Studio Henry Wilson’s first store has a ‘collector’s apartment’ aesthetic with Australian charm

Unlike London’s Paddington, which is synonymous with everyone’s favourite marmalade-eating bear, Paddington in Australia’s Sydney is known for its abundance of art galleries and boutique shopping, alongside designer pop-ups and markets. Now the neighbourhood is home to Studio Henry Wilson, as the eponymous designer opens up his first store.

Inside Studio Henry Wilson's showroom and store

‘The idea for a store started, like many good things, by chance,’ says Wilson, who stumbled upon the location, which is set beneath the area's old Scout Hall. ‘I happened to catch a sign at the small space and immediately admired the even light from both sides and the large, copper-lined Victorian shop-front window. It had a simple, flexible interior by the architect Madeleine Blanchfield, which had housed her meeting room and library for several years.’

The studio which was established in 2012, is known for its furniture, lighting, accessories and components in metal, stone and glass, all characterised by their utilitarianism and, in Wilson’s words, ‘giving precedence to form and function’. He is also drawn to the charm and beauty that comes with pieces made by hand, making sure that durability isn't compromised. ‘I see longevity as one of the simpler forms of sustainability we can hope to achieve as contemporary designers’.

This creative approach is threaded through the interior of the designer’s first flagship. Paying homage to Blanchfield’s original architecture, Wilson wanted the store to feel like a ‘collector’s apartment’. The warm white walls act like a canvas to showcase his work, while the uneven floors and pressed tin ceiling help to modernise the space. An elongated steel plinth runs the length of the interior and acts as both display area and storage for merchandise.

The store is not only a showcase of Wilson’s work, but also a platform for other Australian-made pieces, and items that he personally finds to be beautiful and functional, including glassware and linen, scents such as handmade pure wood incense, and oils from Perfumer H and Aesop, as well as personal care products from To My Ships.

The Australian landscape is what inspires Wilson, especially the arid nature and unpredictability of the weather. ‘Nothing remains perfect in Australian conditions, and I believe weathering is to be accepted and valued even up to the extent of effecting subtle imperfections during manufacture.

'I have struggled to justify the mercantile aspect of the store; certainly, it makes little sense on paper. However, in the face of an increasingly fragmented community, I wanted a place to meet and to house the objects we make. Somewhere for the public to see, feel and sense what we do.'

Studio Henry Wilson showroom is located at 87 Paddington Street, Sydney, Australia studiohenrywilson.com