Tag: tommarkhenry

The Star Sydney: New Italian restaurant features interiors by TomMarkHenry

Post author By Amy Collins-Walker
Post date January 5, 2021
No Comments on The Star Sydney: New Italian restaurant features interiors by TomMarkHenry

While a trip to Italy is off the cards for a while, Sydneysiders can get a taste of Rome courtesy of the food and interiors at the new restaurant Cucina Porto, located at The Star Sydney. The nostalgic interiors were designed by the talented female design trio TomMarkHenry.

“The overall finishes palette is not predictably Italian but more internationally reflective of European style, warm and contemporary design rather than a traditional trattoria. We wanted the design to have the familiar comfort of home and feel welcoming and comforting,” says Lisa Zelinger, Group Manager of Design at The Star.

The rich colour palette features teal, aubergine, tan and this year’s unlikely breakout star – burgundy. The latter shade has brushed off all it’s 1990’s feature wall associations to emerge as a tone to be reckoned with. We love its appearance on the restaurant’s bar front where it features in the form of a large gloss finger tile.

“While the palette may seem unexpected, we wanted to use a series of Italian style to give the grounding and relevance to the cuisine and tradition,” says Lisa. To this end, the spaces feature Italian marble stones in various hues and there’s plenty of aged brass too.

Spatially, the restaurant has been zoned to appeal to different audiences. There’s the pared back comfort of the aforementioned bar (which is perfect for a quick drink and snack), the main dining room and there’s a very Instagrammable private dining room too. “Each zone has been intentionally given a different sense of character to create interest and suit a variety of diners,” says Lisa.

The restaurant is home to lots of gorgeous styling elements including a mixture of contemporary and vintage artwork and photography, a variety of coloured glassware, glass vases, pottery, vintage picture frames and Italianate sculptures.

“Cucina Porto has been designed to feel like home, warm, welcoming and memorable. A place you want to come back to over and over again.”

Photography: Alan Richardson

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Meet Sydney female design trio TomMarkHenry

A young company with fresh ideas and lots of passion, Sydney-based interior architecture firm TomMarkHenry, is the brainchild of school friends Chloe Matters, Jade Nottage and Cushla McFadden. Founded in early 2014, Chloe’s…

Tags cucina porto, restaurant, sydney, the start sydney, tommarkhenry

Designers

We’re loving: TomMarkHenry’s Nando’s rebrand

Post author By Amy Collins-Walker
Post date June 28, 2016
No Comments on We’re loving: TomMarkHenry’s Nando’s rebrand

We’ve profiled the Sydney female design trio TomMarkHenry before and, as predicted, the relatively new company is making quite the mark on the interior design scene. Held recently in Sydney, in conjuction with the Design Institute of Australia and Artichoke magazine, the firm took out the the Australian Interior Design Award for the retail sector – rather fitting given their current client roster.

Friends since childhood – TomMarkHenry

“It is a really exciting time for TomMarkHenry, we are being approached by larger companies looking for bespoke design solutions. We are being recognised as designers who can create something unique, using materials that are interesting and concepts that are original,” says director Chloe Matters. With a particular focus on the hospitality and commercial sector, the firm’s recent projects include the rebranding of Nando’s, 1888 Certified, Vibe Hotels, Café Indigo, Los Vida Bondi, the Well Gym in Bondi and Los Vida Melbourne.

The new-look Nando’s – we love!

We’re particularly taken with the trio’s rebrand of Nando’s. “We are thrilled to be working with an established global business like Nando’s. They approached us to help them develop their brand and move away from the franchise feel of the current restaurants. We have worked with them to successfully change the direction of their customer experience and design spaces that are unique to each individual environment depending on the location,” says fellow director Jade Nottage.

With 1,000 restaurants in 30 countries (including 270 in Australia), this is an amazing opportunity for the firm to take their bespoke approach to the global scene. “We are only two years old in this business and have gained a lot of traction and national award nominations, which has gained us access to a variety of clients that we can help to develop a more bespoke concept,” says Jade.

Injecting Nando’s with style – who would have thought??

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Tags commercial interior design, design, hospitality design, interior design, interior designer, interiors, tommarkhenry

Designers Expert Tips Styling

5 interior designer tips for getting your home summer ready

Post author By Guest Poster
Post date December 1, 2015
No Comments on 5 interior designer tips for getting your home summer ready

By Chloe Matters

When getting your home ready for summer, the main objective is to clear out the clutter and bring in the light and life that the warmer months provide.

It is the hardest thing to look objectively at a space you live in every day and edit it, but it is crucial! I take this back to a saying I have: “What captures your attention controls your life.” This is relevant to every aspect of your life, especially your home. If you live in clutter and darkness this will control your home and the way you enjoy it.

