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Australian houses, from architectural masterpieces to suburban family homes, Victorian terraces, mid-century marvels, coastal shacks, city apartments, and everything in between.
Award-winning Australian architecture, inspiring homes, and interviews with Australia’s top architects.
Award-winning Australian interior design, inspiring homes, and interviews with Australia’s top designers.
In depth features on Australia’s most beautiful gardens and landscape design.
Studio visits with Australia’s most talented creatives, from artists to architects, ceramicists to stylists, furniture makers to lighting designers.
Studio visits with Australia’s top artists, and unmissable art exhibitions in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and beyond.
Weekly recipes and meal ideas from our favourite cooks, authors and foodies.
Unique travel destinations, design-led accomodation and day trip ideas in Australia and New Zealand.
Australian houses, from architectural masterpieces to suburban family homes, Victorian terraces, mid-century marvels, coastal shacks, city apartments, and everything in between.
Award-winning Australian architecture, inspiring homes, and interviews with Australia’s top architects.
Award-winning Australian interior design, inspiring homes, and interviews with Australia’s top designers.
In depth features on Australia’s most beautiful gardens and landscape design.
Studio visits with Australia’s most talented creatives, from artists to architects, ceramicists to stylists, furniture makers to lighting designers.
Studio visits with Australia’s top artists, and unmissable art exhibitions in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and beyond.
Weekly recipes and meal ideas from our favourite cooks, authors and foodies.
Unique travel destinations, design-led accomodation and day trip ideas in Australia and New Zealand.
Melbourne's newest retail offering is Franque*, a super gorgeous new furniture and interiors showroom in St Kilda. It's a brilliant concept - a beautiful 1930's apartment suite in a residential building overlooking Port Phillip Bay has been transformed into a private retail showroom, filled with hand picked antiques from Europe. Alongside these pieces is an impressive collection of Australian art by collectable artists including Tim Jones, Sarah Faulkner, Sally Ross, Bruce Armstrong and Robert Jack.
Hmmm, a furniture / art retail showroom in a residential setting.... that sounds familiar! This must be a new trend in retail, I'm thinking!? I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot more of this concept from other retailers in the year ahead.
Franque has been a labour of love for Sarah Hook, who has spent the last year planning this special project, and travelling to France and Belgium to fill 3 containers of furniture for her showroom. Sarah spent many years running Melbourne's gorgeous and immensely popular Manon shops before launching her own venture. 'After leaving Manon I started to import antiques - all of which sold out nearly before they landed!' she says. 'Now I have started up this showroom where I can merchandise my furniture beautifully, and display my other love... fine art'.
Franque is open mainly by appointment, and Sarah also has plans to host private dinners and 'meet the artist' events here. Better schedule a visit tout de suite, Francophiles!
Franque
Suite 5, 326 Beaconsfield Parade
St Kilda, VIC
Open Thursdays 12.00pm - 5.00pm or by appointment
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First Nations artists, designers, makers, and creative business owners are encouraged to submit their projects for coverage on The Design Files. Please email bea@thedesignfiles.net
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