Five Minutes w/ Fiona Lynch

Can you please curate your top 12 JRF products from our website?  

See here.

Firstly, can you tell us about yourself and your firm, Fiona Lynch Office? 

I’m an interior designer who also studied fine arts.

The work of our studio Fiona Lynch is underpinned by thoughtful consideration of the lifecycle and the environmental impact of our designs and the furnishings we select.

Since launching, we’ve built on our use of natural materials and sculptural elements, our conceptual use of materiality and harmonisation of the raw and refined.  The way in which we work has broadened and evolved in the way we like to collaborate across disciplines with contemporary artists and skilled artisans from ceramicists to sculptors and metalworkers to bring our custom designs to life. The scale and profile of projects has also grown to include projects like Kiln at the Ace Hotel, the group’s first Ace property in the Southern Hemisphere.

What was your bedroom like growing up? 

It was an eighties bedroom saturated colours, green shagpile carpet and a ‘Yellow Peril’ – inspired (the controversial artwork) yellow bunk bed.  My walls were a deep inky blue until I begged my mum to let me paint them white and then I decorated my walls with poska pen in a Ken Done meets Keith Haring mural.

How would you describe your style? 

A mix of multi-layered materiality, colour and a balance between the raw and refined.

We recently collaborated on two very special pop-up projects, Landmark by Lexus for Melbourne’s Spring Racing Carnival and Bar Lourinhã for the Winter Masterpieces Exhibition at NGV. Can you tell us what it was like to work on these projects and why you chose to partner with JRF and our TON bentwood products? 

It’s quite exciting to work on special event spaces as they’re finite, so it’s like creating a beautiful, limited-edition artwork that will not be around forever.  Also knowing that a high volume of people will experience the space is a thrill as there’s always a sense of anticipation for both designer and audience. The TON Chair 18 is a classic, but also a chameleon at the same time and adapts to its surrounds in any colour.

What are your non-negotiables when specifying furniture for a hospitality project in comparison to a residential project? 

For hospitality projects, furniture needs to be robust for frequent usage, aesthetically appealing, timeless and durable as it’s required to have longevity.

What is your philosophy on trends vs timeless design? How do you balance this with clients? 
I think the Studio’s work is timeless, bespoke and always has a distinctive point of difference, so we don’t often defer to trends.  This is something we always we talk about with clients and ultimately, they’re coming to us for our design point of view and DNA.

What’s next for 2023? 

Several high-end residential projects we can’t wait to share. They’re an innate reflection of our work; we’ve designed a brass-clad glass pavilion for one of these projects in South Yarra.  More work with artisans who craft our custom designs. More travel – hopefully to Japan to look at the work of Tadao Ando as well as to other major design fairs. More exploration and use of innovative sustainable materials – many of them from ‘Future Archive’ our digital resource we established to highlight intriguing projects by designers, artists, makers, curators, artists and scientists.

Quick-fire questions: 

What is the most treasured piece of furniture you own? 

A Charlotte Perriand Rio table in oak / white marble.

Most memorable dining experience? 

I recently had lunch with my team at Etta Dining in Brunswick and it was spectacular. I was fortunate to be a co-collaborator for Landmark by Lexus at Flemington with Hannah and Rosheen – I love what they do.

Favourite thing about Melbourne? 
The contrasts – between the polished & gritty, between high-end dining and street food, and high-end galleries & street art.  I think it’s a brilliant reflection of the cultural and creative DNA of this city and its people.

Favourite book?
Why Materials Matter by Seetal Solanki.

Thank you!