meyer and Wall Candy Wallpaper; together their product collections offered an almost complete range of interior and specification options. The inside showrooms were further brought to life by a sausage sizzle stand in the open air car park, and with sunny weather to boot, it was positive vibes all round!

Completing the Redfern-Waterloo precinct was Abey and Hali Handmade Rugs on Danks Street. Surrounded by Saturday breakfasters, these 2 showrooms had an action-packed buzz about them.

Abey showed off their beautiful Gessi range and wowed visitors with freshly cooked tuna dipped in a delicious sake sauce; meanwhile Hali presented a lush splay of carpets with beautiful ikat designs and other more contemporary patterns.