Saturday Indesign (SID), now in its 20^th year, really encapsulates that spirit of connectivity that makes the design community so unique and, well, fun. It’s an event that brings people together, invites them into the ‘homes’ of Australia’s leading purveyors of design, to experience showrooms as activated brand environments. Through interactive installations, dynamic design discussions, product launches and sublime hospitality, 34 exhibitors across 26 locations brought Saturday Indesign to vibrant life, this year in Melbourne.

Defined by three major design precincts of the city CBD, Richmond and Collingwood, the 2023 edition of Saturday Indesign enticed 2000 architects, designers and design lovers out from behind the desk to grab a classic ‘SID’ tote (this year created with bag partners Living Edge), and catch jaunty SID-branded buses (made possible thanks to transport partner Neolith), to sleuth out the best products and meet with friends and future contacts in some of Melbourne’s finest design showrooms.

Here we’ll take you on a whirlwind tour through each precinct, calling out the highlights along the way.

Welcome to Richmond

This year Richmond was flagged as Saturday Indesign’s largest Melbourne precinct, offering event-goers a dense and appealing group of exhibitors to visit – all within an easy walk.

Filling visitors with excitement was the official launch of Australia’s Molteni & C flagship store, unveiling creative director Vincent Van Duysen’s ‘Living Concept – A Warm and Fluid Home’.

Across the road, Jardan revealed its latest collection, seamlessly integrating this into its pop-up Café Jardan. Close by was Mobilia, which toured its visitors through its flagship store, and rewarded one lucky person with a trip to the Milan Furniture Fair – what an excellent door prize!

Reece and Neolith invited guests into Reece’s Richmond headquarters, known as The Works, staged The Project with Fraser and Partners, inviting guests to step into a mesmerising VR adventure where they could be whisked away to a breathtaking utopian bathroom scape.

Didier was a major product highlight, presenting two new furniture collections, entitled TanGuor and Etiquette, as well as an expanded selection of pieces for its established Gunzel Range. At Design Precinct could take part in special workshops and fuel themselves on tasty morsels from Supercheese and Olinda Specialist Cellars Gin and Wine Tasting.

Attracting a block-buster crowd for its Darren Palmer talk was Camerich, while Cosh Living and Cantilever hosted an ‘Australian Designed and Made’ discussion with collaborators Travis Dean and Katie Forbs (Cantilever Interiors) and Justin Hutchinson (Kett) on the panel.

Living Edge never disappoints and this year was no exception, with its carpark transformed into a live garden party. People grouped around the Extremis-designed Panigiri table and live musicians entertaining people with Greek tunes. Tucked next door was Thinking Works which rewarded one lucky visitor with a trip to Clerkenwell Design Week in London. And Winnings programmed a day of delicious cooking demonstrations, masterclasses and a barbecue feast.

Can’t get enough of Collingwood

Teaming up with Santa & Cole, AJAR staged The Project with a series of land and air scapes sculpted by the warm light of Santa & Cole’s Tekiò pendant lamp. Also filling their showroom with creative inspiration was AXOR with Plus Architecture who staged an ‘fluid’ water-projecting experience that immersed visitors in a multi-sensory wonderland.

ecf HFA put the focus on product innovation, presenting latest offerings from renowned brands Jonas Ihreborn, Luxxbox, Framery, Sedus and +Halle.

In an expansive warehouse space above its usual quarters, Great Dane brought its unique style with long, blue snaking modular sofas, where visitors photographed themselves to go in the running for a delicately designed Verpan lamp.

Across the road at HAY, a colourful cubby house – indeed the Colour Crate House – constructed by the team from numerous multi-hued crates (constructed from recycled content) created quite the buzz among visitors.

The ultimate hosts, K5 Furniture was home to multiple in-depth conversations – including Masanao Hamaguchi speaking with K5’s Suzette Jackson on the values and design thinking of craft furniture from the Hida Takayama region in the Gifu prefecture of Japan.

At ownworld crowds arrived early for the packed-out Publish Me! Panel discussion, and finished the day with music and dancing with DJ Dowel Jones on the decks. Just around the corner, Tait turned on its outdoor hospitality, staging a ‘how to create a natural Australian garden’ workshop with Phillip Withers.

