Schiavello Sydney Opens the Doors to Re-Imagined Showroom

Schiavello has opened the doors to a new-look Sydney showroom, nestled within the heritage enclave of Surry Hills.

Wanting to ensure the re-imagined space fit comfortably within the vibrant Surry Hills streetscape, the brief to interior designer Angela Chang from Ambit Curator was to open up the space, emulating the inviting, hospitable atmosphere found in the neighbouring cafes, restaurants and boutiques.

“Creating this inviting presence began at the very front of the showroom, where we exposed a window that had previously been closed off,” Angela says. “Flooding the area with natural light and allowing greater visibility from the street, this single window really set the tone for the entire refurbishment, which is centred around drawing people in with a light, warm mix of textures, materials and unique pieces.”

Upon entering, visitors are greeted by a spectacular Davide Groppi ‘Moon Light’ pendant, with the eye then drawn further skywards to perforated timber ceiling panels. These panels provide acoustic properties and subtly reference the striking curved floor tile feature underfoot. Created using the Earp Brothers ‘Ceppo’ collection by Porcelanosa, it features large granite ‘pebbles’ imitating the natural Ceppo di Gré of its namesake. The naturally occurring stone features are ‘retold’ through this technical porcelain product, one of the world’s hardest and most durable materials. What results is “a vertical connection between floor to ceiling, blurring the boundaries set by existing columns on either side of the room,” Angela explains.

A stunning centre point of the ground floor space is the 350-kilogram irregular pentagon-shaped concrete tabletop, which provides a central gathering point for coffees (a must given the company’s Italian roots), meetings and evening events. The solid concrete piece was created by Concrete Bespoke and is supported by our own Agile Table bases.

With the key design features in place, Angela then turned her hand to the look and feel of each Schiavello furniture piece set to be displayed in the showroom. Working closely with our team, Angela hand-selected finishes from our ColourLab palette of fabrics, timber stains and powder coat colours, ensuring each piece worked within the space she had designed.

The Schiavello building was built in 1892 and has been home to our Sydney showroom for more than two decades. This latest renovation is the biggest refresh completed at the location to date.

“Given the history of the building, there were a lot of heritage considerations that we had to take into account and that we wanted to be respectful of,” says Kristian Missen, Director and State Manager Schiavello NSW.

“It was important too to capture Schiavello’s own heritage, which we have done with a floor-to-ceiling photo of founder Tony Schiavello working on the business in the late 1960s, as well as the ‘Anything is Possible’ neon sign – his mantra and title of his book.”

“Each and every detail has been meticulously selected and Angela and our builders have done an incredible job with the design and fit-out. The space tells the Schiavello story beautifully, showcasing our own design and product capabilities in a space that is befitting of the Surry Hills area. We can’t wait to welcome clients and partners in for a coffee and chat.”

The Schiavello Sydney showroom is located at 69 Campbell Street, Surry Hills and is open Monday to Friday. Visit www.schiavello.com/furniture/find-us for more information and to make an appointment.

Photography by Tyrone Branigan