Yellowtrace Spotlight // November 2015.Hello friends, and welcome to the November edition of Yellowtrace Spotlight where we round up best submissions from Australian and global design news. Fasten your seat belts as we are about to unload on you a whole bunch of amazing stuff -...
Nel Verbeke Invites us to Embrace Melancholy.Nowadays it’s as if constant happiness is what we should aspire to. This leaves no room for other, more reflective states of being and melancholy. And yet, in times gone by, these feelings were accepted in our daily lives as natural...
Stories On Design // Thin Black Lines, Revisited.As it's been nearly 5 years since I first wrote about my love for thin black lines, I thought it would be fun to revisit this topic after all this time. It's so easy to forget that something as simple as a line can be so powerful and...
The Ugly Duckling by Hecker Guthrie // Melbourne, Australia.Tucked into the evolving intersection of Swan & Church Street, The Ugly Duckling designed by Hecker Guthrie represents all that is Melbourne. The interior is clean yet theatrical, sporting a touch of nature, with a nod to the...
LENNE Office in Estonia by KAMP Arhitektid Inspired by a Bright Summer Forest.The new office of LENNE, the Estonian manufacturer of children’s clothing, is situated in the former Soviet-era factory. The 1,100sqm space was once a single empty hall, measuring 8 meters at its highest point. KAMP Arhitektid inserted a...
Studio McQualter Transforms Melbourne Literary Icon into MECCA’s Most Ambitious Flagship.In Melbourne's bustling retail precinct, a heritage building with a serious literary pedigree has found its most spectacular incarnation yet. MECCA's ambitious 4,000-square-metre flagship creates authentic dialogue between eras, with over...
Pattern Studio Creates Intimate Retail Haven for Deiji’s Sydney Expansion.Pattern Studio has transformed a compact Paddington heritage shopfront into an inviting retail destination for independent fashion brand Deiji. The 35-square-metre store prioritises warmth and accessibility over exclusivity. Custom oak...
Peter Marino Brings Parisian Sophistication to CHANEL’s New Sydney Boutique.CHANEL's new Sydney boutique occupies a redeveloped Market Street landmark featuring Australia's first dedicated Watches & Fine Jewellery space. Peter Marino recontextualises CHANEL's architectural codes through a sophisticated interplay...
Audo’s Monuments Installation Proves Restraint Can Be as Powerful as Ornamentation.Monuments showcases Audo Copenhagen's evolution beyond traditional showroom concepts. The installation spans Audo House's diverse environments—café, restaurant, concept shop, exhibition rooms and courtyard—each reimagined to explore...
DualSpace Studio Transforms a Kuala Lumpur Store into a Cinematic Experience.For Kuala Lumpur's Calaqisya Store, DualSpace Studio drew inspiration from Wes Anderson's meticulous aesthetic. The space features custom wood panelling that conceals functional elements, membrane ceiling lights casting golden warmth, and...
At Above The Clouds Melbourne Store, Pattern Explores Restraint as a Form of Richness.Above The Clouds' Melbourne expansion showcases Pattern Studio at their most considered. The young practice has refined their signature "unexpected dualities" theme into something more nuanced for the Collins Street store. It's retail...
Studio Plenty and Sarah Ellison Crack the Code on Urban Dining with Light Years Perth.Studio Plenty and Sarah Ellison have translated their Byron Bay concept to Perth's CBD context. Light Years Asian Diner overcomes significant heritage building challenges through strategic planning and clever material selection. The...
Spacegram Serves Up Italian Hospitality With a Twist at Scusa Restaurant in Lisbon.In a city and time where restaurants often chase the latest trends, Spacegram has taken a different approach with Scusa in Lisbon. This contemporary Italian restaurant reimagines the interior without falling into stereotypes—no checkered...
Swiss Architect Leopold Banchini Crafts Entire London Pub Interior From One Oak Tree.What happens when you build an entire pub interior from one oak tree? Leopold Banchini's Goodbye Horses in London's De Beauvoir Town shows exactly how powerful single-material focus can...
