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Interiors studio YSG has created an office for Australian fashion brand Alémais in Sydney, designed to “make you feel like you’ve entered a galaxy of limitless imagination”. YSG completed a full remodel of the Alémais office in Surry Hills, using warm cream shades as the backdrop while retaining some of the building’s original brick walls. […] More
Australian studio YSG has added carpet-lined seating, cork flooring and high-gloss green paint to the Superfreak cafe in Sydney.
Located in the city’s Marrickville suburb, the space was converted from an ice cream factory into a pilates studio, which is located at the rear and the Superfreak cafe on the street front.
YSG has completed interiors with 1970s motifs for the Superfreak cafe in SydneyDrawing on a relaxed 1970s-style aesthetic, YSG opted for a colour palette of pale sandy yellows, avocado greens and deep earthy brown tones.
Contributing to the retro feel are checked brown and green cafe curtains, as well as vintage furniture pieces including a low, tile-clad wooden table and timber dining chairs sourced from online marketplace 1stDibs.
A semi-enclosed lounge-like seating area is off to the left of the entranceTo the left of the entrance, a large U-shaped timber banquette made with maple joinery marks out the main seating area It was upholstered in soft brown carpet material often associated with 1970s interiors.
The deep wrap-around, bench-style seating has inbuilt storage and an integrated plinth containing a record player and vinyl storage cavity.
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“Our clients wanted a space where locals felt like they could hang out,” YSG director Yasmine Saleh Ghoniem told Dezeen. “Also, they wanted to welcome pilates students to stretch out comfortably post-class.”
“A key component was to build sunken lounge-like seating via banquettes that created a cosy enclosure,” she continued.
Banquette-style seating with maple timber joinery is upholstered in a plush brown carpet materialReplacing the previously all-white decoration, YSG used glossy green paint for the walls and ceiling surrounding the timber service counter. A statement lamp crafted by American artist Autumn Casey sits on top of the wooden counter.
“Possessing a child-like expression of a classic Tiffany lamp, we granted it pride of place by the entrance beside the coffee machine,” said Ghoneim.
Elsewhere, the cafe is illuminated by an array of rice paper lanterns and vintage sconces paired with an angular wall lamp by Olivia Bossy.
The ceiling and walls surrounding the service counter are painted in a high-gloss greenThe same brown carpet material used for the lounge seating was also added to the exterior of an open kitchen counter and the tops of its high stool seats.
Above the counter, the ceiling and suspended storage shelves were painted in a high-gloss green.
Brown carpet material also lines the top of the bar stoolsA mural of a leafy green garden scene by Creative Finish was painted across concealed storage and refrigeration space behind the bar, with a gold-toned corner mirror feature off to the side.
While the clients initially intended to continue the brown carpet for the floor, YSG opted for cork flooring instead due to the nature of the space as a hospitality setting.
“Prioritising tonal and textural interest, we laid spongey caramel-hued sealed cork underfoot, also aiding the acoustics,” said Ghoneim.
The facade of the building was also painted greenTaking cues from the interior concept, the building’s facade was painted green with a street-side coffee hatch cutout incorporated for takeaway orders.
Other projects by YSG recently featured on Dezeen include a seaside home renovation in Byron Bay and a suburban home in Sydney finished with sumptuous materials intended to evoke a boutique hotel feel.
Photography is by Phillip Huynh.
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Pink plywood and exposed insulation combine in this monochrome bar in Sydney, designed by local architecture office Akin Atelier to evoke the cosy feel of Tokyo’s mid-century listening bars.
Akin Atelier founder Kelvin Ho designed JAM Record Bar for Justin Hemmes, the CEO of the Merivale hospitality group, who also ran the music label JAM Recordings.
A passion project for Hemmes and his sister Bettina, the bar is named after their parents John and Merivale, who used the JAM label for various ventures alongside their successful hospitality business.
Akin Atelier has designed a monochrome bar in SydneyThe idea for the bar came from a trip to Japan taken by Hemmes and Ho, where the pair enjoyed sampling the atmosphere of Tokyo’s iconic listening bars.
