Curious Grace At Den Fair

Trade fairs can be like holiday romances – brief, intense, and last about three days.

It’s a competitive environment too.

Exhibitors compete for attendees’ scant attention.

They often deploy big budgets to do so.

But not Curious Grace, a retailer of modern and contemporary furniture.

They were exhibiting at Den Fair 2018 and had a hard-edged budget of no more than $10,000 to design, construct, style, and sign their stand.

And their mission was to unveil a new exclusive furniture line from Gazzda.

But there was more than just money and pride on the line.

They needed a low-risk, big-upside solution. So they collaborated with Inbetween Architecture.

Their brief to Inbetween Architecture for this three day fair was clear and detailed:

a hard-edged design, construction, styling, and signage budget of no more than $10,000
a 6m x 6m space at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre
a simple design to provide a backdrop for the displayed items
the stand had to be an architectural installation of merit
no fixing to floor allowed
a lighting solution was needed

Inbetween Architecture knew their installation was not the hero.

The new Gazzda furniture pieces on show had to shine.

But the structure had to frame the space with minimal obstruction.

So they deployed seven timber portal frames that suggested the extent of the 6 x 6 footprint and its volume.

The stand design complimented the furniture, but it contrasted with it too.

Inbetween Architecture pared the display back to basics by using minimal materials and simple construction.

The stand reflected the short-lived nature of the event, delivering a 360 degree view of the Gazzda pieces.

That meant that more circulation space around the display was needed.

So Inbetween Architecture borrowed space outside the stand by positioning the furniture so that people could approach them from all directions, walk around them, and move in and out of the stand.

Some of the key design details included:

Portal frames supported the hanging lights with concealed powerboards in the core.
A cord detail was added to the signage board as a nod to the Gazzda design.
The dressed pine timber and steel T angles could be recycled or reused elsewhere.

Anna, the owner of Curious Grace was happy with the result, saying,

“An amazing job John. The stand had so much positive feedback and many compliments. It created a dynamic interactive space that complimented our furniture design elements without the stand detracting or overwhelming the pieces, which was our agreed upon brief. It has your signature. Perfect design zen.”

Mia, a Trade and Retail Sales Consultant who attended the event said,

“… I just wanted to share that your design has been such a success. Many people have commented on its refinement and concept. Everyone has been walking in from all sides and the plinth’s use, particularly for the coffee table, definitely elevated interest in the pieces. Well done on a fantastic design and collaboration!”

Bottom line?

The hands-on approach from Inbetween Architecture saw them working collaboratively with Anna, the owner of Curious Grace, to develop a bespoke design that satisfied her brief, respected the project’s budget, showcased the products heroically, and captured the attention of easily-distracted trade show attendees.

Project Details

Completion date – 2018

Project Team

Architecture

Inbetween Architecture

Inbetween Architecture specialises in residential architecture. Their portfolio extends to renovations, extensions, refurbishments and new builds and their hands-on approach involves working closely with clients to develop bespoke designs that satisfy brief and respect budget.

Inspired by Debussy’s musings about music being the space between the notes, the Inbetween Architecture approach is to focus on the experience of the spaces they create, between the walls, floors and ceilings. They strive to design calm and accessible spaces which provide sanctuary from today’s busy lifestyles, with architecture that is beautiful to look at but also, and more importantly, a joy to inhabit; to live inbetween.

www.inbetweenarchitecture.com.au

Photography

Tatjana Plitt

Tatjana is an award-winning artist and architecture/interiors photographer based in Melbourne. She completed her Bachelor of Media Arts at RMIT University and has exhibited her work throughout Australia and internationally. Inspired by the power of architecture to shape how we feel, think and behave, Tatjana creates images that capture the mood and emotion of spaces.

www.tatjanaplitt.com