In Addition
When In Addition’s founders Ana Ćalić McLean and Josh McLean got married in 2023, starting their own studio seemed like the logical next step.
“That’s the Cliffnotes version,” says Ćalić McLean, laughing. “Really, it was an opportunity to get back to basics and do something that we love doing.” With a shared background at a larger architecture and interior design firm, the pair wanted to return to the parts of design that first drew them in – the intimacy of hands-on involvement and building genuine connections. “Working with clients now, we really do have that personal relationship,” says McLean. “But what’s been great is taking some of the thinking and processes from a larger workplace and applying it to our studio as well.”
In the two years since founding their Melbourne-based practice, the couple have created some of the most distinctive retail and hospitality spaces across Australia, picked up numerous accolades and grown from a team of two to six. The name In Addition represents the duo’s vision of design as a collective act. “For us, it’s about the team and working together,” says Ćalić McLean. “There’s always this idea of growth and adding to the project that we’re doing, adding to the user through the built environment.”
This sense of community, openness and collaboration is central to In Addition and the way the team works. “To design successfully for a brand, you really need to know the brand,” says McLean. “That’s crucial because so much of their graphics and branding needs to be transformed into a physical space.” Ćalić McLean jokes, “It’s like you need to date each other for a little.”
In Addition’s work is linked by a thoughtful and unique approach to materiality, texture and detailing.
Every project begins with a workshop: a deep dive into who the client is and what they stand for. “We work with brands that are essentially competitors in the same space, such as Hommey and Sheet Society, but we’re able to create a completely different outcome for each one,” she says. “We wouldn’t say we have a particular aesthetic or style in the studio because that’s inspired by the brand.”
In Addition’s work is, instead, linked by a thoughtful and unique approach to materiality, texture and detailing. “A current that runs through all the projects is the level of warmth and detail,” says McLean. “We’re starting to try and be a little bit experimental in our material approaches – how do we team things together that shouldn’t work but somehow are harmonious?” adds Ćalić McLean. “We really want to be able to push the boundaries of materiality while keeping with what still works for the client and the brand.”
It’s an approach that has earned In Addition repeat collaborations with some of the country’s most recognisable contemporary brands, such as July, Lune, Hommey, Paire, Sheet Society and Eva. The studio’s award-winning relationship with July has been particularly fruitful, resulting in 12 boutiques nationwide that each offer a new twist on the travel brand’s sophisticated and playful identity.
“With the July stores, we like to say that they’re all from the same family,” says McLean. “There’s got to be this DNA that runs through all of them – but maybe one is the weird cousin and the other is the rich aunty.”
The July Bondi boutique reimagines Sydney’s famous coastal suburb through an unexpected lens, with glossy red and green finishes paired with a material palette of glass bricks, cork, timber and mosaic tiles. Chadstone, the Melbourne flagship, with its use of luxurious Californian burl wood and striking red accents, is both elegant and nostalgic. “I think texture really helps bring a beautiful, human scale to projects,” says McLean. “That tactility elicits a physical response, where people will come up and run their hand over something.”
Experience and emotion are central to all In Addition’s projects. “I think there’s a big overlap in retail, hospitality and even private residential projects where they’re all highly experiential spaces,” he says. “It’s so much about the feeling in a space, and that’s where the richness comes in.”
Hospitality projects – such as Molli and Little Molli in Melbourne and several Lune croissanteries – are layered with discovery. “We like to think about how people discover new things in the space,” says Ćalić McLean. “When they come back for a second or third time, is there something different they experienced that they didn’t the first time?”
In Addition’s own headquarters, in Mitchell House in Melbourne’s CBD, mirrors that same spirit of curiosity and emphasis on tactility. “It really came down to creating a space that people wanted to come into every day,” says McLean. “Working in a creative industry, it’s so nice to have everyone in a studio environment. You learn so much from each other.” Mustard-yellow walls, warm timbers and rippled granite benchtops with pops of bright colour give the studio an inviting and personal atmosphere. “Showcasing the materials we love to work with in our own space is really nice and a fun opportunity,” says Ćalić McLean. “It’s a bit of a testing ground.”
For the couple, the joy of design is also about sustainability and respect for materials. “One of the big things we think about is the longevity of a project,” she says. “We don’t want to create fit-outs for a fast turnover. Those materials have an inherent lifespan, so we aim to make the most of that and have them last as long as possible.” This mindset underlies everything they do – whether it’s repurposing materials from a site or creating reusable elements for retail pop-ups. As McLean notes, “There’s so much waste in the building industry, so we try to minimise that where possible. Conscious design decisions are really important.”
For a young studio, In Addition has made an incredible splash, ticking off many professional and creative milestones. For McLean, moving into their first studio was a huge accomplishment, while for his partner, every new member of the In Addition team feels like a landmark moment. As the practice’s body of work grows, the duo’s focus remains on nurturing their small team and maintaining strong, personal relationships with their clients. As Ćalić McLean puts it, “There’s always this idea of growth and growing together – there’s no ceiling to it.”
