Blue Steel Shelving Is Just One Dreamy Design Detail in This Sydney Cafe

Karine Monié
·4 min read

A trip to Sydney would be incomplete without a stop at Australia’s world-famous Bondi Beach. It is in this hip neighborhood that Will & Co—owned by a group of friends behind one of the country’s leading boutique coffee houses—recently opened its new hybrid space, designed by Alexander & Co., in a refurbished beachside building.

Inspired by young entrepreneurship and street art, but also by Donald Judd and Rachel Whiteread, Will & Co features a restrained, simple coastal palette combined with innovative materials in a series of areas cleverly separated for different functions. While we are all waiting patiently to travel again, here are some design ideas to steal for your home.

The ceramic cups and plates are made by Studio Enti and the glassware is by Saardé Homewares. The sculptural vases and vessels are by Greg Natale, Jane Vogel, and Katrina Wells.

Choose pieces made by local artisans

The Alexander & Co. team is passionate about supporting Australian talent and it’s clearly visible at Will & Co. When selecting pieces made by local artists, you are not only doing your part to keep the creative industry alive (more important than ever in our current situation) but you are also choosing new and innovative pieces that will bring personality and uniqueness to your home or any other space you decorate. No matter the style, pieces created by local artisans add one-of-a-kind flair by way of curated selection.

The space is not afraid to mix materials as steel joinery sets the backdrop for resin coffee counters and exposed, painted brickwork.
The space is not afraid to mix materials as steel joinery sets the backdrop for resin coffee counters and exposed, painted brickwork.
The headquarters is full of special details, like artwork from local artist and sign writer Steve Smith on the coffee roaster, and custom artistic murals throughout the space designed and installed by illustrator Chris Nixon.

Don’t be afraid to focus on one hue

“In Will & Co, the variants of blue are a direct reference to their brand colors and story, which has an edgy, coastal influence,” says Jeremy Bull, founder of Alexander & Co. “For a home, you could be bringing a color idea into details that run throughout, for example in artworks, objects, and furniture.” Finding a theme through a restrained color palette enhances visual coherence, so don’t hesitate to make your favorite hue (or one inspired by your location) the star of the show, similarly to how Will & Co’s blue-rendered walls with tiles and blue powder-coated steel are an ode to the ocean.

The showstopping counter is made from a polymer-based hybrid material called Marblo, which was devised to improve the performance of benchtop applications in laboratories and kitchens. We love all the color options it comes in. The Spine Stools are by Space Copenhagen.

Have a hero piece

Taking center stage and working as Will & Co’s key operational area, training zone, and counter is a monolithic Marblo-resin counter—a nod to British artist Rachel Whiteread’s resin doors. “Taking up about a quarter of the overall (usable) space, it’s a showpiece that confidently and boldly helps to tell Will & Co’s story,” Jeremy says. “Applying this concept to a home could be as simple as investing in classic or contemporary furniture, artworks, or sculptures that go beyond trends as their beauty allows them to hold a room for generations to come.”

The Judd-esque wood details make us want to take a woodworking class.
The Judd-esque wood details make us want to take a woodworking class.
The elegant lines in the table and chairs are echoed in the abstract artwork on the wall by Leonie Barton.
The elegant lines in the table and chairs are echoed in the abstract artwork on the wall by Leonie Barton.

Use retro timber shapes in the furniture

In Will & Co, the geometry in the furniture is a nod to retro coastal shapes and history, combining past and present—something that can be easily replicated in any residential space for a timeless look. “Allow yourself to use pieces from different eras and designers or artists and let them sit together,” Jeremy advises. Mixing and matching the old and the new will help you shape a space that can easily evolve throughout the years without being too contemporary or too classic.

Here on the column are more custom designs by Steve Smith that showcase that fondness for blue.
Here on the column are more custom designs by Steve Smith that showcase that fondness for blue.
We love how the industrial undertones drive the design of this hybrid space, but the furniture and sculptural objects add a contemporary touch. ⁠
We love how the industrial undertones drive the design of this hybrid space, but the furniture and sculptural objects add a contemporary touch. ⁠

Don’t get stuck in rigid thinking

Part workplace, part commercial area, and part educational exercise, Will & Co is an experimental hybrid space, which shows that creativity has no limit. Give yourself enough freedom to push the boundaries and do something that hasn’t been done before. “The beauty of the creative process (and the various stages of inspiration) can dislodge preconceptions and can, in turn, find new and specific design language,” Jeremy says. Experimenting with a space can lead you to discover many different functions and opportunities, so dare to be bold.

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest