Est Lighting Showroom by Christopher Elliott Design

Originally a hat box factory, the transformation of Est Lighting’s Melbourne showroom utilises contemporary details to showcase the studio’s latest architectural and decorative lighting collections.

The new showroom is Christopher Elliott Design’s third time working with Est Lighting, and it signals a new era for the studio. Founded in 2016, Est Lighting is a leading Australian specialist in beautifully designed, technically engineered lighting. The reimagined space is located in Richmond, a design hub for architects and interior designers alike. “The building has a long history dating back to the 1800s. It’s been a bakery, a printer and then, more recently, a storage facility. Now, it’s a lighting studio,” says Christopher Elliot, interior designer at his eponymous practice and lead designer of the showroom.

The new showroom is Christopher Elliott Design’s third time working with Est Lighting, and it signals a new era for the studio.

The showroom is designed to be dynamic – to house Est Lighting’s varied catalogue and large library of products. “We deal with so many different types of clients. It depends on who you are when you come to the space. We might take you on a different journey, and it might be different every single time,” says James Zagari, director at Est Lighting. “We have maybe 10 or 12 brands that we carry, and we wanted to make sure that they all had their moments. All these brands all have their own personalities, so part of the brief was that we need all the spaces to talk to each other, but also to have their own identities.”

One can turn into the ‘tunnel of light’ – a once narrow corridor that has been transformed into an intimate, gallery-like zone that showcases dim lighting products.

The main display areas combine classic showroom design with a residential feel. Here, timber flooring and polished concrete are tied together through warm tones, white walls and high ceilings. The spaces are punctuated by greenery and lit by natural light that comes through the original warehouse-style windows. From here, one can turn into the ‘tunnel of light’ – a once narrow corridor that has been transformed into an intimate, gallery-like zone that showcases dim lighting products. “I had the idea to put in this inner-box skin to the space and create a tunnel, and that gave us the ability to create a really technical space for lighting products,” says Elliot.

The space then opens up to the ‘hub’ of the showroom, the Est bar. This area retains the original brick walls, paired with playful, contemporary furnishings and sleek finishes such as a marble kitchen benchtop. This theme continues throughout the different zones, with the spaces featuring playful elements like gold curtains, statement chairs and bold artworks. “I remember, when we were walking through the space before we’d done the design, it was naturally the space that you gravitate towards,” says Elliot. There’s something that you can’t quite put your finger on … there’s an emotive response to the space, that you naturally want to be there. It was very clear to us that needed to be the Est bar. Upstairs from there is the workstations and the ‘lights out’ space.”

The new Richmond showroom is a dynamic space, with each zone serving a distinctive purpose.

The new Richmond showroom is a dynamic space, with each zone serving a distinctive purpose. The design is refreshing and contemporary while remaining sensitive to the warehouse vernacular, beautifully reflecting the natural progression of the lighting studio’s identity.

Interior design by Christopher Elliot Design.