Living Edge launches new flagship showroom in Melbourne
The Living Edge Melbourne showroom has officially opened at 650 Church Street, where its accessible, central location caters for commercial designers and architects as well as Melbourne’s design enthusiasts.
Designed by Bates Smart, this carefully crafted environment encapsulates the immersive retail and commercial philosophy and distinctive visual identity of Living Edge. Customers enter the glass-encased showroom, which offers 360-degree views and blurs the boundaries of inside and out, to experience some of the world’s most exclusive furniture and lighting brands.
“Melbourne has always had a creative spirit with a thriving architecture and design community that’s world renowned. We were inspired to create an inviting and authentic showroom experience that would meet the needs of the growing industry and provide the ultimate platform to showcase our iconic collection that’s focused on authentic, sustainable and conscious design,” said Aidan Mawhinney, CEO of Living Edge.
Living Edge engaged Bates Smart to transform the 1980s building into a modern and contemporary showroom design that reflects the Living Edge brand values of timeless, authentic and sustainable design. “Bates Smart has enjoyed a strong working relationship with Living Edge for many years, and this project provided a wonderful opportunity to work collaboratively and build upon this relationship,” said Bates Smart Associate Director and Principal Interior Designer Grant Filipoff.
Bates Smart pared the building back to its bones and took a modern touch to the interior with a refined material palette and minimal inserts. “The guiding principle throughout the design was to create a showroom that is reflective of Living Edge and its high-calibre brands. These brands provided much inspiration and are used throughout the design where possible,” Filipoff said.
Furniture and lighting from Living Edge’s world-renowned brands, including Herman Miller, Walter Knoll, BassamFellows, Muuto and Tom Dixon, are displayed on the open ground floor. The black ceiling, exposed beams and structural columns provide a dark backdrop to showcase the lighting. The natural, neutral material palette of timber and brick complements the furniture, and hardware and fixtures have a subtle industrial edge.
Tom Dixon’s glistening brass-clad Mass Dining Table – new to the Living Edge collection – is a statement piece that serves as the sale counter, with a series of his reflective Mirror Ball Pendants suspended above.
The central core of the building is a prominent and eye-catching feature, clad in stacked, hand crafted, neutral toned bricks. It discreetly conceals the services and stairwell, which provides access to the hospitality event space overlooking Church Street. The Libreria del Vino by Elite To be wine wall provides a dramatic backdrop to the kitchen and bar where Living Edge hosts clients, while Buster + Punch architectural hardware adds the finishing touches. Bates Smart continued the ribbon windows around all four sides of level one and painted the interior white to maximise natural light upstairs.
Living Edge is committed to bringing the best of local and global furniture and lighting designs from the most established and forward-thinking authentic brands. With a unique edit of iconic designs and a commitment to sustainability Living Edge is the foremost design destination for architects, interior designers, design enthusiasts and those who share discerning taste.
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