Ellison Studios headquarters
For Ellison Studios’ first major creative headquarters and trade showroom, founder Leigh McKeown’s brief was to create a “home away from home” – a space that felt playful, relaxed and inspiring.
Not every company has a custom oak and travertine table tennis table in its entry foyer – but that’s quintessential Ellison Studios. The cult Australian design outfit has made its name with furniture and lighting pieces that exude a sense of warmth, fun and sophistication.
The new headquarters is spread across 680 square metres and two storeys in a converted commercial building in Sydney’s Waterloo. Stepping inside, visitors are greeted by a four-metre palm tree rising from a custom leather and steel banquette alongside the aforementioned table tennis table – an innovative reimagining of the studio’s Earth dining table. On the ground floor, you’ll also find the offices and meeting spaces, while the by-appointment designer suite sits upstairs.
The project was a collaborative effort, with consultant Joseph Gardner leading the creative direction and material selection, and William McRoberts focusing on spatial flow and layout. “The office needed to function as a creative workspace… while the designer suite had to feel more experiential and flexible,” says McRoberts. “The office is practical yet warm, encouraging daily collaboration, whereas the suite is curated like a residential environment, allowing designers to interact with the brand’s collections in context.”
In the showroom, Ellison Studios’ signature pieces across living, dining, bedroom and lighting collections are presented in thoughtful, home-like vignettes. Visitors can see hero pieces such as the ‘70s-inspired Float sofa or the sculptural Yoko bed in situ and take in their craftsmanship and materiality firsthand. McKeown notes that the client response to the suite has been overwhelmingly positive. “We’ve had to change the booking process a few times to create longer showroom sessions as our visitors end up wanting to stay longer,” he says.
Connecting both spaces is a show-stopping, glass-brick staircase, created in collaboration with Brickworks. “The stair’s location was already fixed, but we saw an opportunity to make it the project’s centrepiece,” says McRoberts. “On the ground floor, the stair is wrapped in stainless-steel panels softly finished by hand – as you move up, the glass bricks let light filter through and reveal the showroom. It becomes a glowing moment that connects both levels physically and visually, while changing character throughout the day as the light shifts.”
On both levels, the material palette is pared back yet maintains a sense of warmth and nostalgia. “Timber battens, timber panelling, dark cork, cream tiles and glass bricks were combined to create texture and depth without overwhelming the products,” he says. The project is also elevated by lighting and hardware from local designers such as Volker Haug Studio and Studio Henry Wilson.
Eight years after dreaming of Ellison Studios in the spare room of his apartment, McKeown reflects on how far the brand has come. “I thought we could be onto something special, and to see this space come alive in this way with our community is still a bit of a surreal moment. And walking in each day is still a thrill.”
As for that table tennis table? It’s getting plenty of use. “The marketing and product teams have quite the battle going on,” he says, laughing. “I stay out of it. I’m way too competitive, so it’s for the best.