Euro-Inspired Design Meets Burleigh Beach Charm at the New Mondrian Hotel.Australia's first Mondrian hotel has transformed Burleigh Beach's hospitality landscape through Alexander CO’s sophisticated design approach. The 24-storey tower houses two distinct venues: LiTO ground floor restaurant featuring dramatic...
African Influences Meet Australian Landscape in Monarto Safari Resort by Studio Gram.At Monarto Safari Resort, Studio Gram bridge African and Australian design cultures. Innovation emerges through restraint rather than spectacle, creating spaces that foster genuine emotional connection while respecting both cultural...
Mid-Century Meets Modern Sandwich Culture at S’WICH Surry Hills.At S'WICH Surry Hills, mid-century meets contemporary sandwich culture. The bold duotone palette of red and steel grey creates what Studio Shand call "pop simplicity"—interiors that pull you in and make you stay. Drawing inspiration from...
Neglected London Car Park Transformed into Striking Family Home.Small-scale developer Flawk has partnered with NIKJOO architecture to transform a forgotten car park into a striking three-bedroom family home. The project unlocks the potential of an overlooked urban infill site with sustainable building...
Salvaged Bricks Transform Mount Coot-tha House in Peter Besley’s Material Masterstroke.Peter Besley doesn't just design houses—he solves problems. His latest project is perched on the ridge of Mount Coot-tha's numerous spurs, emerging from Brisbane's steep terrain like a series of sculptural objects. Birdwood tackles...
Studio Karhard’s Nightclub-Inspired Berlin Apartment.Twenty years after designing Berghain, Studio Karhard brings nightclub vibes home in this Berlin apartment renovation. The project transforms a two-room Kreuzberg space into a three-room layout featuring their signature curved glass brick...
Alexander Design Reimagines a 1979 Ronald Goldman Malibu Coastal Classic for Modern Living.California coastal architecture reaches new heights in this Point Dume transformation. Alexander Design's comprehensive renovation of Ronald Goldman's 1979 post-and-beam residence honours architectural legacy while meeting contemporary...
20-Year Friendship Creates Design Magic at Currumbin Valley Retreat.This Currumbin Valley retreat emerged from five years of collaboration between Grace Loves Lace founder Megan Ziems and Ellison Studios' Leigh McKeown—friends since high school who share an intuitive design language. Architect Harley...
From Island Prefabs to Tiny Treehouses: The Best Australian Homes of 2025.From modular construction that seamlessly integrates into coastal neighbourhoods to Victorian cottages reimagined with "loose fit" principles, these award-winning homes offer replicable blueprints for responsible design. The standout...
Daytrip Transforms Historic London Buildings Into Cloisters Workspace.Daytrip has transformed a collection of historic brick buildings near London's Silicon Roundabout. Built around a central courtyard with a spectacular living green wall, Cloisters celebrates original features while introducing contemporary...
How Lammhults Built Sustainability into Their Design DNA Decades Before it Became Mainstream.While most furniture companies were still figuring out recycling basics, Lammhults was already reimagining entire product lifecycles. Their approach goes beyond using recycled materials—they design for disassembly from day...
Bundarra Building Shows Heritage Restoration and Modern Design Can Be Best Friends.The corner of South Dowling and Fitzroy Streets in Sydney’s Surry Hills has had a major glow up thanks to Bundarra. This collaboration between Smart Design Studio and Those Architects combines meticulous heritage restoration with bold...
Singapore’s Brutalist Library Becomes Dynamic Workspace Thanks to Nice Projects’ Expert Touch.Nice Projects has turned a former Brutalist library in Singapore into The Lo & Behold Group's new headquarters. The brief was tricky—how do you make massive concrete vaults work for a hospitality company? The answer: smart moves...
Tabula Studio Transforms Client Experience Through Tactile Design in Bilbao Office.Architect Nerea Apraiz has transformed a 92-square-metre former consultancy into an immersive client experience where materials, finishes, and design solutions can be touched, tested, and experienced firsthand. From showcase toilets...
1970s NoMad Building Gets a Contemporary Makeover as Financial Firm HQ by Float Studio.Smart design decisions define Float Studio's NoMad headquarters project. Working within the historic building, the team created a financial firm workspace that honours 1970s architectural...
