Prosperity reigns supreme at Design Partnership’s eclectic restaurant design in Castlereagh Street. Inspired by the richness of Africa and its cultural heritage as well as the optimism of Australia’s own gold rush era, The Meat & Wine Co presents a dining experience like no other.

The bar area features a moody black colour palette which nods to the richness of African soil. Luxury materials like marble, gold, velvet and leather further articulate the unity of wealth in resources between Africa and Australia. Design Partnership approached the project with a strong focus on customisation, determined to create an unforgettable experience grounded in unique, purposeful designs.

“Customisation enables designers to unlock further design expression, resulting in exceptional spaces that leave a lasting impression on those who experience them,” explains Callie van der Merwe, Principal Architect at Design Partnership.

Following extensive research and the evolution of their design narrative, Design Partnership decided to create a wall covering installation which would shimmer with an eye-catching golden glow. This sparkling ambiance would evoke the impression of night-time fireplaces in the gold fields. However, they encountered difficulty finding the perfect product for the project.

Senior Associate Calvin Janse van Vuuren explains; “We researched wallpapers for the installation, but none of the ones we came across fully met our expectations. It was during this search that we discovered that Materialised, a company specialising in custom printing of fabrics and wall covering, had a new metallic range.”

Senior Associate Roberto Zambri actually came across Materialised’s new custom metallic range completely coincidentally while scrolling through Instagram.

“Watching a video of the metallic wall covering printing process and seeing the captivating shine of the substrate, I immediately knew we had found the perfect product for our project! Within only a few days of reaching out, we received a metallic swatch in the design studio confirming that we had indeed discovered the exact product we needed.”

Champions of innovation, Materialised has developed game-changing products and technologies which have extended the boundaries of contract furnishing further than ever thought possible. In particular, their vinyl substrates feature a high lustre base which delivers intense colours and subtle textures unlike anything on the market.  Brigitte Marlot, Lead Designer at Materialised, reflects on the purchase of the state-of-the-art sustainable swissQ Karibu S printer and a silver vinyl substrate, Studio 54.

“Since we started printing wall covering substrates there has been strong demand for metallics, specifically gold,” says Marlot. “So, when we launched Studio 54, our silver printable vinyl, I knew it would be the perfect substrate to create beautiful, lustrous, metallic shades. And so I developed our Hello Metals range for custom projects.”

“The creation of the ceiling mural for The Meat & Wine Co involved multiple iterations, digital drafts, and texture samples to achieve the right scale and warm gold tones that would complement the carpet,” explains Senior Associate Janse van Vuuren.

Design Partnership connected Materialised with the design team at GH Commercial with the goal of creating a sense of unified design throughout the restaurant. “When comparing the carpet sample with the metallic wallpaper sample placed directly above it, one would think they came from the same supplier,” says Roberto Zambri. “This level of attentiveness and commitment to detail from the Materialised team was instrumental in achieving the desired final look.”

This project comes hot on the heels of rising momentum towards more conceptually based designs as architects and designers begin to explore the meaning, story and vision behind a project more evocatively. Materialised, as always, is light on its feet and ready to embrace the new movement to create spaces which not only serve their practical function but also resonate on an emotional level with their occupants.

Learn more about Materialised and the vast potential of custom metallic wall coverings here.

Materialised

materialised.com.au