The Office ... Chelsea Hing
With a new satellite space in the foothills of the Macedon Ranges, this designer orbits between her country and city studios.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR WORKSPACE? Crafted with character. I’ve designed our Melbourne and Daylesford studios to feel like a representation of our work: less office and more residence, so the spirit of what we do shines through. For this space, I wanted it to be relevant to the properties in the Macedon Ranges suited to our work, so there’s strong art and softer contemporary pieces that elevate the country context. WHAT INITIALLY APPEALED TO YOU ABOUT THE SPACE? DID IT REQUIRE SIGNIFICANT ALTERATIONS? The first day I went looking, there it was! Right in the centre of town in the historic Old Vic Building. It couldn’t have been more perfect (except we were in lockdown). We did the whole thing remotely and as the last lick of paint was going on I was able to see it. It was a leap of faith, but the building’s heritage foundations felt like the right fit for us. We turned a charcoal-carpeted, white-walled commercial space into a warm and inviting studio with Bauwerk lime-washed walls and sisal on the floors to unify the space. Lighting by Jaime Hayon, furniture, art and objects have been curated in our signature style. WHAT ARE YOUR DESK ESSENTIALS? A scale ruler, Yellowtrace, coffee and imagination. WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT YOUR SPACE? We’ll always be a small studio with a big aesthetic as we like to keep things personal. Many people have homes in both locations or are making the move to a more permanent regional base so they can see us in Melbourne and we can also be on the ground here. CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE VIEW FROM YOUR OFFICE? We’re elevated on the first floor and overlook a deep balcony that will be pretty handy for the hot country summers. We can see the iconic Hotel Frangos at the top of the street from our window. WHAT IS A TYPICAL DAY? I batch my week with admin one day, ‘cone of silence’ design days in the middle and client/site meetings towards the end. But typically it’s a mash-up of all these small daily efforts to wrangle the design process into pulling off our big ideas. DO YOU USE YOUR OFFICE TO ENTERTAIN CLIENTS? Definitely. That was the impetus for the space more than anything. It has a beautifully calm vibe just like a home should feel. WHAT IS A DREAM DESK OR WORKSPACE OBJECT YOU WOULD BUY NOW? A miniature version of one of David Umemoto’s concrete sculptures. IF YOUR STUDIO WERE LOCATED ANYWHERE ELSE, WHERE WOULD THAT BE? Somewhere warm with a pool and a view. WHAT INFORMED THE DECISION TO OPEN YOUR OFFICE? What started out as a pandemic-induced daydream quickly materialised into a real business opportunity as I watched the capital city exodus take place. It’s been a long-held dream to divide my time between the country and city, and the timing feels right. WHAT PROJECTS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2021? We’re looking at a strong year with a lot of large projects on the drawing board. Whenever we get to flex our muscle with a focused client and an exciting brief, they’re the ones we look forward to. chelseahing.com.au