Hyperkulturemia

'Hyperkulturemia'  is a psychosomatic disorder that causes rapid heartbeat, dizziness, fainting, confusion and even hallucinations when an individual is exposed to an experience of great personal significance, particularly viewing art. ‘Hyperkulturemia’ is also the title of the sold out exhibition of sculptural paintings by Matthew Sheargold exploring memory and experience through colour, lighting, and geometric studies.

Sheargold is an award winning designer who draws on over 20 years experience working as an interior, furniture and product designer to inform his artwork. Fighting a constant battle to loosen up, his work is structured and restrained, using shapes, forms and symbols as efficiently as possible to tell a story. Drawing from fond memories and random moments, Matt's work seeks to explore the essence of the journeys we take and just how much detail our mind needs to remember them.

The exhibition was sponsored by Axolotl Paint with all the artworks using paints from the Chroma and Metta ranges.

Sheargold says, “Metta has a beautiful matt texture which worked brilliantly as the base for my works. Combined with different sheen levels of the Chroma range, Axolotl Paints were the ideal medium”.

Whilst your next design project may be a simpler expression than Matthew’s paintings, the superior pigmentation and depth of colour of Axolotl Paint will elevate it to be a work of art in itself.

You can find more images of the ‘Hyperkulturemia' exhibition here.

Scribbly Gum by Jade Oakley

The Scribbly Gum artwork floats along the side of a suspended ceiling in the new ACT Law courts building and can be viewed from the street, reception level and mezzanine. 

The artwork is a reference to the local landscape and an artistic response to the curvaceous wall. The combination of white washed timber and light, as well as the immense scale give the artwork a sense of refinement and gravitas appropriate for its setting. LED lighting strips are used to create a visually dynamic artwork, as bright points of light appear to slowly weave their way through the curvaceous maze of scribbles. The gradual, glowing movement creates a sense of time passing and a feeling of calm, like watching a fire or shadows passing over the landscape. 

“As an artist I am struck by the use of the Scribbly Gum in civic planting as you enter Canberra. The patterns themselves are beautiful graphics and unmistakably those of the Scribbly Gum, even when appropriated, enlarged and reproduced. Bringing these patterns into the interior of the court creates a sense of place, a link to the local landscape. The Scribbly Gum also lends the artwork a light touch as it reminds us of the wonder of nature, and nature’s ‘sense of humour.’ The whimsical patterns on the scribbly bark bring to mind childhood, and time spent in the bush. It is a reminder of our native land, the place that grounds us and links us together. It is a symbol of the culture and landscape to which we belong.” Jade Oakley.

Scribbly Gum was a 14-month process from concept and design development, through to installation. AAP Art projects, the art division of Axolotl, were instrumental in the design process working closely with Jade Oakley to ensure suitability for construction, installation and engineering.

The unique artwork canvas with no straight lines provided the first challenge. To overcome this we brought the installation team Stratti Build in to the project early on. The wall was surveyed on site via cherry picker and drawn on CAD. Over twenty templates were then produced from a datum point on the wall to allow for the successful mapping and installation of the artwork.

Scribbly Gum is made up of over 100 individual panels up to 3360 x 1560mm in size, and is split over three depths.

Each layer has been sanded and treated in the Axolotl factory with Axolotl Timber Wash Interior Roan paint with varying opacities.

Images of Scribbly Gum's design development can be found here.

Bondi Whitewash

Last month Bondi scored its newest hospitality gem with the opening of all-day eatery The Pacific Club Bondi Beach.

Making its home within Campbell Parade's Pacific Building, the chic bistro and beach club boasts an enviable team of well-known hospitality luminaries to help bring it to life.

Harvest Newrybar's Bret Cameron is heading up the kitchen, an expansive wine programme comes courtesy of award-winning sommelier Chris Morrison, and 2016 Australian Bartender of the Year Michael Chiem is lending his talents to the cocktail list. The space itself is the work of internationally renowned hospitality designer Michael McCann, from Dreamtime Australia Design.

