Bringing the Outside In – Robert Plumb Store

Words by Olivia Hides

Bringing together a curated selection of local and international brands, designers and makers with an emphasis on indoor-outdoor living, Robert Plumb opens a new store in Waterloo inspired by Brazilian modernism.

Designed by David Harrison, Robert Plumb Creative Director and Design Daily Publisher, the new Robert Plumb store aims to express the innate connection between indoors and outdoors inherent to modernist design. “I have always admired the way the Brazilian modernists used open brickwork and the tonal appeal of pale terracotta combined to give a certain lightness to internal walls,” David says.

Through a combination of natural materials and lush greenery, the new space works to combine interior and exterior, inspired by Robert Plumb’s attitude that products should be both thoughtfully designed and mindful of the needs of both indoor and outdoor styling.

Through a combination of natural materials and lush greenery, the new space works to combine interior and exterior, inspired by Robert Plumb’s attitude that products should be both thoughtfully designed and mindful of the needs of both indoor and outdoor styling. While these two worlds are often considered separate, the store’s innovative combination of indoor and outdoor living works to create a moveable oasis, where products have the ability to live within and outside a home’s walls.

With a focus on products created using robust materials, Robert Plumb pursues a crafted selection of outdoor furniture, accessories and architectural hardware, which suit a range of spaces. The range features ceramic works by Mel Lumb, Katherine Mahoney, Asahi So and Cameron Williams, adding a layer of tactility alongside Robert Plumb’s in-house designs. Completing the brand’s collection are a variety of select design books, fire pits, signature BBQs, letterboxes and outdoor showers.

With a focus on products created using robust materials, Robert Plumb pursues a crafted selection of outdoor furniture, accessories and architectural hardware, which suit a range of spaces.

The new Waterloo store is set in a corner of Casba’s courtyard, which was designed by Dangar Barin Smith. Robert Plumb Co-Owner and Director Kristin Nilsson admires how the new store succeeds in articulating the brand’s ethos. “Our customers can see how all the elements – whether designed and made locally or selected from overseas – work so well together to deliver a complete and considered aesthetic,” she says.