- Interior
Brendan Wong Design is known for creating timeless, functional interiors with sophisticated aesthetics. The studio has already completed projects all over the world and offers a close and personal collaboration with the customer to bring design solutions that are focused on the customer and always favourably represent the context, function and budget. The results are always stylish. Given the diverse and extensive clientele, they can design a well thought-out interior every single time, without limiting themselves to a single style. We therefore thought it was time to inspire our readers with these beautiful, timeless interiors. Brendan Wong himself told us more about his work in an exclusive interview with Imagicasa.
What is your design philosophy?
"I believe an interior should move beyond being ‘even’. It should have a drama that uplifts you. My interiors typically have visual highs amongst moments of visual quietness. I think it’s important to establish a visual tension such that the space becomes a cohesive yet energetic experience."
How would you describe your style?
"A client once described my style like champagne: smooth, refined and with just the right amount of fizz. I do tend to create interiors that are resolute and lean towards ‘contemporary formal’. Everything has its place and each element has a relationship – directly or indirectly – to the other."
How and why did you become an interior designer?
"My father was an engineer, so I grew up with a drawing table in the house and was fascinated by scale, proportion and buildings. I think from an early age I saw interior design as a creative version of engineering – making things look beautiful and also ensuring they function perfectly. I got my Bachelor’s degree of Interior Design at Curtin University in Perth and a few years later a received my Master of Interior Architecture. I already worked in Australia, London and Paris before I started my own design studio twelve years ago."
How do you integrate your style and philosophy into your projects?
"I strive to maintain a sense of discovery in each room, where details continue to reveal themselves the more your eyes explore. Clarity of planning is also necessary: no amount of visual trickery can hide a badly considered planning. It is therefore very important to get this planning right."
Which colours do you prefer to use?
"I find the natural beauty of the colours and forms of minerals and crystals so inspiring. Such as amethyst, agate and quartz for example. As designers, we spend years perfecting colour combinations, but these are readily abundant in nature. I source and collect minerals from corners of the globe and a unique specimen is often the source for colour inspiration. In terms of colour, purple is a favourite: it’s so versatile in a various types of interiors."
What do you like most about interior design?
"Working with customers to make their dream come true. It is important to spend time with them early in the design process, to really understand the customer, their lifestyle and instructions. I believe you get the best results when you use that approach and then raise things to a level that exceeds their expectations, something that pushes them forward to fully embrace their new environment."
How far does your clientele reach?
"Our studio is based in Sydney, Australia but we work with clients on design projects and my product collections in North America, Asia, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. We have also created a specific niche in servicing clients from across the globe that choose to have a vacation home in Sydney. The beautiful harbour and beaches make it a sought-after location for a second home."
What do you find most challenging about interior design?
"In design there is no sense of 'correct' as in mathematics, because every design problem can be solved in different ways. It is a challenge – and art – to adapt ideas to ensure that we provide the best solution, practically and visually."
Which project are you most proud of?
"I have been lucky enough to work on a home originally built in the 1970’s by Reuben Lane, an architect who was a disciple of Oscar Niemeyer. After peeling back layers of previous renovations we were able to restore the original building and then we brought the interiors to life in a way that respected the history and made them better suited to contemporary living. There is a certain responsibility that goes with working in such an important historic home."
What can we expect from Brendan Wong Design in the future?
"A few years ago, I launched my furniture collection and more recently I designed a lighting collection for Heathfield, one of the United Kingdom's leading lighting producers. Projects I dream of for the future are the interiors of yachts or private jets. I would like to apply my style to an interior that is always in motion."
"I believe an interior should move beyond being ‘even’. It should have a drama that uplifts you. My interiors typically have visual highs amongst moments of visual quietness. I think it’s important to establish a visual tension such that the space becomes a cohesive yet energetic experience."
How would you describe your style?"A client once described my style like champagne: smooth, refined and with just the right amount of fizz. I do tend to create interiors that are resolute and lean towards ‘contemporary formal’. Everything has its place and each element has a relationship – directly or indirectly – to the other."
How and why did you become an interior designer?
"My father was an engineer, so I grew up with a drawing table in the house and was fascinated by scale, proportion and buildings. I think from an early age I saw interior design as a creative version of engineering – making things look beautiful and also ensuring they function perfectly. I got my Bachelor’s degree of Interior Design at Curtin University in Perth and a few years later a received my Master of Interior Architecture. I already worked in Australia, London and Paris before I started my own design studio twelve years ago."
"My style is like champagne: smooth, refined and with just the right amount of fizz."
How do you integrate your style and philosophy into your projects?
"I strive to maintain a sense of discovery in each room, where details continue to reveal themselves the more your eyes explore. Clarity of planning is also necessary: no amount of visual trickery can hide a badly considered planning. It is therefore very important to get this planning right."
Which colours do you prefer to use?
"I find the natural beauty of the colours and forms of minerals and crystals so inspiring. Such as amethyst, agate and quartz for example. As designers, we spend years perfecting colour combinations, but these are readily abundant in nature. I source and collect minerals from corners of the globe and a unique specimen is often the source for colour inspiration. In terms of colour, purple is a favourite: it’s so versatile in a various types of interiors."
What do you like most about interior design?
"Working with customers to make their dream come true. It is important to spend time with them early in the design process, to really understand the customer, their lifestyle and instructions. I believe you get the best results when you use that approach and then raise things to a level that exceeds their expectations, something that pushes them forward to fully embrace their new environment."
How far does your clientele reach?"Our studio is based in Sydney, Australia but we work with clients on design projects and my product collections in North America, Asia, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. We have also created a specific niche in servicing clients from across the globe that choose to have a vacation home in Sydney. The beautiful harbour and beaches make it a sought-after location for a second home."
What do you find most challenging about interior design?
"In design there is no sense of 'correct' as in mathematics, because every design problem can be solved in different ways. It is a challenge – and art – to adapt ideas to ensure that we provide the best solution, practically and visually."
"Working with customers to make their dream come true."
Which project are you most proud of?
"I have been lucky enough to work on a home originally built in the 1970’s by Reuben Lane, an architect who was a disciple of Oscar Niemeyer. After peeling back layers of previous renovations we were able to restore the original building and then we brought the interiors to life in a way that respected the history and made them better suited to contemporary living. There is a certain responsibility that goes with working in such an important historic home."
What can we expect from Brendan Wong Design in the future?
"A few years ago, I launched my furniture collection and more recently I designed a lighting collection for Heathfield, one of the United Kingdom's leading lighting producers. Projects I dream of for the future are the interiors of yachts or private jets. I would like to apply my style to an interior that is always in motion."
All Images © Maree Homer