Harbour Early Learning Vaucluse by Danielle Brustman

Few design projects offer as much potential for fun as spaces for kids. This is exactly the prospect Danielle Brustman had when she designed the interiors of Harbour Early Learning Vaucluse in Sydney’s east.

Working with architects SJB and Supercontext and in close collaboration with the centre’s owners, Ben Hewlett and James Reynolds, Brustman has crafted a vibrant, joyous and whimsical learning environment for children aged up to five.

“I love designing spaces with children in mind – it’s a very playful realm,” says Brustman, who previously designed a similar centre in Melbourne’s Richmond.

“I love designing spaces with children in mind – it’s a very playful realm,” says Brustman, who previously designed a similar centre in Melbourne’s Richmond. “I also really love that the spaces I design for children set the scene for their early learning. I want to ensure that they offer a sense of joy and wonder, as well as providing warmth and nurturing.”

Harbour Early Learning Vaucluse has three levels, the first two with distinct motifs. The ground floor, which comprises a reception area, three playrooms and two garden play areas for children from birth to three years, has a land and sea theme. The first level, where older kids enjoy two large playrooms and an equally large garden space, incorporates the sun and sky into the design. The top floor is an open-air playground set among the canopies of Port Jackson figs, with views across the harbour.

Colour is omnipresent, and the process of choosing the palette was, for Brustman – who worked on the project for more than two years – a highlight of the process.

Colour is omnipresent, and the process of choosing the palette was, for Brustman – who worked on the project for more than two years – a highlight of the process. “That’s the really fun part,” she says with a laugh. “I broke it down into a series of hues that related to the themes for each level and then worked out where these colours could be allocated, whether it be through paint, joinery, flooring, surfaces or furnishings. The palette becomes a rich, colourful tapestry that creates atmosphere, elevates the senses and helps with wayfinding. I tend to use large graphic motifs that are hand-painted on the walls and embedded within the flooring design. These create their own sense of spatiality and mood.”

It might be a children’s space, but that didn’t stop the designer from including plenty of high-end but durable and stylish moments: sinks clad in pastel-toned Dtiles from Mondopiero topped with brightly coloured Vola tapware; locally crafted designer furniture, including Big Friendly Double sofas by CJ Anderson for Dowel Jones; and elevated lighting, like Edward Linacre’s Flask metal tubes arranged around a vivid red door and the sculptural Meteorite light, the work of Brustman and Linacre.

It might be a children’s space, but that didn’t stop the designer from including plenty of high-end but durable and stylish moments.

Brustman credits the centre’s owners for their unwavering support of her choices and design vision. “They stood by my design throughout the entire process, as well as showing a genuine commitment to sustainable materials and high-quality design and furnishings. They could have gone with more cost-effective alternatives, but they remained committed to my vision the whole way through.”

Architecture by SJB and Supercontext. Interior design by Danielle Brustman. Build by Lloyd and Verity Construction. Landscape architecture by Fiona Robbé Landscape Architects. Project management by Neoscape.