Where style and strategy meet
Russell & George has made a name for itself in the Australian design scene with an aesthetic that is both of its time and notably classic. Practice founders and architects Ryan Russell and Byron George share how their design strives for a social, sophisticated and strategic outcome.
You want to create environments where people feel good,” says Ryan Russell from the Russell & George office in North Melbourne. “For interior spaces, we don’t occupy buildings by looking at them; we occupy them by being inside them.” Evoking a supremely strong sense of intuition for what people need and want in interior spaces, he and Byron George have made a remarkable contribution to the Melbourne design scene since founding their practice in 2010. In recognition of their design dexterity for beautiful and serviceable creations, especially in hospitality and retail spaces, Russell & George is the 2022 IDEA Designer of the Year winner.
Previously shortlisted seven times, and self- described as IDEA’s “bridesmaids of the year” or the “Glenn Close of IDEA”, the pair credit the 20-year program with catapulting their design identity to the next level. “IDEA has always been a special thing for me,” says George.
“The only reason my initial company before Russell & George got out there was because of past inside editor Jan Henderson. I had missed the deadline, but she phoned me to submit something. She really pushed and pushed when I was a shy little thing. And that project went on to win the Retail category that year. And I always attribute that to me having the confidence to have a voice in this industry.”
The duo became the Russell & George we know today through pure admiration for each other’s designs. Prior to merging, Russell and George both had their own practices. Frequently walking past one of Russell’s retail store designs in Fitzroy, George was struck by the space’s “perfect model of restraint and exuberance”.
They soon met on a night out and then dated for a few years before forming Russell & George. “We formed the studio because we were sharing staff and doing two tax returns and all that is a pain, so we merged,” explains George.
“We also had complementary skills. That worked out well,” adds Russell. It’s these ‘complementary skills’ that have made Russell & George spaces distinctively chic while also communal. With a background in social theory, Russell describes his study as understanding human behaviour and how the spaces we occupy influence it. He points to the boardroom table, and he and George are sitting on as a “perfect example”.
“We’re sitting around a boardroom table that breaks apart into 11 pieces. There’s no head of the table and part of that is a social theory about getting rid of the alpha personality. It’s the death knell of collaboration.”
Ultimately beneficial for client meetings, the boardroom table also symbolises a space evolving for what is trying to be achieved in that current context.
“Social theory respects that there is no one-size-fits-all in the world. Everyone comes from a different background, and we try to tailor spaces based on those objectives,” says Russell.
As a specialist practice in retail and hospitality spaces, Russell & George must also be a ‘strategist’ in analysing a brand and a business. “In hospitality, we often find sites for our clients, do lease negotiations and speak with body corporates. It’s a very holistic approach to problem-solving and it’s not just based on the final design outcome. It’s a strategic outcome, and it all must hang together. That’s fundamentally our expertise,” says Russell.
As the COVID-19 pandemic has blurred the lines between public and private boundar in interior design, George cites wellness as the dominant social theory engaging interior spaces at home, work, hospitality venues and retail stores.
“Wellness is a word that’s thrown around, but it’s about making people feel something or connected. With working from home, the one thing that we learned is that some of us like being in our own spaces because we feel comfortable and safe.”
George describes the pandemic as driving design in two different directions: one that is highly decorative and escapist, and another for calm and contemplation. Russell signals these differing needs may see a return to dedicated spaces in residential design, such as a study or dining room. “Working-from-home arrangements do call for more prescriptive spaces that are becoming less generic. People want to create a sanctuary. You can’t personalise the kitchen table as your desk,” he says.
“We are talking about making experiences that cause people to feel something again in a space. We’ve all had such a shock, and we’re in this situation to make these spaces do that once more,” adds George.
Speaking on their professional relationship, both describe their collaboration as ‘volatile’. “We do fight a lot and only because we both have strong opinions,” says George.
“Generally, the fight is the easiest way to get to the point, and we’re both strong enough to understand that a lot of is not personal; it’s about the outcome. It’s about an idea,” adds Russell.
After 12 years of owning a business together, Russell and George nipped certain elements in the bud to ensure cohesion. “We can’t both be the lead on a project. Someone must be in charge. But the lead can swap during the project,” explains George.
Like having a fresh pair of eyes, changing the lead provides a reinvigoration on a sticky point.
Quite simply, it’s a different point of view on the same space. “Ryan has got a better strategy mind than I do,” says George. “But then, sometimes, I’m more hearts and minds.”
“Some clients want to go on a journey, and some people want to be told,” adds Russell. “Byron is the journey, and I like to tie things up in a lovely bow and package, and tell the client.”
For IDEA 2022, Russell & George had three projects shortlisted –Yakimono, a three-level Japanese restaurant designed to reference rain-drenched Tokyo, Society, a multifaceted dining venue with six different dining spaces, and LKNU Parfumerie, a fragrance store that references an abstracted flower.
With its cinematic setting and reflections of colour, Yakimono has become a hotspot for Instagram posts. “We never intentionally strive for Instagram photos. It’s more about creating an experience. With Yakimono, when you move throughout the restaurant, it changes completely where you are. The colours change because of the layer upon layer of 3M Dichroic film,” explains George. Like a polarised lens, the film shifts in colour depending on where you stand and where the light hits, mimicking a wet city street.
Society and Yakimono were designed simultaneously and were the brainchilds of Lucas Group’s Chris Lucas. The former is a love letter to Melbourne dining, with Russell and George given the brief to “literally define” what that means in a physical space.
“Melbourne dining is very sophisticated by international standards, and it has a global focus. When you think about dining in Melbourne, Chris wanted you to think about society and why it’s also about the culture of the place. It’s about what hospitality means to [people]. And it was to be open to everyone. Everyone was to feel comfortable, but it was to be the absolute best it could be.”
The studio’s retail entry into IDEA, LKNU Parfumerie, is owned by Lee Khan, who has an “incredible collection of boutique perfumes from around the world,” says George.
“We had to create something that was able to have a personality, but also not be stuffy about it. It had to be relaxed and understated because she wanted it to be accessible to everyone who’s interested in fragrance.”
From a macro level, the store is a giant abstract flower in the centre of the space but, but once you’re inside, the focus becomes more defined. “We love to play with scale in our retail work. From afar, you can see this grander gesture, but as you get closer, the space is peeled back and becomes more intimate,” says Russell.
Currently a team of four, Russell & George is stacked with current and upcoming work, such as a retail project in the Middle East, a secret long-term endeavour, a shopping centre design and brand strategy for clients. With a portfolio so entrenched
in the Melbourne cultural landscape, Russell & George refuse to be pigeonholed. “No one knows where to categorise us. People come to us because they resonate with something we’ve done,” reflects George.
No longer the bridesmaid, Russell & George take centre stage as the IDEA Designer of the Year winner for 2022.