Studio Collection: Featuring Ross Gardam
Studio Collection: featuring Ross Gardam
Written by Aleesha Callahan and Photography by Martina Gemmola
Just a few streets from Cantilever’s own studio and workshop, Ross Gardam designs and makes sculptural lighting and furniture pieces. Gardam has built a practice around a single philosophy: to create experiential objects that elicit joy and defy convention.
“We’ve been committed to Australian manufacturing from the beginning. All the brass and metal components, timber, ceramics and glass – if we can make it here, we do.”
With a mutual focus on design integrity, craft and community, the two are working on a growing number of projects together, with Creative Director Kylie Forbes specifying Ross Gardam pieces in several recent Cantilever homes.
“We are so blessed in Australia to have the breadth of local lighting designer/makers that we do. We always preference local design options in our projects. ”
Ross Gardam Team- Hayden Cattach
Sky Place
Nebulae Horizontal Chandelier
In Sky Place, a project defined by bold materials and rich, dark tones, the Nebulae Vertical Chandelier was a natural fit. “It repeated the texture and depth of colour, but with translucency,” Kylie explains. “The sculptural element of the light was so important because the space is flooded with light during the day, so the lights remain off. In the evening, they offer the perfect glow, connecting to the myriad city lights that float across the horizon.”
Nebulae Horizontal Chandelier (both images)
Other Ross Gardam pieces featured in Sky Place include the Hearth Lounge, Black Mirror Noon Table and Breeze Side Table, each selected to play with light and shadow in an open-plan interior. “The Hearth is a favourite of mine. It’s so comfortable, and the shape creates natural zoning, which is so important in open-plan spaces,” Kylie adds.
Hearth Couch, Noon Coffee Table + Breeze Side Table (left to right)
Ora Desk Lamp (to the left)
In Perfect Harmony
In Darling Street, a more compact apartment setting, the brief called for impactful lighting that wouldn’t overwhelm. “We often specify wall lighting to allow our clients to turn off the ceiling lighting and enjoy a softer ambience,” Kylie explains. “We chose the Ceto Offset Wall Light for a soft glow and the Silhouette Wall Light to uplight and bounce light through the space. It’s a gentle way to light a room.”
Ceto Offset Wall Light
Silhouette Wall Light
Colour Bounty
At Rowena Parade, the Ora Pendant was selected for the bedrooms. Kylie notes how, “Its form is beguiling”. Adding that it, “hangs so lightly in a space without losing presence, and the design of the shade means it doesn’t glare – important when you’re lying in bed.” In the living room, the Hearth Lounge is upholstered in deep green to complement the strong tones of the Verde Fantastico Granite benchtop.
Ora Pendant (both images)
Hearth Couch
Both Ross Gardam and Cantilever have spent years honing their design practices in Brunswick. “I have been an admirer of Cantilever for many, many years so it feels really special to be featured in more projects together,” Ross says, acknowledging how the creative studios in the area all add to the vibrancy of the local design community.
With a shared outlook, and a shared postcode, Cantilever is proud to continue fostering partnerships that preference local design.
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