Sydney's Design Precinct
Sydney Morning Herald
Wednesday September 25, 1996
Stretching from Woolloomooloo to Waterloo,
the Bourke and Crown street strip is Sydney
designer home heaven, with all the latest looks
to be found in one concentrated shopping district.
HELEN GREENWOOD, GUY ALLENBY and
MELISSA WALKER SMITH compiled this guide.
THE raw material is certainly unpromising. It's a three- or four-kilometre- long strip of grittiest inner city choked by the city's most heavily trafficked arteries.
But by tramping the pavement within a couple of blocks either side of the twin spines of Bourke and Crown streets, the fashionable home renovator or decorator can uncover all the latest home-design trends.
There are serious kitchen appliance specialists and esoteric furniture importers, high-class framers and avant-garde galleries, funky fabric stores and retro furniture. Even the Surry Hills Market, held on the first Saturday of every month, provides some of the best bric-a-brac pickings in town.
And, while Parramatta may be the geographic heart of Sydney and Hunter Street its business centre, the who's who of Australian design and architectural talent is to be found along the Crown and Bourke axis: Tonkin Zulaikha, Gordon & Valich, Stephen Varady, Melocco & Moore, Stanic Harding, Graham Jahn, Ed Lippmann, Allen Jack + Cottier, Clive Lucas, Howard Tanner, Virginia
Kerridge, James Grose, Engelen Moore et al.
As Chrissie Jeffries, who owns No Chintz and has lived in Surry Hills on and off for the past 20 years, says, "You know when you have a flower shop you have turned a corner and become respectable."
Twenty years ago, Surry Hills was all working-men's pubs and crowded terraces gasping for air. The few fruit and vegetable shops sold oranges, apples, potatoes and pumpkin, and nothing more.
The rag trade huddled in large warehouses around Riley Street. Nearby, commission housing kept the area poor but honest, while the brothels and gambling houses cast a seedy shadow down the narrow laneways.
Then, in the '80s, people discovered how cheaply you could live near the city. The Redfern supermarket on Cleveland Street opened up, design traders such as Anibou and Tangent Lighting moved in, cafes sprang up and the home renovators followed.
Domain has identified almost 50 specialist retailers in the area. So if you are about to buy, renovate or redecorate your home, read on for your complete guide to the designer precinct.BELOW WILLIAM STREET
1 Joan Bowers Antiques sells an exotic mixture of furniture and accessories, all fresh from India. The warehouse space offers a well-edited combination of old and new treasures in wood, metal and stone. There are tikka boxes, sequined cushions, dowry chests, desks, columns and bridal beds, priced from $15 up to $23,000. 56 Palmer Street, Woolloomooloo, ph 9358 3022.
2 Orlando opened next door to Joan Bowers last year and stocks a collection of French antique furniture plus reproductions of refectory tables, dressers and chairs, in French, Spanish and English styles, which are hard to tell from the triple-the-price originals. There are seven different dining tables - some with plank tops, others with Versailles parquet - which sell from $6,500, plus three chair designs. 3 Junction Street, Woolloomooloo, ph 9368 0553.
3 Haddonstone is a favourite of the well-heeled eastern suburbs set. The massive showroom sells a full range of reconstituted stone paving and classic architectural products such as col-umns, architraves, headstones, sills, pedestals and planter boxes. It is impossible to tell this manmade material from its sandstone twin. 104 Bourke Street, Woolloomooloo, ph 9358 6688.
4 Sedia is among the best for upholstered furniture with a traditional (but not boring) spin. The company has been designing and producing upholstered furniture, mirrors and lamps, including its famous hump-back and chesterfield sofa designs, for more than 10 years. The latest addition to the 30-odd pieces is the Rohe Rattan collection of furniture designed by Roderick Vos. Pricey, but classics never date. 84 Cathedral Street, Woolloomooloo, ph 9356 3166.