“We wanted to create an immersive and fun environment,” said Ho, who has collaborated with Merivale for over 15 years on roughly 20 projects.
“Justin and I have had some super fun trips to Tokyo exploring lots of bars and clubs,” he told Dezeen. “The commitment to design and concept was what we loved in Japan and JAM was an opportunity to do our own spin on this idea.”
The interior scheme was influenced by Tokyo’s midcentury listening barsLocated on a corner of George Street in the city’s central business district, the compact 80-square-metre space seats 45 and houses a collection of 15,000 vinyl records along with a DJ booth.
The unit was previously occupied by a retail store and has large windows looking onto the adjacent streets. Together with outdoor seating, the corner windows help to create a strong connection with the surroundings.
Despite the small size of the space, Ho and his team created distinct zones organised around a central bar.
Fibreglass insulation panels are left exposed within the ceiling structureTowards the rear, an area with low seating has an intimate lounge-like feel, while the main bar area features tall stools and space for standing.
Ho described the decor as “simple and analogue but also refined”, explaining that this was achieved using a basic material palette including cork, plywood and off-the-shelf insulation.
“These are all familiar and accessible materials but we used them in a way that was more elevated through detailing and composition.”
The central bar is surrounded by tall stools with space for standingJAM Record Bar’s distinctive colour was driven by a specific material choice taken by Akin Atelier to enhance the acoustic properties of the space.
Pink fibreglass insulation panels from New Zealand firm Pink Batts are left exposed within the ceiling structure rather than being concealed behind plasterboard.
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“We loved the pink colour of the insulation, which then inspired the pink plywood and a full commitment to the colour throughout the project,” said Ho.
“JAM is designed to feel like you are drinking a cocktail inside a giant speaker box – but pink.”
The pink hue is applied across the ceiling, walls and all of the bespoke plywood joinery including the bar, the record library and the geometric stools that are used both indoors and outdoors.
The bar’s distinctive pink colour also extends to the built-in record libraryThe space is given a retro feel through the selection of vintage light fittings and objects curated by Merivale’s styling director Bettina Hemmes and design director Nasim Koerting.
Neon signage in the windows nods to the bar’s Japanese inspiration, while midcentury-style details such as the entrance with its grid of circular windows evoke the golden age of vinyl in the 1950s and 60s.
JAM Record Bar offers a menu of Japanese-inspired snacks developed by chef Michael Fox of Merivale’s Sushi E restaurant and drinks crafted by the company’s creative cocktail lead James Irvine.
Neon signage in the windows nods to JAM Record Bar’s Japanese inspirationKelvin Ho founded Akin Atelier in 2005 after studying at the University of Sydney.
The studio’s multidisciplinary output combines architecture and interior design, with previous projects including a retail space in Sydney with curved resin walls and a womenswear store in Melbourne featuring a tactile material palette.
The photography is by Tim Salisbury.
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Bold colours and graphic elements that represent the sea and sky add personality and context to the interiors of this Sydney children’s centre by Australian designer Danielle Brustman.
Brustman was responsible for the interior package of the Harbour Early Learning educational facility, which is situated in the city’s Vaucluse suburb and aims to connect children with educators, nature and the broader community.
The brief for the project called for a high-quality facility arranged over three levels with a focus on design integrity and the well-being of both the children and staff.
Danielle Brustman has designed the interiors of Sydney’s Harbour Early Learning facilityBrustman employed oversized graphic elements throughout the spaces to help stimulate the imaginations of the children and create thematic experiences that respond to the building’s harbourside setting.
“I wanted the design to inspire delight and joy for the people occupying the spaces,” the designer told Dezeen.
“I also wanted to create a healthy space using environmentally sustainable and quality materials that would stand the test of time and toddlers!”
The educational children’s centre responds to the building’s harbourside settingBrustman worked closely with architects SJB and Supercontext, as well as with landscape designer Fiona Robbe and signage experts Citizen to deliver a range of bespoke indoor and outdoor play and learning spaces that reflect the client’s educational philosophy.
The building’s external and internal spaces were designed to reference the surrounding nature, with large openings framing views of the neighbouring mature fig trees.
