Tag: robson rak architects

10 interior designers’ favourite Melbourne homewares stores

Post author By Olivia Shead
Post date August 14, 2015
1 Comment on 10 interior designers’ favourite Melbourne homewares stores

With so many homewares stores out there, getting some expert recommendations can save you time, money and most importantly, tears. Surely I’m not the only one who’s got overemotional in the local bedding store… no? Just me! Moving on.

So, we spoke to 10 of Melbourne’s top interior designers to get their recommendations on their favourite Melbourne homewares stores (and don’t worry Sydney, you’ll get yours in the coming weeks).

Miriam Fanning of Mim Design: I look no further than Mud Australia, especially for platters, vessels, vases and cookware. Their timeless handmade porcelain range combines clean lines, functionality and a beautiful colour palette, and has a minimalist aesthetic that I love.

Screen-Shot-2014-03-23-at-3.10.10-AM — Miriam

Sonia Simpfendorfer of Nexus Designs: Cult have so many simple, beautiful accessories, particularly from the Danish brand Hay; their Kaleido trays range in great, slightly off colours are a favourite. The Scholten & Baijings designed bed linens are minimalist loveliness and they have understated desk accessories, notebooks and even coat hangers.

Lauren Macer of Sisalla Interior Design: Safari Living is easily my favourite store for unique homewares. They consistently have a fantastic selection of up and coming Australian designers mixed with some of my favourite European brands. I love stepping into the little corner shop and being surrounded with luxurious Missoni cushions, gorgeous tableware by Danish brand Menu and a great range of Tom Dixon homewares. There are the lesser known brands too, I love the delicate woven bamboo lights by Ay Illuminate made using traditional methods by artisans in Asia and Africa.

Wilson Tang of Sonelo Design Studio: CIBI is our much-loved go-to Japanese cafe and Japanese designer product store. The subtlety and simplicity of their objects boldly embrace their functionality whilst carefully disguising themselves into an appealing object. Their cookware, dining sets, and glassware are up-there on our wish list.

Diane Bergeron of Mercer School of Interior Design: One of my favourite homewares shops in Melbourne is Modern Times on Smith Street. Their pieces are always original and beautifully crafted. I know when I go in there I can find something that will be timeless and mix well with other styles of furniture. Our reception desk at the Mercer School of Interior Design was purchased from there and makes such a statement when you arrive.

hg11T50_17b_DianeBergeron_portrait-bw-edit — Diane

Matt Gibson of Matt Gibson Architecture + Design: We love Great Dane Furniture in Fitzroy, around the corner from our office. They have a great diverse range of furniture,homewares, lighting and accessories, focusing on natural materials like solid timber that ensure products have a long lifespan. Their timeless mid-century pieces can be styled up or down to either accentuate or pare-back their modernist flavour.

Chris Rak of Robson Rak Architects: The one store that blows me away every time I go in is Nicholas & Alistair in Abbotsford. They’ve always got the most exquisite and original 20th century furniture and objects from Europe. I literally lose my breath every time I go in there. The boys who run it are just so passionate and highly knowledgable that they hit the nail on the head with everything they bring in.

Caecilia Potter of Atticus & Milo: Space Furniture is a favourite because they’re a lovely, friendly team to work with and they have such an eclectic collection of my favourite designers and design studios such as Patrizia Urquiola, Antonio Citterio, Marcel Wanders, Ingo Maurer, Bruno Rainaldi, Edra, Moroso, Maxalto, Foscarini, Opinion Ciatti – I could keep going!

Anna Dutton of Bower Architecture: One of my favourites is Luke Furniture, just around the corner from us on High Street in Prahran. Their range is carefully curated and features timeless pieces with texture and warmth: qualities which align with our own approach to design. They have a great range of ceramics, warm timber accessories, lighting and of course, furniture. We just bought a Modernica Case Study Planter from them in black ceramic and timber for the Bower Architecture studio. It is perfect.

Anna (right) and co-directors Chema Bould and Jade Vidal.

Carole Whiting of Whiting Architects: My favourite Melbourne homewares store is Red Hill House as it always has a great collection of kitchen goods, decorative and practical products and they are always well stocked. They have a keen eye for products with a bit of soul and they support the local community by stocking products produced by local craft makers. With so many mass-produced goods on offer, it’s nourishing to buy one-offs or handmade goods that someone has physically touched and made with love.

We hope you found this list useful. Please let us know what you’d add!

Designers Interviews

Designer Susie Cohen on taking on “just a few wonderful projects each year”

Post author By Olivia Shead
Post date July 16, 2014

Elwood in collaboration with Robson Rak Architects

While many would start their own interior design practice with the dream of becoming a household name, Susie Cohen has much humbler aspirations. “I am not striving to be prolific. I only take on a few wonderful projects each year and I love working in this way. It enables me to really enjoy the creative journey and it gives my clients a very fluid process.”