WILLIAM STREET-OXFORD STREET
5 Echo Echo - in business a year and down the hill in Bourke Street, East Sydney - sells its own furniture label plus that of the local design firm Design Ecru. The Echo Echo look is big and modernist (without being too hard-edged). Lots of timber veneer and strong shapes. 211 Bourke Street, East Sydney, ph 9361 6699.
5 Echo Echo - in business a year and down the hill in Bourke Street, East Sydney - sells its own furniture label plus that of the local design firm Design Ecru. The Echo Echo look is big and modernist (without being too hard-edged). Lots of timber veneer and strong shapes. 211 Bourke Street, East Sydney, ph 9361 6699.
6 Ken Neale, the collector's collector, has been here for the past 12 years, quietly selling some of the grooviest furniture in Sydney. In the window, in front of an original '70s Pierre Cardin fabric, are four fabulous one-seaters
in citrus yellow and red orange; a Danish-inspired orange segment plastic light shade dangles over a square, German glazed vase. The plastic stacking table and storage units of the moment, Anna Castelli courtesy of Advance Industries, are inside, as are ceramics, also a Neale forte. Darley Street, Darlinghurst, ph 9331 2187.
7 Stylecraft Australia The latest in
a burgeoning line of cavernous, concrete-floored designer furniture outlets is Stylecraft's new showroom (round the corner from the Burdekin) where you can buy the range of "Stretch" lounges by Sydney designers Schamburg + Alvisse. Also local and imported cafe chairs and tables, office furni-ture and sofas. 221-225 Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst, ph 9331 8388.
8 Poggenpohl Kitchens imports German, couture-quality, fully fitted kitchens. Best known for its super 12-layer high-gloss lacquer finish, the company has launched into exotic veneers and has recently developed a new eco-friendly water-based lacquer. Prices start at $15,000. 45 Burton Street, East Sydney, ph 9332 1160.
9 Apartment Living is your best bet for bargain Moran-style sofas, chairs and bed ensembles. The company manufactures its own classic, chunky pieces at unbeatably low prices and also specialises in loose covers for seating. 76 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst, ph 9331 6481.
OXFORD STREET-CLEVELAND STREET
10 Home is a lively modern shop selling hip plastic placemats, quirky cocktail shakers, plastic swizzle sticks and loads more. Check out the range of affordably priced household accessories that have just arrived from Tokyo and New York. 153 Oxford St, Darlinghurst, ph 9332 4840.
11 Form More retro chic: '50s glassware, original 1959 Verner Panton cone chairs, chairs by Grant Featherston, fine no-name pieces, lights and room dividers. Form sells restored and re-upholstered furniture, and also pieces in original condition so you can DIY, such as the very Florence Knoll three-seater chrome-and-leather couch with padded chrome arms. You can also order off photos. 415 Bourke Street, Darlinghurst, ph 9331 6227.
12 Corso de' Fiori imports a mix of furniture and homewares from Italy, India and South-East Asia and is branching out with a new line of modern Danish and Italian furniture. All staff are trained decorators who will visit your home and offer free advice. 335 South Dowling Street, Darlinghurst, ph 9360 5151.
13 Animal Fetish A stuffed animal might just be the little piece of personality needed to lift the clean, impersonal lines and monochromatic tones of an inner-city apartment. Besides that, they don't leave any fur on the sofa. Animal Fetish stocks everything from a full-mounted deer to mice, to animal replicas in plastic and papier-mache. 62 Flinders Street, Darlinghust, ph 9361 0808.
14 Design Warehouse Before the explosion of the area's designer furniture outlets, this was one of the only places around to snap up a piece of European excellence. New floor stock is from this year's Milan furniture fair, notably '60s retro looks upholstered in intense lime green, purples and oranges. 67 Flinders Street, Darlinghurst, ph 9360 4144.
