Latest Interior Design by ifdesign :: The New Wardrobe, Brisbane

I am so excited to tell you that one of our latest projects, a new women' s fashion store called The New Wardrobe, opens this Friday here in Oxford Street, Bulimba.

I was approached by the owners Lisa Norman & Maree Diamond to come up with an interior concept using natural colours and materials that reflects the feel of a walk-in wardrobe.

An early design style mood board

The store itself is a cute size so the next challenge was to create a store that felt brighter and more spacious. To do this we kept the joinery lightweight in look, used glass for some of the shelving, made the clothing, rear wall and central table the focus of the room and introduced plenty of mirrors. The use of a natural colour palette for the materials and finishes also helped to keep the room looking light and welcoming.

An early sketch of the shopfront

A sketch of the proposed interior design

Rather than selecting mass produced furniture Lisa & Maree had a fun time sourcing reclaimed and second hand furniture from the Woolloongabba Antique Centre and Brisbane Fabric Market. A few of these items were then re-upholstered for a fresh new look.

Shoe lasts and recycled furniture

For some of the smaller details timber shoe lasts were sourced from a small shoe making business in New Zealand and used as feature display mounts. Black cord was also used to make the drawer handles and timber from Dwyers Recycled Yard was used to make the mirror frames.

The store finished and ready to shop!

The use of low VOC paints for the walls, wood wash from Porters Paints for the display cabinets, 100% wool carpet for the central floor finish, recycled timber for the feature table and recessed LED lights were used to create a healthier, sustainable and low energy environment.

This has truly been a self build with a lot of love put into the construction as vast amounts of the store fit out has been implemented by Lisa, Maree and their supportive families.

This approach has given a small space a new lease of life with a strong identity and with the added bonus of reducing their energy and fit-out costs. 

If you are in Brisbane this week and would like first dibs at their gorgeous selection of clothing and shoes click here for information on the opening day this Friday.

I wish both Lisa and Maree all the best with their new business venture and an exciting journey as one of Brisbane's new fashion retailers.

Have fun.