SP01 and Tim Rundle

Words by Catherine Ashbridge
Photography by Simone Fiorini

Established in 2016, furniture and design brand SP01 is delighted to unveil a new collection in collaboration with London-based designer Tim Rundle. The new range features a series of armchairs, occasional tables and mirrors with distinct influence from past eras, resulting in a series that is both contemporary and timeless. New to the Australian design scene, SP01 focuses on beautifully detailed and hand-finished furniture that is conceived in Australia in collaboration with Australian and international designers, and produced in Italy. The exclusive brand is backed by a skilled and accomplished team with many years of experience in the furniture and design industry. “It’s a fairly unique proposition in the international market and it’s a great way of increasing the profile of “brand Australia” while keeping the quality of product very high,” says Head of Design and Product Development, Matt Lorrain. The latest collection, in collaboration with Tim Rundle, combines a fresh Australian design approach with the brand’s signature Italian-made quality. The complete ten piece collection combines industrial materials of tubular steel with highlighted finishes of fluted glass, brass, pewter and luxurious upholstery. Partnering with Tim Rundle Studio, and his impressive design career comprising of previous head roles at Tom Dixon and Conran and Partners, the outcome was always going to be memorable. The frame was the catalyst for the collection and became the key design device expressing form by encircling, tracing or cradling. The range includes 2 distinctive armchairs – the Shu-Ying, evocatively art deco, and Caristo chair, an exciting variation on the wingback, both upholstered in soft, loose sumptuous fabrics. “With the upholstered pieces, the outside is harder and the human part is softer – the part that touches architecture should relate to that and the parts that touch people should relate to them. We tried to really accentuate that by pushing the softness of the inner surfaces with looser upholstery to create a softer finish counterbalanced by a harder, crisper outer surface’, states Tim. The range also includes a family of ‘Michelle’ mirrors with common features of tubular steel, smoked mirror and marble. Options of brass, pewter or blackened steel adorned with marble trays create an intricate design element. The ‘Mohana’ series of occasional tables comes in three complimentary sizes, all supported by a fine gauge steel frame. Designed with two levels and contrasting surface materials of marble and glass, the modern tables truly celebrate the beauty of industry. “Taking cues from Art Deco and Modernism, two of the most evident architectural styles in SP01’s home city, Sydney, the new collection subtly references these design eras while interpreting them as something altogether new,” says Lorrain. Available in Australia through Space Furniture, the new collection is an inspiring continuum of the SP01 brand, with global vision of creating pieces inspired by the Australian lifestyle to sit comfortably in spaces all over the world.