Susie Cohen. Photo credit: Susan Gordon-Brown — Photo by Susan Gordon-Brown

Having opened her studio, Made by Cohen, in 2005, Susie had previously studied interior design at Melbourne’s RMIT, before working full-time at Carr Design and Chris Connell Design, both experiences she found hugely rewarding. Yet after having her first child and buying an old warehouse in Windsor, Susie saw an opportunity to launch her own firm, with her very own house being the first project. “Still to this day, Made By Cohen’s biggest achievement was probably having my home and very first project, Windsor Warehouse, shortlisted in the 2009 Australian Interior Design Awards and then having it published in Vogue Living,” says Susie. “This was a wonderful way to celebrate the beginning of my business!”

made-by-cohen-windsor-5 — Windsor Warehouse. Photo by Shannon McGrath

Warehouse Windsor — Windsor Warehouse. Photo by Shannon McGrath

Since then, she’s been shortlisted three more times for the Australian Interior Design Awards, as well as being a finalist in the IDEA Awards and the Houses Awards, both this year and last. One project in particular that gained a lot of that attention was her Victorian house in Armadale, which coincidently is also her favourite.

“I did this beautiful little single fronted Victorian house in collaboration with Robson Rak Architects, completing it in 2013. This project was built from a very solid foundation of trust. It’s very rare to have a client give you their design brief and then completely stand back and trust in the creative journey, but that is what they did, which was a huge compliment. The other key factor in this project was that the builder was a true craftsman with a huge respect for our drawings and design details. It was a beautiful journey, which naturally lead to a wonderful outcome.”

019235_01_of_10 — Armadale in collaboration with Robson Rak Architects. Photo by Shannon McGrath

made-by-cohen-armadale-4 — Armadale in collaboration with Robson Rak Architects. Photo by Shannon McGrath

Working primarily on residential projects, because she loves the personal aspect, Susie and her team of one are currently working on two of these. “Both are very different from each other, which I love. The first is a 1930s Tudor-style home with extraordinary bones; including large archways and the most beautiful original sculptural stairwell at the entrance. The second is a lovely old double fronted Victorian built in 1910. Both have a wonderful brief!”

With an overall style that is generally one of simplicity, favouring the handmade and natural materials, Susie enjoys blending together architecture and interior features from different periods. “I have a love of working with old buildings as I enjoy the rich narrative between old and new.”

Since having children and starting her own business, Susie’s design process has very much changed. Now, having learnt to slow down and live in the moment, she has become inspired to absorb and reflect on everything around her and in doing so, created what she believes is her best work yet. “In the past, I’ve never loved working on six or more design projects at once as the design process always becomes fragmented. In taking on less work, I am able to give my clients a more fluid creative journey, and I personally find the design process richer and more layered as a result.”

Tags australian interior design awards, design, interior design, interiors, made by cohen, residential, robson rak architects, susie cohen

Designers

Husband and wife team Robson Rak have interiors and architecture covered!

Post author By Olivia Shead
Post date May 20, 2014

Robson Rak Architects are, as director Chris Rak calls them: “a one stop shop.” Him an interior designer and wife Kathryn Robson an architect, they bring together the skills to take a project from initial designs to the final furnishings.

“We have a holistic approach,” explains Chris. “With our clients, they don’t need to go anywhere else, we can go right down to the decoration, down to the tiny little details.”

With a fine arts background, Chris also has the skills to design and make furniture, which harps back to his love of providing a complete service. A sculptor for many years, Chris worked primarily in steel, which can now be seen through his custom-made pieces, such as tables and beds and of course, some of his signature sculptures. “There’s always some piece of furniture I’ve made in our projects,” says Chris. “Anything from a table we couldn’t find the right proportions for or an internal wall sculpture.”

A favourite of his projects and one that features his custom joinery is the Toorak Residence: “There was so much to do in this project, from designing the carpet and rugs to making all the furniture. I literally made all that because I wanted a certain look and feel and I thought it’d just be easier for me to get into my studio and build it.”

Joining forces in 2007, Chris and Kathryn see their partnership as the primary reason for success. Both bringing different strengths to the firm, they don’t believe in separating roles but blurring the confines of architecture and interiors. “There’s no separation in our work,” explains Chris. “We are constantly in each other’s boundaries which I think is important. There’s also no egos, as we are husband and wife, which makes things a lot easier. We are very much synced and in tune with the end result.”

robson rak merricks — Merricks Residence

Their partnership has the awards to prove it works, being shortlisted twice in the residential design category of this year’s Australian Interior Design Awards. They’ve also got many projects in the pipeline, undertaking a mix of new builds and renovations, always trying to push the boundaries of design.

robson rak dale — Dale House – Shortlisted at Australian Interior Design Awards

But for Chris, it all comes down to one thing and the core quality he believes all designers need: hunger. “You need to be passionate about interior design, architecture, fine arts, in fact all of the arts equally. They all play a part, you can’t separate them, you have to be passionate about all of them.”

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Tags architecture, australian interior design awards, design, featured, interiors, residential decoration, robson rak, robson rak architects