The interior was heavily influenced by the building’s seaside context, with each room given a specific theme including the Sky room, Sunset room, Rainbow room, Under the Sea room and Boat room.
Oversized graphic elements and large openings frame neighbouring mature fig treesThe themes lend the rooms a unique character whilst reinforcing the thoughtful layout of spaces, with water-based elements on the ground floor and sky references on the upper floor.
Graphic details were used throughout the interior to complement architectural features, including the arched windows and circular skylights.
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Marmoleum flooring and carpet inlaid with geometric shapes also feature alongside bespoke murals depicting simplified elements like waves and clouds.
The raw materials and neutral tones used for the exterior give way to more vibrant hues inside the building.
Murals, marmoleum flooring and carpet inlaid with geometric shapes depict seaside waves and cloudsBrustman selected colours that she said have “a slightly muddied feel to them” to maintain consistency and a connection to nature.
“It was important that the colour and materials palette was unique in each room but there was also a cohesive thread throughout,” she added. “The palette was designed to be enjoyed by both children and teaching teams.”
Materials that appear on the building’s exterior, such as raw concrete and pale wood, recur in the reception area where they contrast with colourful elements that help with wayfinding and circulation.
Primary colours, including a vibrant blue staircase, inform a palette enjoyable to children and teaching teamsThe primary hues in this space reference the work of Dutch abstract painter Piet Mondrian, while the blue staircase in particular evokes the colours of Sydney Harbour.
Wherever possible, Brustman chose furniture that was designed and made in Australia, focusing on pieces that are robust enough to handle being used by children.
Many of the furnishings have a graphic quality to them, including the Love benches by designer Daniel Emma, the stacked-cone pendant light by designer Edward Linacre and the Big Friendly sofa designed by CJ Anderson for Dowel Jones.
Graphic furnishings are featured throughout the interior design, including the Love benches by Daniel EmmaBrustman is based in Melbourne and specialises in residential interior design and commercial design for the education, hospitality and retail sectors.
The designer’s previous projects include a children’s centre in Melbourne featuring similar graphic elements in various pastel hues and a hair salon decorated using the client’s signature yellow colour.
The photography is courtesy of Harbour Early Learning.
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A private roof terrace enclosed by greenery features in Hidden Garden House, a Sydney home reconfigured by Australian studio Sam Crawford Architects.
Situated within a conservation zone, the home has been updated by Sam Crawford Architects to brighten its dark interior and transform it into an urban “sanctuary”.
An open-tread staircase has been added to the hallwayAlterations to the 198-square-metre home’s interior are first seen in its entrance, where a stair with open treads and a white-steel balustrade replaces a solid timber structure that previously restricted light from a skylight above.
Down from the entry hall is a spacious ground-floor kitchen and dining area, which is illuminated by 4.5-metre-high glass openings that lead out to a landscaped patio. The patio is paved with limestone tiles that extend out from the interior.
A curved concrete roof features in the kitchen”By extending the ground floor finishes through the full-width doors into the rear yard, the garden and high-level green trellises at the rear of the site form the fourth wall to the rear wing,” studio director Sam Crawford told Dezeen.
“They create a sense of enclosure that draws the occupant’s eye up to the expanse of the sky rather than surrounding suburbia.”
Angled timber screens and greenery ensure privacy for the bathroomA concrete ceiling in Hidden Garden House’s kitchen curves upwards to help draw in the winter sun and provide summer shading, while operable clerestory windows allow natural ventilation.
Above, this curved ceiling forms a sloped roof terrace filled with plants, which is situated off the main bedroom on the upper floor.
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An ensuite bathroom, also lined with limestone floor tiles, has expansive openings offering a scenic yet private bathing experience enabled by angled timber screens and the terrace’s greenery.
“The rolling green roof serves as a visual barrier to the surrounding suburb, whilst allowing the occupants to occupy their private garden oasis,” added Crawford.
White walls and wooden furniture feature throughout the interiorHidden Garden House’s consistent material palette of bright white walls and wooden furniture ties its living spaces together, while decorative square tiles line both the kitchen and bathrooms.
Curved details, such as the patio’s shape and the kitchen island and splashback, also feature throughout.
