Australian Made
We speak with Golden co-directors Alicia McKimm and Kylie Dorotic about their recent retail design for Viktoria & Woods
Design Anthology: How did you first meet the client?
Golden: We’ve long been admirers of Viktoria & Woods, and were thrilled when they approached us at the beginning of the year to work on a new concession for David Jones in Sydney. Soon after, we began working on their new store in Mosman.
Can you tell us what’s unique about the building and the location?
Mosman is a beautiful harbourside suburb in North Sydney. The building sits amid a quaint village streetscape minutes from the harbour.
What was the brief to you?
The brief was to create a space that was the physical manifestation of the brand — to elevate the in-store experience with a design that took customers on a journey.
How did you approach the project? What design references or narrative did you try to incorporate?
The brand DNA was the inspiration — it’s about timeless designs that use natural, sustainable and ethical materials that are Australian-made. We also took inspiration from larger and more architectural gallery-like spaces.
Tell us a little about the material choices.
Contrasting materiality provides variation in textural elements, with natural woven rugs and textured paint against luxurious natural stone. A monolithic piece of quartzite from G-LUX sits centre stage, and custom cork plinths are paired with unfilled silver travertine for accessory display. Walls are rendered with a fine grit, providing a canvas to project videos and emotive content.
Tell us about some of the custom pieces.
Custom James Howe shelving is inspired by ceiling trusses in Woolloomooloo’s Finger Wharf building; and in homage to Howe’s Rushcutters Bench, each shelf was hand-woven in Adelaide using traditional Danish paper cord techniques. It’s a unique and special piece within the store.
Are there any other details about the project you’d like to share?
We share many principles in our approach to design with Viktoria & Woods, and it was a real joy to work with them on this project that we hope to be the first of many.
As told to / Suzy Annetta
Images / Sharyn Cairns