With plenty to touch and look at, Surface Gallery and Style Timber Floors teamed up with design studio Hot Black delving into dreams and fears to present a Utopia x Dystopia installation.

At the centre of Melbourne’s CBD design scene

At Winya Indigenous Furniture presented the Woolee Woolee Keetwanta – An Indigenous Art Projection, and dazzled guests with a performance by Meriam drag artist and reigning champion of Miss First Nation, Cerulean.

Always a popular CBD destination, SZW with Omvivo and e&s hosted a champagne and oyster hour with David Hicks and showed off pop-y pink bathroom concepts, as well as the latest kitchen and bathroom concepts.

At Signature Floors, guests observed artists wielding tufting guns to highly creative effect. Meanwhile, at Aspect Furniture, the company teamed up with Dunlop Foam, Camira Fabrics, Autex, Wise Wool, and Critical to put the focus on sustainable products and manufacturing processes.

HOW. teamed up with Autex Acoustics for this edition of Saturday Indesign, working with RMIT to stage The Project and in-depth discussions for attentive audiences.

At Brickworks, an exhibition of work by architectural photographer Derek Swalwell was on show, and a rich conversation around Growing Graduates Into Leaders proved to be highly relevant and engaging.

This year’s Saturday Indesign is a wrap – but the journey continues!

Did you love all the installations you saw at Saturday Indesign? Vote for your favourite Project for your chance to win.

Explore the Saturday Indesign Afterparty – an event to remember!

Get ready for next year’s Saturday Indesign, returning to Sydney for 2024.

We love seeing all your photos. Share your experience using #saturdayindesign, and see more highlights @saturdayindesign.

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Contributing to the discussion are a curated panels featuring some of our industry’s brightest including Matthew Woordward (Matthew Woodward), Mark Raggatt (ARM Architecture), Jasmin Williamson (John Wardle Architects), Adam Mundy (Geyer), Karina Simpson (Hot Black), Craig Saltmarsh (Gray Puksand), Marina Carroll (Architectus), Kristi Wayman (Nic Brunsdon), William Smart (Smart Design Studio) and many more! 

If you’re keen to keep your finger on the pulse, Saturday Indesign is the program for you. Check out the great lineup of design discussions and talks and get to know the speakers who are bringing their knowledge and perspective to this phenomenal line up.

Shop till you Drop! The New Wave of Experimental Retail

Moderated by Alice Blackwood

9:30 am – 10:30 am at Winning Appliances

After two years of digital trading, the stage is set for a new dawn for retail spaces. The act of shopping, purchasing, and selection is less functional and more about curating consumer-centric experiences that immerse the shopper, and offer rich scope for connection and storytelling.

On this panel: Jessica Coulter (Cera Stribley), Charlotte Wilson (SJB), Harry Boileau (Winning Appliances), Kate McGlone (Winning Appliances).

A New Dawn of Materiality

Moderated by Jan Henderson

10:00 am – 11:00 am hosted at Kaolin Tiles

So much of what we design comes down to the materials we choose. From creating a visual statement, to supporting local and sustainable suppliers, materiality is what truly defines a project. In this session we look at projects who lead the way in their material choices and inspire us to get creative. Join speakers Matthew Woodward (Woodward Architecture), Dijana Tasevska (CHROFI), Mark Raggatt (ARM).

In Conversation: Art, Architecture and Lighting

Moderated by Aleesha Callahan

10:15 am – 10:45 am at Special Lights 

If an architect designs a beautiful space but there is no light to illuminate it, is it still beautiful? This session looks at the role of lighting in observation and perception, with particular emphasis in the intersection between lighting, art and architecture.

On this panel: Jackson Stigwood and Paolo Frigenti (both Public Design Studio).

20/20 Vision: Towards a Sustainable Future

Moderated by Alice Blackwood

11:00 am – 12:00 pm at Sehosu 

Our future lies in the hands of people who can dream us something better, finding solutions to our environmental and social problems in their foresight, vision and innovation. This talk puts a collection of these people centre stage, looking at how they want to revolutionise the built environment to something that is future-focused.

