{"id":416049,"date":"2026-05-07T10:15:13","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T10:15:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/416049\/"},"modified":"2026-05-07T10:15:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T10:15:13","slug":"studio-shields-reimagine-home-at-melbourne-design-week-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/416049\/","title":{"rendered":"Studio Shields reimagine home at Melbourne Design Week 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

As Milan Design Week 2026<\/a> comes to a close, with designers and interior aficionados alike heading home from their travels abroad, Melbourne Design Week picks up. Perhaps the biggest design date on the Australian calendar, the program features 400+ events and activations across the city. This year, the event continues to focus on contemporary Australian design and cross-disciplinary practice. Moreover, Ruby Shields, founder and creative director of Studio Shields<\/a>, has brought together an extensive list of 46 Australian designers, artists and makers to bring Synthesis<\/a> to life. An exhibition pairing furnishings and fixtures in relation to one another rather than as stand alone objects, running from Thursday 14 May to Friday 22 May.<\/p>\n

For Shields, \u201cSynthesis came about in two parts. A growing frustration with the homogenisation of interiors, the endless white walls, and the fading of personality within spaces that should feel alive with soul and character. And equally, the way objects, furniture and art are so often presented in isolation, on a pedestal, against a blank wall, stripped of the very context that gives them meaning.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AnJacquard Screen by Martyn Thompson, Table Lamp \u201cCrumple Lamp\u201d by Amy Vidler, Chair & Side Table \u201cAuris Chair\u201d & \u201cAuris Side Table\u201d by Anne U, Green glass by Billy Crellin Studio Dokola. (Photography: Martina Gemmola | Art Direction: Ruby Shields)<\/p>\n

What is Synthesis by Studio Shields?<\/p>\n

Displayed within the Bishop\u2019s Parlour and Foyer at the Abbotsford Convent, the exhibition positions design objects in situ. Here, the contemporary installation is etched against a heritage building backdrop of architectural elements (encaustic tiles, stained glass<\/a>, aged timber) that have been retained and left untreated. A curatorial mix of furniture, lighting, textiles, objects and art are positioned as they might exist in a home. \u201cIt\u2019s about what happens when everything is placed in conversation, when material, colour, light, scent and space begin to lean on one another. That\u2019s where the magic sits,\u201d Shields continues. \u201cAt its core, it is about reminding people why interiors matter. The power they have to create an atmosphere, to tell stories, to reflect personality, and to evoke emotion. To show that when everything comes together, thoughtfully and intentionally, it doesn\u2019t just sit well. It sings. \u201c<\/p>\n

Within Synthesis, a bespoke sofa by Culture Cush, upholstered in Mokum fabric, sets the scene in the primary living setting. While, a multifunctional desk by Mood Workshop, using Elton Group veneer, grounds the foyer. Also, a bespoke scent developed by Nunchi Oils lingers through the rooms, extending the exhibition beyond the tangible. The activation will feature works by designers such as Amy Vidler, Subject Matters, Objects For Thought, Jordan Fleming, Fools Glass and Dean Norton \u2013 to name a few.<\/p>\n

\"APhotography: Martina Gemmola | Art Direction: Ruby Shields<\/p>\n

The importance of curation<\/p>\n

The activation has placed herculean emphasis on the dialogue between elements. Which is fitting, given Studio Shields is a multidisciplinary practice creating sedimented interiors that mirror the people who inhabit them. \u201cWhat we\u2019re seeing, particularly at Milan, is a shift away from the pedestal. There\u2019s a recognition that meaning is built through relationship. Context isn\u2019t a backdrop, it\u2019s part of the work,\u201d Shields continues. \u201cFor me, this approach feels much closer to how interiors actually operate. It\u2019s less about singular moments of design and more about the tension, harmony and rhythm between pieces. That\u2019s where atmosphere lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Saskia-Neacsu\"\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSenior Content Producer
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tSaskia Neacsu\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tSenior Content Producer\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Saskia Neacsu is a Senior Content Producer working across the digital side of Belle. After earning her Bachelor of Architecture at Bond University, Saskia cut her teeth at some of Australia\u2019s most revered architecture practices before realising her truest medium was the written word. Her work has appeared in Habitus, IndesignLive and Luxury Travel, where she regularly interviewed lauded architects, designers and artists – drawing out the philosophies and quirks that fuel their craft. When she\u2019s not writing about homes, you\u2019ll often find her with a book in hand or curating idyllic itineraries for travels abroad.<\/p>\n

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