Style setters
The Sunday Age
Sunday March 27, 2011
Our best designers are spinning globalisation in our favour, reports Zinta Jurjans Heard.An exquisite floor lamp in the window at Richmond Lighting in Swan Street has become my obsession; a treat if the traffic is gridlocked, if not, I slow down anyway.The lamp shade is a luscious explosion of flowers, the colours are magical, the size luxurious. It's not from Italy, as I'd presumed, but the creation of Designex award-winning local designer Marc Pascal. At $1887, this is also more afforadable than I thought. Now that downlights are out, a statement lamp is essential. The Orchid is the "it" lamp for me. So there's no surprise to learn that Marc Pascal's lighting pieces are now showing in Denmark, Japan, the United States and Britain; in demand from international interior designers and architects.With individualisation a key trend in interior design, this is a perfect example of design that delivers. The Orchid is his most complex creation - it appears different from every angle.Mr Pascal made his name about 15 years ago with the sensually shaped, woven polycarbonate Worvo light. It was so new and different from anything on the market, it made his name. It still sells. Both can be ordered in any colour, as can all the lights in his collection. When he started out the colour option was revolutionary; even now it's a pleasant surprise."Every Orchid light is a collaboration between us and the customer, who can communicate [their colour preference] with a Pantone shade, a paint colour chip, a swatch of wallpaper or any other surface," says Mr Pascal.The light is 80 per cent white and 20 per cent the customer's choice of colour. Each coloured petal is hand-dyed. "If a green light is ordered, it won't be one green but many greens that work together," he adds.In his Thornbury studio, five Orchids are being packed, destined for a building where they will be placed one per floor to represent colours in nature - from red deserts to lush green forests in springtime.The Orchid comes with audio. Brush your hand across the blooms and they rustle like autumn leaves. "It's not as fragile as it looks," he says. "I took it to a car wash to experiment with cleaning." No, that's not recommended.However, the decorative shade can be removed from the electrical component and swished in the bath if dust is gathering.The Orchid took a year to develop. Mr Pascal leafed through lithographs in rare books and bought up big at the wholesale flower market for inspiration. These fabulous abstractions are the result. Flower powerFlowers are also a source of inspiration at Warwick Fabrics' design studio. The walls are pinned with floral sketches, the first contours of a coming collection.Paris-trained design manager Margot Warre encourages her designers to turn away from computers and go back to drawing. "There is a return to florals," she says.The design motif has already proved profitable. Warwick is having great success with the Nordic collection, released in England in December and in Australia last month.The central look is a large print featuring a helleborus - Prince Charles' favourite button-hole bloom - with a bold, modern interpretation. "Nordic tells a story. It's a new Scandinavian look, with fresh colour palettes [yellow is back]," she says. "There is so much interest, we can't keep up with it; an amazing response internationally."Warwick has textiles selling in 50 countries. The designs are developed at its Collingwood headquarters and then woven or printed in Italy, Belgium, India, Britain and locally.Nordic has eight designs in multiple colourways that are aimed at appealing to the wide variety of international tastes. In Australia the complex yellow and greyed-off Tiffany blue beachy combo is a favourite; South Africa prefers the umber colourways.Ms Warre describes the family business as mid-market design innovators. The Nordic brand, one year in development, gives its customers a tool to be bolder and more individual in putting a room together, she says.Although the showroom (6-10 Sackville Street, Collingwood), is open to the public, Warwick does not sell direct to the public. Choices can be made and then upholsterers and specifiers make the orders. "There is a huge return to decorating with fabrics," says Ms Warre. "The bare blind as a window dressing is over." Furniture with flairLocal furniture manufacturer Jardan is a standout success abroad. Having secured a high-level niche in Australia, the company turned its attention to overseas markets. It now exports furniture to Rome and Milan.In just over a decade, Jardan has fitted out Singapore's Changi airport, the Hyundai offices in Korea, a ski resort in Japan and Australian embassies. There are clients in Holland too. Designer Nick Garnham, also a director in the family business, says his father bought the then small Jardan company 13 years ago as an investment. Mr Garnham and his two brothers have grown it into a furniture force.Brother Michael heads finance and HR, and brother Matt manages the Brisbane operation. Success has taken them from eight staff to 92.The Mount Waverley showroom (66 Ricketts Road) fronts one of the two production sites. The sofas and chairs on show aren't in the "stack 'em high and watch them fly" category. The designs are contemporary, with smart detailing, tapered legs and covered in fabric and leather, selected by stylist Renee Brown. "It's about simplicity, balance and proportion," Mr Garnham says. "When we sold to department stores we would have orders of 100 pieces, all the same. Now each piece is different, all bespoke. We don't pump things out thoughtlessly."Sustainability is another important factor and it has earned Jardan a Good Environmental Choice accreditation. "All the glues are water based, the foams are CFC-free, timber is only plantation [timber that has been especially planted to be harvested for manufacture]," he says.The company's timely entry into the marketplace is another reason for its on-going success: modernism was growing, square-armed furniture was replacing round arms; everyone wanted contemporary - the essence of the Jardan brand. A grey-stained dining table on the showroom floor is an innovative prototype from their cabinetry workshop.The brothers are about to open their first retail outlet in Brisbane, the Sydney showroom is being renovated, there's interest from Russia, the US, Britain and Finland, says Mr Garnham. It's all happening at Jardan. A Little help from OprahLife is pretty good at Breville too. Oprah's big rap for everything Australian includes the Breville Panini Press (called the Toast & Melt locally, rrp $69.95). Design and innovations director Richard Hoare says sales exploded in the US with Oprah's help. "A chef brought it on Oprah's show, she loved it and created the Oprah Love sandwich [sourdough, turkey, cheese, mayo, olive oil, basil leaves]. That was around three years ago. Oprah then included the Panini Press in her 'favourites' show and each audience member received one. Since then she has featured other Breville products."When we hit Williams-Sonoma, the premier home and gourmet cooking retailer [in the US], we became seen as a serious brand," Mr Hoare adds.Breville is also sold at retailers Bloomingdales and Macy's.Starting in 1932 as a radio manufacturer, its products are now sold in more than 30 countries.Mr Hoare puts the company's success down to its design ethos. "We deliver products that make people respond with, 'That's a great idea, why didn't someone think of it before?' Ideas like toasters with the 'lift and look' facility that doesn't interrupt the cycle [or the] fully automatic tea maker."Our Pete Evans Signature Pizza Maker was developed with him to achieve the perfect balance of ventilation and temperature, and it bakes a pizza in eight minutes."The next step is customised colours for appliances. Designers are working on that at the moment.Breville's Smart Oven is one of its products aimed at the US market, where toaster ovens are more commonly used than toasters (a habit formed in university dorm rooms to reheat pizzas, according to Mr Hoare). The compact Smart Oven heats quickly, bakes cakes and has a cutting board that can sit on top to reclaim bench space.Mr Hoare believes one of the strengths of Australian design is that designers here are educated as jacks-of-all-trades and not as specialists, the criterion followed overseas. "So we can handle a range of details on products and see the process through. We have a low ego, we worry more about the consumer rather than showing parents something amazing we developed at work.""When a designer [can] visualise what could be, it benefits all parts of the business."Contacts Marc Pascal 9480 3617 marcpascal.com Warwick 1300 787 888 warwick.com.au Jardan 9548 8866 jardan.com.au Breville 1300 726 941 breville.com.au
© 2011 The Sunday Age
