Working with Melbourne property developer, and originator of the Art Series brand, the Deague Group, Furn-niche’s role was to bring SJB Architect’s, interior concept to life, and ensuring the furnishings complemented the exciting photo-realistic artwork by Vincent Fantauzzo.

Furn-niche are FF&E specialists with 23 years of continuous success and an extensive portfolio of hotels and serviced apartments, their involvement in the Fantauzzo is a highlight for the Brisbane based team of designers and project managers.

Design Director and Co-Owner of Furn-niche, Dennis Arnold says, “It’s been such a buzz to work on a project in our backyard that is getting so much attention. Usually our projects are all over the country so it’s great to gain some cred with my friends and family who have fully embraced the new Howard Smith Wharves precinct”.

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The furniture was custom designed and manufactured by Furn-niche with the guest, the property managers and their client’s budget in mind. Each piece was designed with flexibility in mind to suit the unusual room configurations. This hotel is certainly not cookie-cutter, with 166 rooms and at least 60 different room types. The sofa for example is sectional, allowing the square sections to fit together in a variety of combinations. The same principle applies to the side tables - the grouping of 4 different sized cubes depends on the size and layout of hotel room.

Click here to view the Furn-niche website.

Mr Arnold attributes the success of the furniture design to its sense of place and functionality. “We were inspired by the rugged cliff face that the hotel backs onto, the geometric shapes of the architecture and the Story Bridge. The angular facade of the building crosses over the room glazing, casting exciting triangular shadows throughout the space. We reflected  this geometry in the cluster of mirrored side tables. Despite the compact scale of the furniture, we did not want to compromise on comfort and user experience. We used high end foams, to ensure longevity and luxury.”

See also: First images inside Brisbane's newest hotel, The Fantauzzo Art Series Hotel at Howard Smith Wharves

“I’m really proud of the floor lamps. They are a complex piece that are intended to make a sculptural statement in the rooms. The rooms themselves do not feature a great deal of architectural lighting, so these lamps needed to be highly functional and easy for the guest to use. They are hardwired into the main circuit CBUS system. We worked with local manufacturer Precision Engineering to manufacture the lights out of their Brisbane factory. Being floor fixed, installing them was a collaborative feat between Furn-niche, Hutchies, Accor and Precision Engineering.”

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“Another highlight is the reception desk. I designed this to reflect the random geometry of the cliff that can be seen through the huge glass window behind the desk. We began the design process through CAD modelling and 3D printing, with local group Precision Engineering manufacturing. It’s always such a thrill to see a concept come to life through the course of a project”

This is the second Art Series Hotel that Furn-niche has completed, having worked as the Deague Group’s FF&E team for The Johnson in Spring Hill in 2016.

Click here to view the Furn-niche website.

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See other articles relating to Howard Smith Wharves:

Howard Smith Wharves Art Series Hotel opening March 2019

Howard Smith Wharves "game changing for Brisbane"

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