The home aims to be an urban “sanctuary”Other alterations that were made to improve Hidden Garden House’s layout include the relocation of entrances to the ground floor laundry room and bathroom.
Elsewhere, Sam Crawford Architects has also created a restaurant topped with an oversized steel roof and a bridge modelled on the curving shape of eels.
The photography is by Tom Ferguson.
Project credits:
Architect: Sam Crawford ArchitectsBuilder: TokiStructural engineer: Cantilever EngineersCivil & hydraulic engineer: PartridgeAcoustic engineer: Acoustic LogicHeritage consultant: Damian O’Toole Town PlanningQuantity Surveyor: QS PlusLandscape design: Gabrielle Pelletier, SCARoof garden supplier: Fytogreen Australia
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Interiors studio YSG has upgraded a home in Sydney’s Mosman suburb to feature “lavish yet tranquil” interiors that are more akin to those of a luxury hotel.
The three-storey house previously had drab grey walls and awkwardly placed partitions but now features more coherently connected rooms finished in a sumptuous mix of materials.
Black Diamond is a house in Sydney’s Mosman suburb”Our clients wanted a home that felt like a boutique hotel with a lavish yet tranquil tonal intensity that was rich in substance, not excess trimmings,” YSG explained.
“We took a deep dive, converting it into a tactile haven with nooks for respite amongst spaces that freely ebb and flow.”
YSG expanded the home’s covered balcony to accommodate a large tableThe studio started by reconfiguring the home’s first floor to make way for more outdoor entertainment space.
A glass alcove that used to jut into the balcony was removed, allowing room for a large table where the clients can sit and take in views of the nearby harbour.
A custom timber table is the centrepiece of the dining areaThe expanded balcony means there is now less room on the interior. But YSG worked around this by removing the kitchen’s cumbersome bulkhead and two partition walls that once framed its breakfast island.
The revamped kitchen now features a black counter clad with leathered marble and shimmering mosaic tiles.
A plaster-washed stairwell leads up to the second floorBlack mosaic tiles also cover a section of the floor and the chimney breast in the living room, leading the studio to nickname the project Black Diamond.
“Combined with the dark timber floors and ceiling, they provide sheltered respite from the brilliant glare and frenzied harbour activity, enabling the room to take an inward-looking approach,” YSG said.
The principal bedroom is decked out in natural huesThe living room was dressed with a plump cream swivel chair and an alpaca-wool sofa finished in the same lilac colour as the flowers of the Jacaranda trees that surround the home.
A custom timber table is the centrepiece of the dining area. It sits beside a partition made of smoked-glass blocks, which YSG constructed around three steel struts that now provide structural support in place of a solid wall.
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A plaster-washed stairwell leads up to the home’s second floor and is doused in natural light via a newly installed glass-brick facade. Some of these bricks are made from yellow glass, chosen by YSG to reflect the home’s “sunny disposition”.
The staircase’s lower steps were ebonised to complement the black tiling that appears throughout the first floor while the upper steps are crafted from a pale timber to signal a change of space.
Striking raffia-weave wallpaper lines cupboards in the walk-in wardrobeThe home’s top floor accommodates the principal bedroom, entered via a doorway lined in Rosso travertine. The bed is positioned at the centre of the room, set against a new low-lying partition.
Behind it, the studio installed extra storage and established a new entryway to the walk-in wardrobe, which could previously only be accessed from the en-suite.
The bedroom’s nook now accommodates a comfy curved banquetteGeometric raffia-weave wallpaper lines the front of all the cupboards, complementing the warm, natural hues that feature throughout the rest of the room.
The bedroom leads off to a curved nook that used to contain a jumble of furnishings but now has a wooden desk and dramatic boucle-covered banquet that winds around its outer perimeter.
Sea-green furnishings and decor feature in the studyThe project also saw YSG decrease the size of the kids’ playroom on the home’s ground floor in order to enlarge the utility room.
A spare bedroom at this level was converted into a study and finished with sea-green furniture.