Below are five easy things you can do to start the process of creating a summer ready home for you to enjoy.

1. Strip everything back to the necessities

This is the first and most important step. Think of this like doing a wardrobe clear out and putting your winter clothes into storage. In one part of the room, leave out all the items that are relevant to the weather like linen and cotton sheets, candles, plants and summery small accessories. Once you have stripped back everything you can revaluate what is important in the room, you can also rearrange the furniture to maximise space and flow then you can start adding again, but keep it simple, summer is about space, light and air, not about clutter.

2. Maximise the light and flow in your home

This is a really important part of life that people take for granted, your body and mind respond so sensitively to light. In the summer months we crave light and open spaces. Evaluate the direction of your furniture and how it is placed in the space; what is your couch facing? Can your see the outside from your bed? What is the flow like in this space? Can I add a window seat? Rearrange your space to maximise flow, take out items and move items around to allow for the best access to natural light and movement within the space.

Evaluate the colour of your walls; is this off white too beige? Could this wall be lighter to add more light to this room? Would my art stand out more on another finish? Painting your walls or adding a new finish like V-joint timber panelling can be fun and very rewarding.

3. Add plants everywhere

A really good way to feel connected to the outdoors is by bringing them in. By adding plants, some small and some large, you will not only clean your indoor air but you will bring life inside, making you feel more connected to the outdoors. You can do this by adding succulents to water in a vase (this way there is no upkeep) large plants like rubber plants which are basically foolproof or Fig trees, which need a bit of extra love. You can also buy or pull from the garden large palm leaves and place them in a vase.

4. Make sure the materials and fabrics in your home are relevant

If you have heavy throw pillows, rugs, curtains and thick sheets, I would try swapping these out. For pillows and sheets, keep to light colours or patterns in cotton and linen. For rugs, change to sisals or thin mats or take the rug off the floor and expose the floor boards. For curtains, change to linens and sheer fabrics to let as much light in as possible. This is like having a summer and winter wardrobe for your home. I personally prefer summery fabrics all year round.

5. Bring in summer scents

Your brain works in a multi-sensory way, so create a multi-sensory environment that you enjoy. A good way to do this is by adding candles, scents to air-conditioning or flowers. There is nothing better than walking into a fresh smelling home at the end of a hot day.

— Chloe is the co-director of TomMarkHenry, a Sydney-based interior architecture firm with fresh ideas and lots of passion.

Tags Chloe Matters, design, expert tips, inteirors, interior architecture, light, outdoor, plants, styling, Summer, tommarkhenry

Designers Interviews

Meet Sydney female design trio TomMarkHenry

Post author By Olivia Shead
Post date September 10, 2015
No Comments on Meet Sydney female design trio TomMarkHenry

Chloe (left) and co-directors Jade Nottage and Cushla McFadden

A young company with fresh ideas and lots of passion, Sydney-based interior architecture firm TomMarkHenry, is the brainchild of school friends Chloe Matters, Jade Nottage and Cushla McFadden.

Screen Shot 2015-07-21 at 3.00.10 PM — Chloe, Jade and Cushla

Founded in early 2014, Chloe’s background in design and property development and Jade and Cushla’s rounded skill sets in interior architecture, have seen them make the perfect trio, with each bringing a different perspective to the table. “We design all our projects collaboratively,” explains Chloe. “So each design benefits from the strength of three minds and three opinions. We all have different perspectives and have learnt how to integrate these into seamless, harmonious designs.”

Designing across all three sectors — residential, hospitality and commercial — they are open to any and all projects that come their way. So as a result, their short history has given way to quite the diverse portfolio. “We have designed a high-end butcher in Double Bay that is due to open at the end of this month,” says Jade. “Plus we have a Mexican food kiosk opening in Barangaroo at the end of September. We are also in the early stages of designing a café in Double Bay, which we are very excited about. In addition, we are designing several other hospitality venues around Sydney’s CBD and Eastern Suburbs. Throw some residential projects into the mix and we are very busy, exactly how we like it!”

Already being acknowledged internationally by leading industry experts, their Bondi’s Best project is currently shortlisted in The Restaurant & Bar Design Awards, the mark of many good things to come, we think! “As a result of this and lots of hard work, we have started to come up against designers on project tenders that we have always been inspired by,” explains Cushla. “The realisation that we were being considered for projects alongside some very talented design firms was a turning point for us.”

