Sydney Indesign’s “The Project” was introduced to the agenda in 2008 – it is an overarching concept which encourages participants of SID to achieve a heightened creative interaction between suppliers, retailers, designers and event-goers. ­Each year, The Project receives a theme which provides the basis for design ideas, giving participants the option to express their thoughts conceptually.  This year the theme was Exploring Process. By now we’re sure you’re aware that KE-ZU teamed with Yellowtrace for our 2013 SID campaign.  The collaboration with Dana and Nick of Yellowtrace provided for a fabulously outlined concept from the talented two:
The Process of Designing is about questioning the limits between the real and the imagined possibilities; creating alternative landscapes and environments. It begins with the exploration of ideas and free sketching, progresses into concept planning, 3D studies and design development, ultimately giving life to new spaces...
and so the design was born. For some time prior to the SID launch, we unpacked the process with Yellowtrace to bring to you a conceptually styled event which celebrates the facets of furniture design and manufacture.  Following the thought process at the latter half of the concept quote above, Yellowtrace and KE-ZU sat down and began exploring ideas, organizing our concept with the view to creating a new look showroom which embodied the distance between the real, and the imagined.  Lidia, our Showroom Manager (read: extraordinaire) said of the project:
The biggest success was the group collaboration, which is the most important part of any project. We were able to push boundaries and experiment with different ideas collectively and achieve great results. This is what “the Project” is all about and although we came across some issues and constraints in what we wanted to achieve the problem solving element was also s a very creative process.
The KE-ZU showroom was transformed like never before, providing an exciting and fresh new aesthetic.   I can tell you the most exciting thing about a new toy for me (and no, it’s not opening my credit card bill at the end of the month), is unpacking it.  Unpacking its casing, taking my new thing from its former home and giving it a new one.    It came as a surprise, but very much a welcome one, when I discovered that the plan for the KE-ZU showroom floor was based on an unpacked box.  What better platform to launch to the country the latest product from our suppliers which arrived from their respective countries after their fabulous unveiling at Salone Internazionale del Mobile. The unpacked box was scaled and designed by Dana and Nick – and the week prior to its exciting launch for SID was constructed by MDF sheets glued and attached by biscuit joinery.      Interestingly wallpaper was chosen from (and kindly donated by) Porters Paints to cover the flat, unpacked box hugging the floor – making the process of ‘unpacking’ our new toys all the more fun.  Whilst not viable long-term as a floor covering, the fabulous prints and colours of the Anna Spiro Collection from Porters Paints set the dial to the perfect tempo of excitement.   Each section of our new box was sectioned by MT “Washi Adhesive” tape from Notemaker tape/ribbon and painted a different colour, reflecting portions of the unpacked box piece by piece. Before a furniture piece is constructed and ready for packing and shipping, naturally it’s designed and manufactured – and this forms the basis for the graphically printed partition screen suspended from the ceiling of the showroom - a conceptual image of a warehouse, representative of the creative space where such imagined possibilities begin coming to life – it also serves as fabulous backdrop to the furniture it looms over – pieces from Sancal, Andreu World and bd Barcelona almost jumping from it and ready for careful examination from the keen eye of the SID event-goers. Never before have we seen so much greenery in the showroom – carefully positioned plants (including personal favourite – the Ficus lyrata – or Fiddler-Leaf Fig) selected by Terrace Outdoor Living in Woolhara injecting a freshness into the aesthetics and breathing life into their distant relatives, now carved into the designer furniture which form the exhilarating updated KE-ZU catalogue. We were so happy with all the positive feedback from the Yellowtrace and KE-ZU collaboration – the work of Yellowtrace was second to none and we had perhaps even a little too much fun working with Dana and Nick – what a pair!