15 Lightwise Next door to Space, this is the outlet for some of the best in contemporary lighting on the planet. Pieces from Flos, Arteluce and Luce-plan are represented, including work by Marc Newson and the new Philippe Starck pendant "Romeo Moon". Lightwise also offers a lighting advisory service. 99 Flinders Street, Darlinghurst, ph 9380 6222.
16 Gelosa Kitchens Also in the Space building are these kitchen designers and retailers of the most desirable and latest in designer kitchen and bathroom laminates, veneers, lacquers and benchtop materials. Gelosa offers a full kitchen and bathroom design
service. 111 Flinders Street, Darlinghurst, ph 9380 6100.
17 Space Furniture Packed with drool-worthy designs from more than 20 of the leading contemporary Italian furniture and accessory manufacturers, Space prides itself on keeping prices close to (or below) those the pieces go for in Italy. New releases include Philippe Starck's "Claudia Evangelista" magazine racks, Ron Arad's "Lovely Rita" wall-mounted book shelf and Edra's "Fortuna" chair.
111 Flinders Street, Darlinghurst,
ph 9380 6000.
18 Taps Design (it spells Tiles, Accessories, Plumbing and Sanitaryware) has top-shelf designer taps, loos, hand basins and the like elevated almost to the status of high art. Taps also sells Ozone Glass and Kirkstone, a unique floor, wall and benchtop material composed of volcanic dust and ash from Britain's Lakes District. 115 Flinders Street, Darlinghurst, ph 9332 4800.
19 Chef's Warehouse Get your robot coupes and Dualit toasters here. Everything for the dedicated cook and professional chef: Cookbooks, hotel-quality crockery, great poultry shears, every pastry accessory known to mankind, simple pine chopping boards, uniforms and a selection of cooking ingredients from fine chocolate to Martelli pasta. Great for gastro browsing. 252 Riley Street, Surry Hills, ph 9211 4555.
20 Culla Change specialises in dyeing textiles and can revive world-weary slipcovers with a new colour. All the advantages of a new look for sofa and chair covers without breaking the bank. There are five standard colours or they can be re-dyed to a particular colour to order. 399a Riley Street, Surry Hills, ph 9211 3939.
21 Medici Framers make mirrors and frames in the baroque style to order. Rich, gold and often monumental, Medici's selling point is the quality of craft put into every piece. 374 Crown Street, Surry Hills, ph 9332 2545.
22 Peter Naef Framing A local stalwart, Peter Naef has been framing such artists as Norman Lindsay and Brett Whiteley for 13 years and doing work for such galleries as Josef Lebovic. Naef does art restoration - conservation standard, of course - and more unusual things, like boxes for food products, and distressed and other timber finishes. Known for his French polishing with traditional French finishes, and French matting (mounts decorated with colours and washes). Best of all, surprisingly affordable. 90 Fitzroy Street, Surry Hills, ph 9332 4991.
23 Buds & Bowers is a good source of fresh, cut flowers in the area. The new shop opened its doors four months ago and specialises in unusual, wacky
floral designs, as well as perennial favourites. 377a Crown Street, Surry Hills, ph 9361 4015.
24 Chee Soon & Fitzgerald sells classic designs of this century. This new shop stocks everything from Scandnavian and Italian studio glass to '50s tea sets, bakelite handbags, Art Deco lighting and colourful '60s Japanese wallpaper. You can get '70s Marimekko fabric for $25 a metre or a Charles Eames armchair and ottoman for $2,600. 387 Crown Street, Surry Hills, ph 9360 1031.
25 Ridgway & Sasella is a trade secret. The retail showroom, which opened this year, stocks a covetable collection to update instantly any home: British museum reproduction plaster plaques, funky Fornasetti fabric, chic gilt scallop clips for curtains and, most impressive of all, Twyford's big trad kitchen sink in vitreous china (pricey, but worth it). 423 Crown Street, Surry Hills, ph 9319 3122.