“Our lifestyles call for dining that is an extension of the way we live. With the open planned kitchen as its centrepiece, the ‘home away from home’ environment has drawn on whitewashed palettes, warm wooden textures, and finished with the polish of marble,” says McCann of his vision.

The whitewashed palettes throughout the restaurant were provided courtesy of the Axolotl Paint range, with TimberWash Interior in Roan used on the walls and ceilings. The colour imbues a clean minimalist aesthetic that makes the very most of its beachside locale. With its idyllic waterfront location we think The Pacific Club is definitely worth a visit.

For more information on our TimberWashes and on Axolotl Paint please visit our website or contact us on 02 9666 1207 or at info@axolotl.com.au.

The Collectionist

Sydney's newest and most creatively unique, hotel – The Collectionist – has officially opened, ready to change the way guests choose to stay and experience hotels. 

The Camperdown situated hotel, is the first for The Collectionist Hotel brand with plans to take the unique concept to other Sydney locations and interstate.

Described as a real-life “choose-your-own-adventure”, the eclectically designed hotel will set a new standard in individualised guest experiences. Opting away from standardised décor in rooms, The Collectionist commissioned the talents of 13 artists and seven designers from four leading design studios, to create 39 individually designed rooms. Instead of rooms being allocated by the hotel, guests are invited to peruse available rooms on check-in and choose their room based on the style, colour, texture and design - just as they would a work of art.  

Any design team that took on a brief involving 40 individually designed rooms could be called both adventurous and bold.  Enter Andrew Cliffe, founder of “The World is Round”.  Having been invited to bid on the project Cliffe set about assembling a team of designers who could bring the vision to life. “The brief was for every room to be different - a massive task for one designer. To win the project I needed to think differently,” says Cliffe. “Originally, I was imagining ten designers doing four rooms each, but reality set in and this switched to four designers doing ten rooms each.” The design teams credited with bringing The Collectionist concept to life include The World is Round, Amber Road, Willis Sheargold and Pattern Studio.

Yasmine Ghoniem from Amber Road says about the Collectionist, "Our objective here was for each room to evoke a particular memory: a holiday, a dream, a person, an idea, an experience - ultimately something that would elicit a strong emotive response from the guest. To create our desired response we employed a riot of colour, texture and artful detailing and in doing so, transformed each room into a feast for the senses”.

The riot of colour was injected into the hotel with the use of the Axolotl Paint range. Metta, Chroma and Micaceous paints in varying sheen levels adorn the walls, ceilings and trims throughout the eclectic hotel. In some cases our paints were also used in the graphic artworks and on the furnishings. Axolotl Paint was chosen due to the superior paintability, quality and depth of tone achieved, as well as the beautiful matt finishes available in both the Metta and Chroma range.  

To see more images of the uniquely designed rooms at The Collectionist hotel click here.

The Glasshouse

The impressive design of The Glasshouse, Paddington is the result of Nina Maya Interiors working in a unique collaboration with some of Australia’s leading architectural suppliers.

The dilapidated site in Paddington was demolished last year to make way for the new architecturally designed show-home.

The layout uses every square centimetre of the site, while the floor to ceiling glass in the central axis of the residence delivers an abundance of natural light into the open layout. This impressive feature is centred over an internal pond and can be viewed from nearly every angle of the home. 

Axolotl metals bookend the design, with a custom Splice design entry door and handle in an aged Gold Bronze finish welcoming you inside and hinting at the luxury you will find within. While a clever three panel siding gate across the rear of the property in our Bronze Cortex design becomes a large outdoor feature wall, viewable from the internal living areas.

Inside, The Glasshouse, entwines bold and luxe material choices including green Verde marble from Euromarble, moody textured timber veneer joinery by New Age Veneers, satin tap-ware by Rogerseller, and the new cleverly flush mounted switch range by Zetr.

Axolotl Paint from the Chroma range is painted throughout the interior and exterior of the home in colours Ryder and Stratus. Our Chroma flat wall paint providing the perfect matte backdrop for the sophisticated design of the home.

