Oasis of Tranquillity – Daniel Boddam Gallery Melbourne by Daniel Boddam

Daniel Boddam’s considered world of architecture, interiors and furnishings finds a rich expression in a new gallery space in inner-city Melbourne.

With its eclectic mix of cocktail bars, bluestone pubs, vintage furniture stores and café-meccas all contributing to the famously lively atmosphere that earned Smith Street, Collingwood, the title of ‘world’s coolest street’, the precinct might seem to be an incongruous choice for Daniel Boddam – the architect and designer famously guided by a ‘poetry of reduction’ – to open his first gallery space.

“The negative space is as important as the pieces themselves, so we’ve carefully left a lot of breathing space for people to appreciate and move around the pieces.”

On the contrary, the neighbourhood’s zesty backdrop only serves to underscore the strength of Daniel’s approach, allowing him to carve out an oasis of tranquillity that, he admits, has attracted the curious glances of passers-by more familiar with overt displays than with the quietly dignified vignettes clustered in the gallery’s historic shopfront.

This sense of curiosity is a quality Daniel has deliberately fostered in the space, accompanied by the deep sense of calm that is a pervasive hallmark of his design vocabulary. The stone-grey walls, floors and ceiling create a neutral foundation, the warmth of the tone amplified by the glow of the sun that gradually fills the west-facing room each afternoon. “I wanted to create a cocoon-like environment that’s very calm and meditative, which resonates with my design style and the furniture, but which also offers a reprieve from the street,” Daniel explains. “In my work, we like to use negative space, so I didn’t want to overcrowd the gallery. Here, the negative space is as important as the pieces themselves, so we’ve carefully left a lot of breathing space for people to appreciate and move around the pieces.”

The appointment-only nature of the gallery invites deliberate contemplation of the possibilities that are inherent in each piece.

Complementing this spatial restraint, the appointment-only nature of the gallery invites deliberate contemplation of the possibilities that are inherent in each piece, particularly as many of the designs are open to customisation by Daniel Boddam. For a recent project with interior designer Simone Haag, the studio sheathed its curvaceous Wave Sofa in a custom textile and created a tailored version of the Prism dining table, the signature pyramidal base paired with a sculpted top of bespoke dimensions. Also available to view within the gallery setting are new designs from the studio, including the Booham Chair with a boomerang shape that wears its modernist influences lightly, and the Hinterland Stool, a playful perching place that pays homage to Daniel’s home in Byron Bay.

While in the gallery, discerning clients might also catch a glimpse of some of the newer and more experimental pieces in Daniel Boddam’s portfolio. The designer reveals a recent interest in working with cork, shaping the malleable material into a mottled inlay for a timber cabinet.