Join Jasmin Williamson (John Wardle), Aidan Mullan (Interface) and Marcus Piper and Virginia Wong-See (architecture @ altitude) (both Regional Architecture Association).

Ensuring Workplace Relevance

Moderated by Michael C. O’Brien

11:45 am – 12:45 pm At Wilkhahn Asia Pacific 

The workplace of today is in flux. New competing drivers, such as the commute to work post covid, are fast determining the success or failure of these spaces. We investigate how leadership within an organisation can ensure that where we work, is relevant now, and in the future.

This panel of industry experts including Dr. Kirsten Brown (Six Ideas by Dexus),  Duncan Young (Lendlease), Tim Slessor (Catholic Education Office) and Dan Kola (CBRE) will discuss what can be done now to futureproof the office of tomorrow.

The Utopian Office and the Death of the 9-5

Moderated by Alice Blackwood

1:15 pm – 2:15 pm Herman Miller 

As businesses face challenges in convincing employees to return to the office, new approaches to workplace design are creating the ‘utopian office’, a culturally rich destination that offers all the benefits of community, connection, learning and osmosis. Hear from speakers Nicole Fitzgerald (Siren Design), Adam Mundy (Geyer), Dan Szwaj (TURNER) and Karina Simpson (Hot Black).

Democratising Learning: The Evolution of Education

Moderated by Jan Henderson

2:00 pm – 3:00 pm at 

After nearly two years of on and off home-schooling, the way we learn and teach has been thrust into the spotlight, with people taking note of the structure, and indeed buildings, that are made to facilitate education. We look at the quiet revolution that is underway in the education sector, looking at how people, product and design is paving the way.

In this panel: Tom Skeehan (SKEEHAN), Craig Saltmarsh (Gray Puksand), Marina Carroll (Architectus).

The Architecture of Travel

Moderated by Aleesha Callahan

2:30 pm – 3:30 pm at AnteriorXL

What does travel look like in the post-pandemic era? Are we looking for spaces that transport us or places that feel like home? Do we want creature comforts or high end luxury? What does it take to make a home away from home and is it about creating spaces with personality or something that can be melded into one’s own?

Hear from Kristi Wayman (Nic Brunsdon), Rachel Luchetti (Luchetti Krelle), Tracey Wiles (Woods Bagot) and Stephen Howard (Ovolo Group).

Business of Design

Moderated by Max Thompson

3:00 pm – 4:00 pm at Krost Business Furniture
What does it take to run a successful design practice in 2022? How do we navigate between clients who have seen it all, rising responsibilities for HR teams and continuing to inspire teams to achieve the best? Explore this theme with speakers Saneia Norton (Saneia Norton Design Communication), Sue Davies (Global Design Citizens) and Dustin Brade (Hames Sharley).

In Conversation: William Smart on Heritage and Contemporary Design

3:30 pm – 4:00 pm at Fred International 

Hear from William Smart, Director of Smart Design Studio, in a building of his own design. In this intimate chat, learn about the process of designing award-winning projects, particularly how you work within the parameters of existing and heritage buildings to create a modern, contemporary and environmentally sustainable design.

Designing Rooms and Influencing People

Moderated by Aleesha Callahan

4:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Instagram has become a space where design can thrive, where the most powerful design statement you can make fits into 1:1 square. How has this changed the way we understand design, and how have consumer habits changed with the rise of the interior influencer? Join Aleesha Callahan (Editor, Habitus magazine), Stefania Reynolds (StudioJohnston) and Alexandra Ponting (AP Design House) in this discussion. 

Attending Saturday Indesign Design Discussions is free, simply register now and attend on-day. 

Your attendance puts you into the running to win from our prize pool of over $20,000. 

We can’t wait to see you at #saturdayindesign however don’t forget that 21 May is also the federal election. Saturday Indesign recommends registering for a postal vote or find your closest pre-polling place to make sure you don’t miss out on any of the design action.

Key event details:

Saturday Indesign
21 May, 2022
9am-5pm
Key design locations across Sydney
Free to attend! Register now!

The post Introducing your 2022 Saturday Indesign speakers appeared first on Saturday Indesign.