The Glasshouse sets a new standard for stylish and functional inner city living, fitted out with the highest quality design and products, and optimally located in the prestigious suburb of Paddington.

We are excited to have been a part of The Glasshouse, and to work with Nina and other leading architectural suppliers.

The Glasshouse is open for inspection by appointment. Feel free to contact us here if you would like to arrange a visit to discuss the products used or how we can assist with your own project.

Click here to see more images of The Glasshouse. 

Meet us at Sydney Indesign

Come visit the Axolotl design team at Sydney Indesign
Friday 11th August 12pm - 6pm
Saturday 12th 10am - 6pm 
We will be at B2 Studios, showcasing the Axolotl Paint range and 
our new Stainless Spectrum sheet metals. All paired with a beautiful trio of chairs thanks to Living Edge.
B2 STUDIOS | 46/62 MADDOX ST, ALEXANDRIA
 
SPECIAL OFFER
To celebrate Sydney Indesign we are offering a 15% discount on all paint orders from
Friday 11th August until midnight on Thursday 17th August.
Simply enter the code at checkout to receive your discount.

Registrations will be taken at all main venues on the day.
We look forward to seeing you there!

Don’t forget to tag us in your photo’s @axolotlgroup #axolotlgroup #axolotlpaint
#SID17 @livingedge #livingedge 

PAINT HAS A NEW FORMULA

Axolotl Paint was launched in October last year and has already seen great interest, with Axolotl Paints specified for a number of projects by top designers nationally.

We have been overwhelmed with the response and trust the industry has shown in the Axolotl brand since our launch. Our paints deliver the crafted quality and range of specialty finishes that has come to be synonymous with Axolotl. The Micaceous range has been particularly popular, with it’s unique shimmery matte finish making it a designer favourite.

It is now even easier to explore the Axolotl Paint range as our online shop is live and the full range is available to purchase directly through the website. You’ll also be able to find technical information, colourforecasts, advice, order swatches, paint outs, and sample pots.

With the launch of the Axolotl Paint online store, comes an exciting new Rust Paint to join the range. As global pioneers in developing a rust finish that could be applied for decorative effect, it is only natural that Axolotl should now include a Rust Paint. By adapting our unique process, which works with genuine iron, into an acrylic paint, anyone can achieve an authentic looking rusted effect on paintable surfaces. Axolotl Rust Paint can be applied on site for both interior and exterior settings to give an instant aged finish.

A cement paint is also due to be launched in the coming months!

We hope you enjoy exploring the new Axolotl Paint site. The full range of colours can also be viewed in our showroom where you can discuss your project with our expert consultants and order in store.

For more information on the Axolotl Paint range or to discuss your project, you can get in touch by email, phone, or visit the showroom today.

Introducing: Axolotl Paint

The launch of Axolotl Paint expands upon Axolotl's already extensive range of surface finishes. Our new architectural paints merge the highest quality finishes, with a palette of colours and effects that represent the most current and upcoming trends.

Axolotl Paint has been developed with traditional craftsmanship as the starting point and then enhanced with the latest technological developments, creating stronger opacity, fuller colours and better paintability.

The palette on offer extends from extroverted bright tones through to moody lustrous shades, and has been chosen to deliver the highest standard of finish demanded by the best commercial and residential architectural projects, internally and externally. The range of colours and textures on offer have been designed to complement Axolotl's metal and concrete surfaces, whilst also delivering a finish you can be confident will work with both the natural environment and design trends.

As would be expected of Axolotl, quality craftsmanship and a bespoke approach are paramount in our practice. Our swatches, fan decks, sample test tubes and paint tin labels have all been designed and made in house. In a labour of love, the full range of swatches and fan decks have been individually mixed and hand painted to give you the most accurate representation possible.

The Axolotl Paint collection is water based, has low VOC's, is easy to use and comes in a range of acrylic paints, micaceous iron oxides and timber washes for internal and external use. You can view the full Paint range online, but the true beauty of the range is fully realised by visiting our showroom, open Monday to Friday. An online store will also be available soon.