Pink-hued Tiberio marble covers surfaces in the first-floor powder roomOutside, the studio replaced weathered decking with “crazy paving” composed of jagged slabs of pale stone and constructed a cushioned day bed that cantilevers over the pool.
Other fun elements of the home include the ground-level powder room, which is clad top-to-bottom in pinkish Tiberio marble, and the wine cellar door with its tangerine-orange porthole windows that provide a glimpse of the bottles inside.
The pool area features fresh paving and a cantilevering daybedYSG is behind the design of several residences in Sydney. There’s Budge Over Dover, a tactile home decked out in brick, brass and coloured plasters, and the playful penthouse Dream Weaver, curated to suit the owner’s bolder post-lockdown aesthetic.
The photography is by Anson Smart.
Project credits:
Interior design and styling: YSGBuilder: Promena Projects
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A brick, steel and timber structure is left exposed in this office interior in Sydney, which local firm Cox Architecture has revamped to house its own studio.
Cox Architecture removed previous alterations to the structure, which occupies five floors of the heritage-listed Metcalfe Bond Stores warehouse in Tallawoladah, to highlight its original features and complement them with pared-back, flexible workspaces.
Cox Architecture has designed its own studio in a Sydney warehouse”Our objective was to do more with less, balancing the poetic with the pragmatic,” explained the studio.
“Restrained interventions allow the heritage to be the hero and minimise the project’s embodied energy,” it continued. “Our starting point was a process of reduction, removing non-heritage elements to create clarity.”
The studio exposed its existing structureThe interior is defined by the original steel and timber structure’s columns and beams that have been painted white, and the brickwork of the outer walls that are left exposed.
New elements such as glass doors and walls, room dividers, curtains and furniture were chosen to touch the existing structure “as lightly as possible”, and feature alongside dark-wood carpentry and gallery-style lighting tracks.
Dark-wood carpentry features throughoutThe workspaces themselves are designed to be flexible and “hackable”, allowing areas to be reconfigured and subdivided easily by staff.
This includes a forum space on the fifth level of the building, which has a wall lined with magnetic whiteboards and can be used as anything from a collaborative workshop space to a presentation area for 200 people.
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Alongside it is a kitchen with a backdrop of exposed brickwork and two long counters topped with unsealed brass that will patinate over time.
A black-steel stair leads up to a mezzanine level above containing further desk spaces. This sits at the top of the building, lit by skylights in the apex of the pitched roof.
The workspaces are designed to be flexible”Anchored by a generous kitchen, a flexible forum space is a magnet for serendipitous exchange between Cox’s own people and the wider design community,” said the studio.
“The majority of elements within the space are movable, creating an experimental, nimble workspace allowing teams the autonomy to control their space and future-proofing the studio as the workplace evolves,” it continued.
The presentation space is lined with magnetic whiteboardsFacing the street, Cox Architecture created a “shopfront window”, giving staff the opportunity to populate vitrines with the studio’s work.
Cox Sydney Studio has recently been shortlisted in the large workplace interior category of Dezeen Awards 2023. Another office interior completed by the studio is the Midtown Workplace in Brisbane, which features a large, plant-filled atrium with by a weathered-steel staircase.
The photography is by Nicole England and Cameron Hallam.
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Curved resin walls define this retail space, which architecture studio Akin Atelier has created for the Sydney Modern extension at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
Designed by Akin Atelier with surfboard designer Hayden Cox, the Gallery Shop is located in the entrance pavilion of the gallery that was recently completed by Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning studio SANAA.
The retail space is conceived as a “translucent bubble” within the entrance area, the studio said, and it aims to challenge the typical commercial experience in a museum shop.
Akin Atelier has created the Gallery Shop at Sydney Modern”The shop captures natural light throughout the day, bringing dynamic reflections and refractions of the city while holding people, objects, and books within its centre,” Akin Atelier told Dezeen.
“[It] showcases products to passers-by through the lens of the resin walls – gently maximising the identity of the space while preserving the architectural experience of the new building.”
The Gallery Shop comprises two resin walls that curve around its displays, with a gap between the two of them forming the entry point.
It has curved walls made from a resinThe installation is placed in the northwest corner of the entrance pavilion, to the left-hand side of its entrance, meaning that its distinctive resin walls are visible from the street.