So get your walking shoes on and your Instagram feed primed because you’ll be stopping in at locations in four charged design precincts: Waterloo, Surry Hills, Alexandria and CBD to immerse yourself in a day unlike any other. Want to know the best part? The day is 100% FREE, with design talks, workshops, activations, transportation AND hospitality all in the house.

Want to know more? Here are some very important reasons to join in on the action.

1. Keep your finger on the pulse: 

With the best design brands and suppliers on the ground all showcasing the latest releases and launching shiny new stuff – you’re guaranteed to walk away with some serious design intel. 

You’ll also hear from an exclusive list of speakers across a full-day of curated content. Speakers include Matthew Woordward (Matthew Woodward), Mark Raggat (ARM), Jasmine Williamson (John Wardle), Adam Mundy (Geyer), Karina Simpson (Hot Black), Craig Saltmarsh (Gray Puksand), Marina Carroll (Architectus), Kristi Wayman (Nic Brunsdon), with many more to be announced! 

View the full What’s on schedule here, and view our Saturday Design Discussions here.

2. Fuel your creative inspiration

Staying inspired is all part for the course in the design biz. And what Saturday Indesign brings is inspiration in spades. Expect a sensory overload as Saturday Indesign invites you to get involved by touching, feeling and smelling the creativity! With Showrooms collaborating with the likes of ARM Architecture, PLUS Architecture, PTW and more for a fully immersive experience. 

See Project Partnerships and creative collaborations here.

3. Register and attend to WIN!

Treat yourself at SID, with prizes like a trip to Germany for Orgatec Furniture Fair (courtesy of Thinking Works and Square Bear Acoustics), your very own Ball Chair (from Technogym), the The HÅG Tion 2160 chair (from Flokk), an Ara to Go light (from Special Lights), five tickets for you and your crew to the official Saturday Indesign afterparty, $500 Ovolo Hotel Voucher, and much, much more! Check out all the incredible prizes you could win by registering now!

4. All you have to do is hop on and off

Not sure where to start? Saturday Indesign features several trails across the city, centred around our exhibitor showrooms. There are walkable maps and free buses thanks to our transport partner Neolith, so that you can hit up every spot and not miss a thing. 

5. Unique footprint and all the perks that go with it

What has long set Saturday Indesign apart is its unique footprint, leaving behind the cold stark environment of a trade hall, for the welcoming and authentic experience of entering a brand’s home, their showroom and like all good hosts, our exhibitors have some exceptional hospitality planned to treat your senses throughout the day. 

With all there is to learn, see and experience, you may like to take stock and recharge along the way. Luckily, our exhibitors are planning to take your creative experience to the next level, matching the creative intensity with equal parts hospitality. Check out all the best hospitality pit stops on our What’s On page. 

Attending Saturday Indesign is free, skip the queue on the day and register your attendance online now!

We can’t wait to see you at #saturdayindesign however don’t forget that May 21st is also the federal election. Saturday Indesign recommends registering for a postal vote to make sure you don’t miss out on any of the design action.

Key event details:

Saturday Indesign 
21 May, 2022
9am-5pm 
Key design locations across Sydney 
Free to attend! Register now.

The post Top reasons you need to be at Saturday Indesign appeared first on Saturday Indesign.

Adele Bates x Omvivo launch Lune

As Adele Bates gets ready to launch a new range of bathroom ware with Omvivo, the design studio took the opportunity to collaborate once more with the Australian owned company – this time creating a showstopper as part of Saturday Indesign.

Omvivo, together with Sub-Zero Wolf and TSAR will come to life at Saturday Indesign. “Visitors can expect to be greeted by the warm hospitality of the Sub-Zero Wolf kitchen and be inspired by the bathroom ware of Lune by Adele Bates,” says the founder of the studio Adele Bates.

“The opportunity to present the Adele Bates x Omvivo Lune collaboration in the beautiful Sub Zero and Wolf showroom feels like the perfect coming together of kitchen and bathroom fittings for the modern home. TSAR’s luxurious rug collection further enhances the residential environment and brings an element of warmth to the space,” says Adele Bates on the collaboration. Adding, “Our installation echoes the clean, geometric lines of the Lune collection, and the careful use of colour highlights in its refined finishes palette. Soft curvature, subtle insets and shadow line details belie the grounding solidity of the pieces, invoking a desire to touch.”