All under 32, they bring a fresh, new perspective to design, but that doesn’t mean they don’t know when to buckle down and get serious! “While we are a young company, we do take our design work and the operational side of our company very seriously,” says Jade. “We are committed to creating inventive, new concepts in the design process, yet we also have a maturity of process that comes with our intensity of experience in the industry.”

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Tags bondi's best, Chloe Matters, Cushla McFadden, design, hospitality, interiors, Jade Nottage, residential, residential design, restaurant, restaurant design, restaurant interiors, the farm wholefoods, tommarkhenry

Designers Expert Tips Furniture Homewares

10 interior designers’ favourite Sydney homewares stores

Post author By Olivia Shead
Post date August 20, 2015
1 Comment on 10 interior designers’ favourite Sydney homewares stores

Last week we spoke to 10 of Melbourne’s top interior designers and had them recommend their favourite Melbourne homewares stores. Today it’s Sydney’s turn!

Ioanna Lennox of Ioanna Lennox Interiors: West Elm is my go-to place if I need something to add to an already defined style or existing room or, equally, if I need to pick out some feature items as a starting point for a space. West Elm has everything from contemporary and modern American furniture, rugs, pre-made curtains and soft furnishings to beautiful accents and kitchenware that would enhance any space. The West Elm style is warm, textured and relaxed and fits so well into our contemporary Australian design aesthetic.

Jeremy Bull of Alexander &CO: The creation of cultural brain trust Nicholas Barber (also one of the more lovely human beings you are likely to meet) Dunlin is a beautiful curation of nostalgia and craft. We haven’t found a project yet where there isn’t a great place for a handmade wicker basket, suspended glass terrarium or mast light fitting, and there is never a reason not to have him visit our studio.

Meryl Hare of Hare + Klein: My favourite homewares store is Spence & Lyda. They vary their merchandise and often have one-offs, so they keep us interested! They also have a range of Ruth Levine’s beautiful vessels and totems, a personal favourite.

Christopher Polly of Christopher Polly Architect: Top3 By Design is a favourite, as I’ve found myself consistently revisiting their store due to their broad range of products. They offer good design, ranging from simple to eclectic pieces and they regularly refresh with new products. They have a great mix of lighting, homewares and accessories for utilitarian or decorative purposes.

Virginia Kerridge of Virginia Kerridge Architect: My favourite homewares store is Chee Soon & Fitzgerald, and it’s also my local as they are on Regent St, Redfern. It’s a small store but they have lots of quality things, and the fact that it is small means you aren’t overwhelmed by choice as is so often the case! They have a great mixture of products from ceramics and textiles to lighting and gifts. Also you have the added bonus of having a laugh with them every time you visit!

Brendan Wong of Brendan Wong Design: Now in their 30th year, Dinosaur Designs are known for their signature resin pieces. The forms are so fascinating and when placed near a window they illuminate beautifully. They are now working with other diverse materials including brass, silver and agate. They have taken their pieces around the world but their original Paddington store is still at the heart. You’ll find bright resin vases or subdued ceramic bowls, something for every interior.

Brad Swartz of Brad Swartz Architect: One of my favourite homewares stores is Catapult Design in Darlinghurst. They have a beautiful collection of furniture from both established and up and coming Australian designers. The finely crafted and minimalistic design of many of their pieces means their furniture can either be a signature piece or sit back and let the architecture, view or artwork take centre stage.

10596137_10152533662471645_749230783_n — Catapult Designs

Sarah-Jane Pyke of Arent&Pyke: Small Spaces in Redfern is such a rare gem, unlike any other retail experience in Sydney. It is such a beautiful space, part art gallery and part homewares store, with a selection of furniture pieces to suit small homes. A visit to Small Spaces is always inspiring. In this era of mass production, everything in the store feels like a rare treasure, with a strong sense of its maker. As much as the store changes, it maintains its peaceful, light filled calm. You feel like you could move in and spend the rest of your days drinking tea.

Sarah (left) and co-director Juliette Arent

Anoushka Allum of SmartSpace Interiors: I’m always shopping at Papaya in Mosman. I find that the tranquil style and paired back colours that they stock work with almost any interior. I’m a big fan of their pendant lighting, vessels, vases and candle holders. The designs are beautiful and use lots of natural materials. If you’re looking to dress your dining table this is also where I would recommend you go. Placemats, cutlery and crockery all in beautiful natural colours and designs make for a stunning table when entertaining.

Chloe Matters of TomMarkHenry: MCM House is my favourite as it typifies some of my most admired elements: neutral and relaxed tones and textures that work in simple harmony. They also mix these simple pieces with wares that have a slight modern, oriental twist. This understated look is powerful and represents a tranquility that I appreciate in design.

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