26 QM20 Design Perry and Sally Quinton moved here from Taylor Square three years ago. Great finds for retro design enthusiasts include 1953 Harry Bertoia Diamond chairs, a repro Ernest Race Antelope chair, great glassware, industrial clocks and a 1930s English chrome-and-fabric three-piece lounge suite. A good selection of standard lamps and a consistently quirky selection of old heaters. Order from photos of stock. 475 Crown Street, Surry Hills, ph 9698 9564.
27 Domus Ceramics is the acknowledged king of limestone in Sydney. Architectural firm Burley Katon Halliday is a repeat client; so are George Freedman, Allan Jack + Cottier and Engelen Moore. The outlet offers more than eight varieties of fossilised limestone from Italy - there's a honed, non-reflective finish or rougher stuff in grey, green or beige. Pricey, but headache free. Also Sannini terracotta plus a range of Portuguese mosaics in endless colours which cost $35 a square metre. 499 Crown Street, Surry Hills, ph 9698 1755.
28 Bisanna Tiles has hundreds of gorgeous tiles in hues of sand, chalk, sage, earth, charcoal and raspberry. Owner Anna Murray travels the world twice a year in search of the kind of simple stones that have been used for hundreds of years in European households. You can find unusual terracotta from Morocco, volcanic stone from New Zealand, small glass tiles from Canada, and matt glass from America. Bisanna also specialise in mosaic tiles and tumbled marble. 507 Crown Street, Surry Hills, ph 9310 2500.
29 No Chintz, the pocket-size, colourful home furnishings shop, offers heaps of bright ideas on how to dress up your house. It is stuffed with an almost endless range of cotton, muslin, canvas, damask and trimming in an exhausting choice of colours. Check out its cheapest range yet . . . a new collection of jumbo checks and stripes in cotton which costs $15 a metre. And there's a line of inexpensive ready-to-hang window treatments due soon. 574 Crown Street, Surry Hills, ph 9318 2080.
30 Norman & Quaine From lounges to lighting, everything here is designed and manufactured in Australia. Here you'll find the elegant, simple work of Korban Flaubert, Charles Wilson, ISM Objects, Astrid Huwald, Gordon Mather Industries and Norman & Quaine's own label. 74 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills, ph 9212 3542.
31 Fabric Fantasy is not the first place you would expect to find a gorgeous selection of fake fur from $10 a metre. Those in the know transform the stuff into elegant chair throws at a smidge of the usual cost. Good source for well-priced Versace and Valentino fabrics plus a wide selection of silks, cottons, brocades and tapestries that are ideal for upholstery and window treatments. 110 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills, ph 9211 5536.
32 Erica Riley is a bit of a trade secret among Sydney's leading designers and interior decorators for her inspired window treatments. Whip into her workroom which is open to the public. Suite 67, 61 Marlborough Street, Surry Hills, ph 9699 1364.
33 Eastern Suburbs Glass Want a large chunk of glass? Want it cut? Mirrors reshaped? Emergency service? This is the place for you. 255 Devonshire Street, Surry Hills, ph 9310 4999.
34 Salmon Bros are electrical merchants with everything that plugs in to light you up. 249 Devonshire Street, Surry Hills, ph 9699 1633.
35 The Design Establishment sells an electic range of antique and contemporary furniture from around the world. The 1,200-square-metre showroom stocks stylish tables, armoires, chairs, beds, murals and gilt mirrors, plus a selection of accessories. There are plans to add a range of outdoor furniture soon. A timber console costs about $299; a top-drawer dining table in old cherry wood $9,000. 513 South Dowling Street, Surry Hills, ph 9380 5788.
36 Sydney Antique Centre Unless you're a shopper blessed with a knack for the targeted, pre-emptive strike, this is a good half-day's outing. Featuring 60 individual shops over two floors, it's a fascinating place chock-full with everything from exquisite pieces from the past to bits of old trash. 531 South Dowling Street, Surry Hills, ph 9361 3244.
