Trend: pleasure temples for architects

Architecture is an expression of values – Norman Foster We all have our go-to’s, secret spots and default shops we plunder to complete our individual style. But have you ever wondered where the design style mavens go? Given that architecture is a lifestyle, not a job, read on for the top 5 Sydney stores and services architects can’t live without and discover that discerning taste isn’t defined solely by price point. Furniture: be warned, when you step into Living Edge’s cavernous repurposed woolstore in Alexandria, you’ll be hard-pressed to leave without reaching for the plastic. Architects were known to visit the Woods Bagot-designed space for the fitout alone (more on élan later) when it opened in 2015. The Showroom features an 8-metre high lobby with a towering timber portico that masterfully frames the display of premium furniture design brands and objects beneath. Thankfully, if you can’t quite manage to layby the Walter Knoll corner sofa or a BD Barcelona Design moulded lounge, you’ll find a great array of home and office wares including Vitra notepads and Marc Newson for Noritake teacups at surprisingly democratic prices. The Woolstores, Shed 74, 4D Huntley Street, Alexandria livingedge.com.au Home and office accessories: in an ever-changing landscape of mega-mall retailers, it’s not easy to settle on a formula for success without a substantial business loan and the guarantee of a steady stream of Zespa trainers gliding past your shopfront. But former Museum of Contemporary Art store manager and buyer, Karin Huchatz, has mastered the art of creating a retail sanctuary… solo. The DEA Store sits along burgeoning Redfern’s Regent Street where bowerbird Huchatz’s exquisitely crafted treasures from across the globe are artfully hung, stacked, folded and individually showcased to please the Delicate Eye Area with commanding chivalry. She has an innate knack for foraging for products sold nowhere else in the country – unique ceramics sourced from local potters and in remote Japanese villages, covetable pieces from emerging visual artists and an array of kitchen supplies, textiles, lighting, and statement-making workplace treasures including brass Futagami tape dispensers that once registered on your retina, you just can’t live without. 146 Regent Street, Redfern thedeastore.com Books: yes, the shelf life has quite literally expired for Arial’s flagship store on Oxford Street with its rows of glinting coffee table publications (thankfully, it’s re-opening in Glebe soon). But fear not, on Surry Hills’ Mary Street lies Published Art spruiking the best looking printed material in town in a shelf satisfying way. Proving that literature and photography don’t have to be the sole preserve of the digital marketplace, it stocks all things inspirational on art, design, photography, architecture, graphic design, and landscape architecture. Every book on the shelf goes through a careful screening process and industry heavyweights including Phaiden and Taschen jostle for space with the lesser known independent publishers plus hard-to-find tittles and limited editions. Shop 2, 38 Mary Street, Surry Hills publishedart.com.au Inspiration sanctuary: we’re all familiar with the adage that a healthy body feeds an alert and inspired mind. It weighs down on us heavily as we struggle to balance too many hours in front of the computer with the daunting additional commitment to exercise. Enter loft space One Hot Yoga and Pilates in Potts Point, a pioneer in the wellbeing world given its exquisite zen-like interior with beautifully appointed furnishings that have recently commanded shortlistings for a multitude of interior design awards. Architect Rob Mills and his yogi wife Lucinda have created a covetable haven and acclaimed workout space to boot. Designed for mindlfulness, regularly scheduled classes are powered by a state-of-the-art hydronic heating system that hydrates the eyes and skin without draining you of liquids, whilst their filtration system nourishes the body and cleanses the organs with a constant stream of subtly spice-scented oxygen. The streamlined Allegro Reformer pilates machines – the Porsche of pilates equipment – get you firing on all cylinders, whilst the beautifully designed change rooms with hair dryers and straighteners, showers stocked with Ayurvedic products and relaxing lounge rooms will have settling in post exercise. If only a boutique hotel was attached! 34 Kellett Street, Potts Point onehotyoga.com.au Fitouts: there is something to be said about joinery or a piece of furniture that has been thought through and laboured over by a master craftsman who puts quality and time-honoured practices before quantity. élan is one such company that takes the integrity of bespoke joinery to a commercial scale. Over the past 25 years it has worked with some of the country’s premier architectural firms delivering award-winning fitouts for both commercial and residential projects, including office refurbishments, hospitality, retail and private abodes. Celebrated projects include The Old Clare Hotel and Living Edge’s Sydney and new Brisbane-based showrooms. Its custom furniture division excels in prototyping, crafting commissioned pieces and complete suites of signature ranges through to large-scale production for leading international design companies. For those about to renovate their house or build from scratch, we suggest you take a look at élan’s website – both the commercial and residential pages – for inspiration AND a contact number! elanc.com.au   Header Icon