Friends since the age of 14, Jessica Stewart and Christina Symes would grow to discover a shared passion for interior design and join forces in the creation of We Are Triibe - a design studio creating products and spaces they love for the like-minded. We recently partnered with the pair to bring our ninth Assembly Label store to life in the heart of Mosman, Sydney.
What were your individual backgrounds before beginning We Are Triibe?
Jessica: I always knew I wanted to pursue a creative career, and after finishing school I studied Interior Design for 5 years before going on to work as an exhibition designer at the Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane. While I was there I worked on the design and construction of large scale exhibitions such as Valentino, Yayoi Kusama and Matisse, working closely with some incredible artists and a really amazing team of designers and architects before starting to dabble in some freelance work on the side for commercial clients.
Christina: I worked as a fashion stylist and producer for 7 years before deciding to change career directions and study an intensive Interior Design and Furniture Design course in Florence, Italy. It was Jess who convinced me to study interior design, having identified my love for the industry. After I finished my course I worked as head Interior Stylist in Berlin for one of Sweden’s most renowned real estate companies, Fantastic Frank before coming back to Australia to begin We Are Triibe with Jess.
What inspired you both to create the business?
We Are Triibe began because we wanted to create products and spaces that we love for the like-minded. We have always strongly believed that the physical spaces in which we live can have a profound impact on our health and wellbeing and we wanted to create an interior design studio which embodied that. We wanted to guide people in discovering the potential of their own interiors so that they could create inspiring and liveable spaces with a strong focus on environmental psychology.
Tell us about the types of design services We Are Triibe offer.
We offer a range of interior design services from full interior architectural services through to interior styling and creative direction. We work across both commercial and residential interior spaces and tend to work very closely with our clients to ensure their own personality is infused into each design.
What are some of the key values you work to when creating a space?
The overall flow and layout of a space, how a space is being used and who it’s intended for are the first key elements we look at when creating a space.
We always try to create a balanced interior, we do this by ensuring that there is a balance of height through the use of furniture, lighting, material choice and built-in joinery to create a play on heights. For example, we balance low lying furniture with pendant lights, taller joinery items such as shelving and introduce artworks on the walls to draw your eye to different parts of the space. We also ensure that the materials palette is layered and cohesive throughout the interior, often using the same materials in different ways throughout the space to create consistency and harmony.
How did you come to partner with Assembly Label for the Mosman store?
Having always seen our brands as being like-minded, we reached out to Assembly Label about a year ago and expressed interest in working with them. Once Assembly had found their Mosman store they got in touch with us to collaborate with them on the space. Needless to say, we jumped on the opportunity and have had so much fun working together on the design of the store.
What can customers expect from the store’s interior design?
Taking cue from Assembly Label’s minimal and relaxed aesthetic, we looked at ways we could elevate their retail experience through the Mosman store. We did this by introducing new custom joinery designs for the point of sale, shelving, and change room design, which drew inspiration from Scandinavian and Japanese furniture. We also introduced some new materials such as travertine, and utilised a warmer timber colour throughout to give the space a point of difference.
Ultimately, we hope that the customer experiences a space that makes them feel good. Our goal with this interior was to create a relaxed and uplifting space where they can slow down, unwind and stay a little while longer.
How have you included a sustainable approach to design within the space?
We worked with some really talented builders and joiners, Verdecon and Mr and Mrs White, to bring the design of this space to life. They are two companies that have a really strong focus on sustainability in design which was very important to us and Assembly Label. We looked at ways we could further implement sustainable practices in the Mosman store, opting to use materials such as 100% recycled fabric for the curtains and sustainably sourced timber for the build. Almost everything has been handmade; a majority of this within Australia including the light fittings in the change room, custom furniture and joinery even down to the styling items such as the vases and pots. We opted to only select items which were thought-out and purposeful.
Assembly Label Mosman
681A Military Rd, Mosman NSW 2088
Photography by Sam Riles and Terence Chin
