At the tender age of 21, Fady Hachem graduated and convinced the owners of a new Melbourne venue that he could not only develop their brand identity, but the interior concepts as part of their $2 million overhaul! Looking back on it now, he admits “it was ballsy and risky at the time, but I was hungry and eager to dive in.” That place was Bond Bar. Fast forward 15 years and he now has a team of 25 at Hachem Design, has completed countless projects here and abroad, and recently refurbished Bond Bar for the second time.
Second time around, his brief was to create the number one high end spot in Melbourne and he really went to town on it. Fady’s mantra is the crazier the brief the better! He wanted to pay homage to the original fitout so he kept the curved roof, and everything stemmed from that. The new fitout is ultra luxe: think interchangeable leather wall panels, gold tiles and brass curtains all the way from Switzerland!
Coming from a working class family, Fady certainly felt like an outcast when he chose to study design at university. However it has certainly proven to be a wise move for him!
Fady’s advice for anyone trying to make it in the design industry is: “Don’t be afraid to try new things and go for what you really want, despite how challenging the industry claims to be. In this field, you need to have stamina and gumption. Pushing the boundaries has to be part and parcel.”
For more information about Hachem Design.
–Kathryn Bamford is our girl on the ground in Melbourne; you can follow her DIY & design adventures on Instagram @thedesignrookie.