In 2019 we installed X-Bond to the Winning Appliances flagship in Richmond, Melbourne and then again at the Chadstone Store. The showroom attracted a lot of attention as being one of the best showrooms in the world, as it provides a unique, multi-sensory shopping experience while being the first of its stores to stock luxury brands from overseas. We sat down with Jessica Coulter, the Senior Interior Designer at Cera Stribley who provides us with an insight into the project and how X-Bond was used in various elements throughout. 

Could you please share an insight into the project brief for Winning Appliances Richmond flagship?

As the flagship store, the design required careful consideration of the Winning Appliances key brand attributes to inform the overall look and feel of the showroom. The plan incorporates areas designed specifically to appeal to distinctly Melbourne identities to ensure that visitors to the store could immediately realise their own personal vision for their home. This intuitive retail experience is a physical embodiment of the brand and its aspirations for their clients.

The design references the rich heritage of the company in the materiality, referencing copper in the window reveals. This company narrative was central to the introduction of the brand and its ethos to Victoria. The entire design and concept response to the brief was to create an unprecedented retail experience for Victorians, that is synonymous with the Winnings brand.
 

What led you to specify X-Bond for the floors, walls and sections of the ceiling?

With our brief and clients in mind, we wanted to specify materials that would embody the design ethos, always enduring; selecting materials that are of a high quality not only ensures that there is a bespoke finish achieved but also adds, texture and an element of luxury to the design. We chose X-bond to create a luxurious concrete finish, without creating a harsh, cold environment, and could be sure that it would complement the heritage red brick in the case of the Richmond showroom.
 

Our Terradec quartz stones were also used in the carpark, was there a reason you specified this finish?

The Terradec quartz stones achieved all of the above, durable, being a water-permeable flooring that is able to create a seamless finish. The design wanted to achieve an enduring and consistent aesthetic throughout, and specifying the Terradec quartz enabled this.

Were you considering other materials for these areas?

The flagship store concept and design was about revitalising an existing space, whilst embracing the heritage of the Winning Appliance brand in Victoria. Embracing the raw, industrial history of Richmond, and coupling that with contemporary design interventions, led us to select materials that would communicate that, and we felt that X-bond was one of the only materials that would achieve that.

Is the end result what you were hoping for?

We were, together with our client, very happy with the final result. Throughout the design, we have used X-bond, and consistently re-specified it in the newer Chadstone Showroom, as it was a very appropriate selection and also translated across both designs.

How did find the process working with Alternative Surfaces from specification through to completion?

Throughout the initial stages, until completion, the team at Alternative Surfaces were incredibly helpful, informative, and accessible.  A pleasure to work with on projects.