Black Finch opened in 2007 and had been operating out of a small shopfront and workshop in High St Northcote. The business had outgrown the space by a mile and Davina and Raymond had recently taken on two leases, one in Smith St, Collingwood ( the flagship store ) and another shopfront on the main drag of the Victorian coastal town of Sorrento. The interior design of both new stores was a key part of an overall strategy to elevate the offering to clients. The building works had to be undertaken and executed swiftly with plans to open both stores before Christmas 2022.

The design of the new flagship store had to speak to the nature of the Black Finch business itself. The design had to be unique and reflect the creative approach both directors take to jewellery design. The Collingwood space was empty, volumous, austere and cool at our first site visit. The brief required we inject warmth, character and a hint of electricity through colour and materials without distracting too much from the jewellery itself which ultimately had to be the hero in the space.

We also wanted to give the space a less traditional feel as far as jewellery stores go. We went about zoning the public facing shop into 3 areas, The retail at the front, the consult areas in the middle and a more back of house area at the rear of the store where jewels are paired with precious metals and ring sizes are measured .

We used long lilac linen fabric drapes and carpeted areas to partition the space and create an area for clients to comfortably meet with the designers that would offer some level of privacy if need be. We wanted these spaces to feel intimate and gentle. My favourite material would have to be the dichroic glass counter which gives the space a sense of alchemy and zing. It plays with light in interesting ways. a nod to the gem stones that reflect light in beautiful and curious ways.