For interior designer Aaron Wooster at Smart Design Studio, form, texture, materials and light provide the framework for furniture selection and help shape a process where the final composition is a fine-tuned balance between function and impact.
More Space: Aaron, furniture is such a strong form of personal expression, what is your selection process for a new interior?
Aaron Wooster: The selection process is always a lot of fun and usually the icing on the cake for a new residential project. Typically, a great working relationship has been formed with the client by the time it comes to selecting the furniture and it is a really enjoyable process. You know each other inside out, all the bugbears, quirks and eccentricities, and, most importantly, you have a pretty good idea of how your client aspires to live and interact with their new space. Key to the process is coupling that personal connection with an underpinning aesthetic. We challenge each other along the way and it’s this progression that can really achieve a timeless and unique outcome.
Can you tell us about a favourite piece of design, and why it caught your eye?
Although it is very tough to pick just one piece, the Living Divani Track by David Lopez Quincoces is one that immediatley comes to mind. I found Track when I was working with a client who wanted their new home to be a vessel for the display of their long-accrued artwork collection and the assembly of furniture, lighting and objects needed to follow this thread. Upon seeing Track in the flesh for the first time, the simplicity of form and quality of construction made it hard to define whether it was a piece of sculpture or furniture. It effortlessly fitted the bill for that project and has done so in many since.
The dramatic vaulted form of the Smart Design Studio caretaker’s residence (William Smart’s apartment) is both textually rich and seductively rythmic in the way it wraps the space and allows in light. Photo © Romello Pereira.
"The Smart Design Studio caretaker’s residence (William Smart’s apartment) is one of those spaces that really stops you in your tracks. Its vaulted forms, textually rich materials, splaying light and composition of furniture pieces are all in complete harmony with one another."
Aaron Wooster, Lead of Interior Design, Smart Design Studio
Designer Aaron Wooster heads up interior design at Smart Design Studio. Portrait © Veronique Jenkins.
The award-winning Smart Design Studio caretaker’s residence (William Smart’s apartment) in Alexandria, Sydney. All photos © Romello Pereira.
"The selection process is always a lot of fun and usually the icing on the cake for a new residential project... You know each other inside out, all the bugbears, quirks and eccentricities, and, most importantly, you have a pretty good idea of how your client aspires to live..."
Aaron Wooster, Lead of Interior Design, Smart Design Studio
What furniture pieces are on your go-to list?
The Porro Neve Dining Chair by Piero Lissoni is comfortable, great for long meals with friends and family, and is a good price point. However, the stand out has to be the detailing, which is seemingly relaxed yet very precise. Also, the B&B Italia Siena table by Naoto Fukasawa is a personal favourite, mostly because of its flawlessly projecting form which conveniently doubles as a tuck-away shelf for bedside objects.
Beyond trends, furniture has a way of defining the moment, making us happy and influencing the way we live. Can you describe a recent project that has had a transformative affect?
The Smart Design Studio caretaker’s residence (William Smart’s apartment) is one of those spaces that really stops you in your tracks. Its vaulted forms, texturally rich materials, splaying light and composition of furniture pieces are all in complete harmony with one another. When you arrive at the top of the stairs you subconsciously pause to take in your surroundings. The offset brick vaults create a series of spaces that flow from one to another with no impeding doors or dividing walls, so it is the carefully curated furniture pieces that help to define the function of each zone. It’s a great example of how a dwelling can be calm, impactful and functional, all while pushing the boundaries of conventional residential design.
Thanks Aaron, lovely to chat with you.