Its walls are constructed of 29 modules formed of 12 tonnes of resin. According to the studio, the resin is a type of “bio-resin” manufactured to incorporate biological matter.
It sits within the building’s entrance pavilion that was designed by SANAA”It is composed of a minimum 26 per cent biological matter,” said the studio.
“[This reduces] the amount of embodied carbon as well as reducing toxicity during the manufacturing process.”
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The distinct tonal gradient of the bio-resin was achieved by hand pouring layers of colour into custom moulds – a process that took 109 days.
Meanwhile, its glossy translucency was achieved through hand sanding followed by seven rounds of hand polishing.
The translucent material allows natural light through the space. Photo by Tim SalisburyThe resin’s earthy hues reference the sandstone used in the original Art Gallery of New South Wales, while its gradation is a nod to the layered nature of Sydney’s bedrock of sandstone.
“The handmade nature of resin casting and finishing allowed for experimentation across colour and form while addressing the patinated qualities of the outside environment,” explained Akin Atelier.
Two curved walls enclose the shopInside the Gallery Shop, adjustable resin shelves line the curved walls, housing books and publications. Stainless steel is used for display plinths, providing a contrast to the warm tones of the resin.
The project has been shortlisted in the small retail interior category of the Dezeen Awards.
Akin Atelier also recently used tactile materials such as onyx, plaster and travertine to form the interiors of a branch of the womenswear store Camilla and Marc in Melbourne.
The photography is by Rory Gardiner unless otherwise stated.
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Triangular slabs of terrazzo and a vintage chandelier frame Sydney’s Koda hair salon, which local studio Arent & Pyke has conceived as an eclectic mishmash of old and new.
Located on the upper mezzanine level of the city’s George McRae-designed Queen Victoria Building, the salon was created for Australian hairdresser Koda.
Arent & Pyke created terrazzo tiling for the floorArent & Pyke created the interiors to “be best appreciated from seated height”, placing wide quartzite-rimmed mirrors at angles in front of the curved black styling chairs to offer a contrast with the salon’s tall ceilings.
The move was made “given that clients are accustomed to looking up and down” when getting their hair done, the studio explained.
The studio painted the ceilings in an “energising” gold hueTriangular slabs of dusty pink and forest green terrazzo line Koda’s floors, which Arent & Pyke chose to mimic the marble flooring of Villa Planchart – a house in Caracas, Venezuela, completed by architect Gio Ponti in 1956.
Ceilings were painted an “energising” shade of gold and fitted with delicate timber battens that conceal various services while in one corner, a geometric 1970s chandelier illuminates the space from above.
Koda’s interior was designed to “be best appreciated from seated height””Both nostalgic and futuristic, Koda is a majestic work of sculpt fiction,” Arent & Pyke said.
“Four elongated windows crowned with coloured glass pool light from within, so the built spine intentionally reaches approximately half of the rear salon’s 4.5-metre ceiling height, enabling appreciation of their beauty from every vantage point.”
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Brightly coloured accents were paired with burlwood mid-century furniture including a low-slung credenza topped with glossy cobalt-blue display shelving.
The studio aimed to rid the space of “transactional” clutter, replacing traditional tool trolleys with cylindrical styling stands with aged brass details designed by Arent & Pyke.
Arent & Pyke aimed to rid the salon of “transactional” clutterCurving light-hued timber cabinetry was also mounted to the blush-toned walls to create eclectic storage.
A translucent pale pink curtain was suspended from a rail to create a layer of privacy for the wash bay, which was positioned on a raised platform.
A translucent pale pink curtain creates a layer of privacy for the wash bay”Koda is a crafted tale of artisanal vision balancing angled poise with organic shapes and undulating forms,” said Arent & Pyke.
Founded by Juliette Arent and Sarah-Jane Pyke in 2007, the studio previously renovated a 1930s Sydney home with a monochromatic interior.
Other notable hair salon interiors include a minimalist Swedish outlet finished in pastel colours and a US barbershop with a cavernous cork lounge.
The photography is by Prue Ruscoe.
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