ST LEONARDS, AUSTRALIA
Inspired by pure antipodean references and majestic Italian villas, YSG.STUDIO transformed a modest warehouse in St. Leonards into an architectural genius – Cultiver HQ Flagship Showroom – showcasing arched volumes with tactile finishes. Aesthetically, the client wanted a design that delivered a mood-enhancing effect via color – similar to the company’s design philosophy – along with a flare of luxury at every turn.
The showroom is spread on two levels so that trade customers can acknowledge the elaborate range of Cultiver’s home accessories – bedding, napkins, tablecloths, bath towels, seasonal cushions, mats, loungewear, pure Italian linen, 100 percent Mulberry silk, and Turkish cotton – and experience the feasibility which helps their collection intermingle. It also features integrated zones where staff can work and interact with clients and conduct photoshoots for new products. There is also a dedicated storage and distributing stock space.
Inhabiting the pre-washed softness of Cultiver’s natural linens, a lived-in feeling was instilled in the design. The majority of rugs and furniture are vintage. Hence, velveteen fabric was used to give armchairs a refreshing look, along with rattan dining chair backrests and bone-hued travertine coffee tables.
Level One: Due to budget constraints, the architects took inspiration from Italian loggias, such as arched colonnades and checkerboard framed marble floors. This resulted in a gorgeous tapestry featuring tourmaline-colored stones, enhancing the legacy of the redesigned space. Each hand-painted tile on the poured concrete base was made with trompe-l’oeil grouting and bound together by Creative Finishes, long-term collaborators of YSG. A doorway and wall were removed to join two rooms, while a shouldered arch was constructed to replace the sharp perpendicular turns and aluminum framing. Intricate hand-made pinstripes promote depth to the margins and acknowledge the subtle Cedar Stripe design on some of Cultiver’s linen.
Designers refreshed the old kitchen by adding gum leaf blue and grey joinery along with a customised impasto splash-back with a coarse imprint featuring native tree leaves. The latter is also embedded in antique glass wall sconces along the stairway leading to offices. The renewed kitchen serves various roles, such as preparing staff meals, accommodating dining and internal/external client meetings, and enabling intimate product launch events since it adjoins a lounge area.Level Two: The previous handrail of steel was intertwined with soft leather, which promotes feelings of warmth and engagement. Native articles are framed through dipped arches and partial height walls serving as display ledges. The deep salmon terracotta tone of the arches is similar to the floor, which visually enhances depth.
Interior Designers: YSG.STUDIO
Area: 225 m²
Year: 2021
Photographs: Prue Ruscoe
Manufacturers: Chee Soon & Fitzgerald, Creative Finishes, Cult, Curotorial + Co., En Gold, Euroluce, FLOS, Formakami, Laminex, Nord Modern, Planet Furniture, Spark & Burnish, Spence & Lyda, The DEA Store
Interior Design : YSG.STUDIO