37 Country Form pioneered the old oregon repro look in furniture 16 years ago. The company makes convincing country-style furniture and kitchens in old oregon, mahogany and fruitwood. Good also for paintings, mosaics and frescoes. 625 South Dowling Street, Surry Hills, ph 9360 6299.
38 The Sydney Kitchen Centre manufactures quality kitchens at prices ranging from $7,000 to $50,000. The centre showcases the latest releases in laminate, timber, polyurethane, stainless steel, corian and granite. There are six designers on hand who will come to your home and design your kitchen. They can also arrange plumbers, electricians and tilers. 693 South Dowling Street, Surry Hills, ph 9698 7937.
39 The Restoration Centre sells everything an old home needs, from top-quality brass door fittings to joinery, fire grates, garden furniture and a range of lace panels and veranda brackets for domestic defences. Obsessive restorers will delight in the range of more than 15,000 restoration products. 267 Cleveland Street, Redfern, ph 9698 5511.
BELOW CLEVELAND STREET
40 Anibou's shop floor is currently dominated by the work of two of Finland's pre-eminent designers, Alvar Aalto and Kaj Franck, in the Arabia and Iittala range of stoneware and glassware. Recent additions to the store's range of designer furniture include a new Thonet dining chair, Erinna, as well as the groovy Ops chair (designer Iain Halliday loves it) fashioned for the US Navy. 726 Bourke Street, Redfern, ph 9319 0655.
41 Tangent Central specialises in contemporary Spanish lighting. Reportedly a tad cheaper than its Italian equivalents, Spanish lighting is equally chic but characterised by a slightly more idiosyncratic edge (read fun).
20 Boronia Street, Redfern, ph 9698 5088.
42 DeDeCe Press the imposing intercom button and be received into DeDeCe. Here, you can invest in some original, superbly constructed Fritz Hansen Series 7 chairs (poor imitations are available all over town) plus the work of Alias, Melbourne's MAP, Kreon lighting and Vola taps.
30 Boronia Street, Redfern, ph 9318 1700.
43 R.W. Winning has been in business since 1906 and is something of a local institution. Countless inner-city folk and eastern suburbanites wouldn't dream of buying their kitchen and laundry appliances anywhere else. The stock on display is awesome; the staff are knowledgable and helpful.
177 Phillip Street, Redfern, ph 9698 8099.
44 Moore Park Supacenta has become an irresistible source for thirtysomethings, simply because the buying muscle of the various chain stores means great buys. IKEA and Freedom stock a wide and inspiring range of modern furniture and lighting at affordable prices. They will also sell you the glasses, crockery, cutlery, towels, bedlinen and more. Harvey Norman will beat everyone's prices on flooring, kitchen and bathroom fixtures, whitegoods and electricals. Knott's Pine yields great deals on reasonable-quality pine cupboards, tables, chests of drawers and bookcases, which you can transform with a coat of paint and new door handles. Cnr South Dowling Street and Todman Avenue, Moore Park.
45 Axolotl Metal Finishes has developed a wizard technique of applying granular metallic finishes in every conceivable colour, texture and sheen to timber and ceramics, concrete and plastic. The process costs less than 10 per cent of the price it costs to cast an object in metal. 50 Chelsea Street, Redfern, ph 9699 3018.
46 Porter's Original Paints' head office sells a full range of sealers, lime-based paints, cement paints, plaster, ultra-flat acrylics, milk paint, distemper and wax - scope and colour are endless. The company has its own line of French wash, wood wash, aging glaze, scumble glaze, crackle glaze, fresco and specialises in corrosive solutions for verdigris, rust and steel. They supply a wide selection of brushes, books, paint accessories and oxides. Porter's also offers courses on how to paint, including its popular workshop, House Painting for Non-Professionals.
895 Bourke Street, Waterloo, ph 9698 5322.
© 1996 Sydney Morning Herald