SJB X Brickworks’ Kabuki Drop

Turning the traditional view of bricks on its head, SJB will blur the boundaries between the physical and the virtual with a special Augmented Reality experience made just for Saturday Indesign.

Set in the brand new Brickworks showroom, Kabuki Drop will showcase the power of bricks in an entirely new scenario. “The brief was to create something engaging and interactive. An exhibition that could demonstrate the versatility of bricks, not just in its current use, but with some view of its future use and construction process,” says the SJB design team.

Visitors can expect to be taken on an optical and interactive journey that: “explores the techniques of parametric coding and AR construction. We want Saturday Indesign visitors to share in the visually augmented experience of this complex and fabric-like installation,” says SJB.

Double Take: Seventies Maximalism x Artisanal Craft

WMK Architecture is collaborating with Arthur G and Mokum to create a visual journey between “two seemingly contradictory design aesthetics.” Set in the Arthur G showroom in Richmond, the project “investigates how we could insert gestures within the space which of themselves could serve as a framework for the product display. An undulating and immersive installation that embraces both product and audience. Our intent with the installation is to highlight the narrative of the textiles through a three-dimensional framing of the custom furniture settings.”

The installation is an exploration of the upholstery process from “weaving and wrapping, to application”. The sculptures reflect the “sheer quantity of threads and intricacies that come together to reach the final refined application”. The installation is a response to the palette of ‘Artisanal Craft, Seventies Maximalism.’

 

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‘Open for Business’ by Dowel Jones x ownworld x polytec

Focusing on workplace, Dowel Jones, together with ownworld and polytec, has integrated the brand’s signature, playful language across three new collections and one new addition, which will be presented within a space that can only be described as nostalgic to those who worked in an office pre-Y2K.

“Think Ask Jeeves meets MSN Messenger”. The design intent responds to Dowel Jones commonly used gestures, simplifying objects to their bare essentials without compromising aesthetic values.

It will be a walk down memory lane for some, and more a distant memory for others – all coming together with new product and a newly found collaborative group.

Eco Timber x Mainichi Design

As Saturday Indesign 2019 is bang smack in the middle of winter, Eco Timber has been collaborating with Mainichi to bring to life its showroom with a welcoming Winter Warmer theme – all under the banner of “old versus new”. An outdoor fire will keep people’s gaze, while Mainichi Design is creating recycled timber jewellery onsite and a sculpture that will develop over the course of the day. “With Mainichi Design we have both been able to support each other in helping showcase the diversity of timber and get creatives to see timber and how it can be used in a new perspective.”

 

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A post shared by Dearne Mills (@mainichidesign) on Jun 14, 2019 at 4:30am PDT

2wards Zero Waste by Hot Black x KE-ZU

KE-ZU’s pop-up within Lumas Gallery in Richmond for Saturday Indesign is one space not to be missed. Partnering with Hot Black Design, visitors will experience an interactive element that explores KE-ZU’s message ‘2wards Zero Waste’. The installation will bring to life KE-ZU’s local production with U.S. design icon Bernhardt Design, including exciting new product releases from Milan, New York and Valencia.

Meanwhile in Melbourne comes to life at StylecraftHOME

The collaboration between StylecraftHOME and Meanwhile In Melbourne for Saturday Indesign is the perfect backdrop for a pop-up exhibition in three distinct areas of the StylecraftHOME showroom; the Kitchen, Library and Den. “What makes Saturday Indesign different is that it feels a bit more like being invited to the designers’ homes rather than just visiting a showroom, it’s more unfiltered and intimate,” says Manuela.

“You will be able to move through the space and appreciate the curated works, with StylecraftHOME serving as the perfect backdrop to see it all in context,” Manuela continues. This includes objects, ceramics and artwork by Fellow Mobiles, Stephanie Rooney from Moona + Co, Anna Varendhoff from ACV Studio, Philippa A Taylor and Capra Designs. Complementing each setting is also StylecraftHOME’s iconic designs; Tacchini and lighting by Ross Gardam.

Want more? Start planning your day by going through each key area, starting with City Central and City North!

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