Sharing a design ethos founded on integrity, sustainability and ethical provenance, Sydney-based design outfit Daniel Boddam Studio and Australian-born rug brand Armadillo have united to unveil Coast – an installation of handcrafted furniture and rugs that celebrates natural beauty and skilled craftsmanship.
The Coast installation follows the success of Daniel’s virtual Parisian showroom, launched during the early stages of the pandemic, which prompted the architect-designer to seek out a like-minded partner and showcase his furniture pieces in real time. “The connection with nature resonates with both brands,” Daniel says of his studio’s collaboration with Armadillo. “We each celebrate the artisanal, and harness a slow way of making and being,” he adds.
Daniel Boddam Studio showcases furniture collection alongside nature-inspired rugs from Armadillo
Set up in Armadillo’s Sydney showroom, Coast presents two inspirational interior settings grounded by Armadillo’s Odessa range of hand-knotted Afghan wool rugs. The gentle striation of natural sand and eucalypt hues provided by the rugs melds seamlessly with Daniel’s ocean-inspired forms and natural materials, presenting contemporary living and dining spaces of great sincerity and warmth.
Each piece in Daniel’s collection is inspired by elements of the Australian landscape – from rolling waves and pipis to the rich colours of the earth. “The focus is on creating an Australian vocabulary with international resonance,” Daniel enthuses, indicating that the installation also marks the launch of two new furniture pieces for his studio – the ‘Booham’ chair and ‘Pipi’ table.
Borrowing from the great traditions of Charlotte Perriand and Pierre Jeanneret, the ‘Booham’ chair combines a curved structure and rattan backrest to create a grounded yet breathable composition. The ‘Pipi’ table sees two shell-like forms come together to create an organic, modernist arrangement.
The installation welcomes the warm tones of the Odessa ‘Arborio’ rug complemented by Daniel’s signature ‘Wave’ sofa and armchair in sand-coloured boucle upholstery; a neutral, tonal exploration. A walnut ‘Pipi’ table, travertine ‘Portsea’ side table and ‘Geo’ drum in a unifying sand-inspired hue complete the aesthetic tableau.
Beyond this, the Odessa ‘Caraway’ rug of silvered green tones is paired with Daniel’s ‘Geo’ round table; a rudimentary and refined material pairing reminiscent of Australian soil. The ‘Lina’ and ‘Booham’ chairs bring a sense of travel with their modern-tropical aesthetic, while the ‘Malibu’ side table in smoked oak speaks to the ever-popular McTavish surfboards of Byron Bay.
All in all, Coast exemplifies Daniel’s pursuit of simplicity. His commitment to “the poetry of reduction” – his singular belief that a sense of calm and wellbeing can be achieved through design – is visible in the quiet landscape of refined forms and elegantly crafted details, inciting human engagement and a connection with nature. “The work seeks a timeless vocabulary and identity inspired by the rugged Australian landscape and our unique way of living,” Daniel concludes.
danielboddam.com; armadillo-co.com
The work seeks a timeless vocabulary and identity inspired by the rugged Australian landscape and our unique way of living.
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Australian architect Daniel Boddam, who established his practice The Daniel Boddam Studio in 2013, has responded to the on-again, off-again closures of Australian borders by developing a virtual Parisian apartment – an inventive solution for showcasing his new collection of furniture during a time of travel bans and global isolation. “Travel has been an important part of my life since childhood, and Paris holds a particularly special place in my heart,” says Daniel. “The experience of confinement has been unsettling on so many levels, however instead of lamenting what was, I decided to explore what could be through 3D visualisation”.
Designed in the minimalistic Haussmann style and limited only by Daniel’s imagination, the 183-square-meter apartment – accessed via the designer’s website – is characterised by material restraint and an abundance of convincingly natural light. Comprising an entrance hall, living room, kitchen, bedroom, ensuite, study and powder room, the animated abode celebrates simplicity while showcasing the designer’s furniture pieces in the next best thing to reality. His Geo collection of tables, ‘Waves’ sofa and chair and the Coast collection of lighting and seating are all on display, each borrowing inspiration from the lands and seas of the Australian landscape.
“There’s unspoken poetry in placing a piece of furniture inspired by the raw Australian landscape in a ‘historic’ setting,” says Daniel. “The immediately familiar Haussmann vernacular [of the interactive showroom] heightens the Australian-ness of the furniture’s expression by establishing a dialogue between the primitive and the modern.” Completing the apartment’s pared-back scheme is a selection of digitally reproduced artworks that depict nature, nudes, landscapes and travel by artists Clara Adolphs, Chris Warnes, Oliver Watts and Daniel’s wife Kelly Geddes.
A paradise for aesthetes (and gamers with an unrivalled appreciation for sophisticated style, if there is such a thing), the chic, elegant and unreal Paris apartment is open now to visitors from anywhere in the world.
There’s unspoken poetry in placing a piece of furniture inspired by the raw Australian landscape in a ‘historic’ setting.