Style Sessions with Interior Designer Rebecca Riles
Roar Images by Bec Riles on Instagram
STYLE SESSIONS WITH... Rebecca Riles - interior designer, fashion buyer, stylist and owner of Roots & Wings Design talks to eat, read love about some exciting new projects.
Welcome to my newest segment on the blog. I am so excited to finally share this with you. I have a fabulous line up of Australian designers, stylists, artists and more to share with you on the blog in the coming months. To kick of the inaugural {Style Sessions With...} the lovely and very busy Bec Riles joins us on the blog to share some fabulous new interior design projects - the recent interior design for Cronulla's new luxe store ROAR, and the design for a brand new South Coast restaurant Wharf Rd, which I am personally very excited about. Bec has been a very busy girl indeed!
What is the inspiration behind your latest project Roar?
When I met up with the girls in the beginning they proposed the stores name be ‘ROAR’. With both of them being Leo star signs, and both beautiful strong women themselves, I loved it immediately. Not only was it a great starting point for the concept for the space, but I thought it would also help them to define their style ‘as fashion buyers’, steering them towards strong key fashion pieces. From there the concept evolved through sketches and modelling, developing into the strong form that now engulfs the space, just like the strength that characterises their star sign. The girls were after something like my own space at Roots & Wings Design, characteristic of my own quite classic style with clean lines and a neutral palette. However, knowing the area with its abundant surf and skate culture I wanted to give the space some of that flavour but with a more polished edge. So in contrast to the raw plywood wall and other more rustic timber influences, I have also used sleek materials and finishes such as Smartstone Carrara bench tops and shelves and clean white powder coated steel and mirror as it was important to have that balance. {you can see some more pics of ROAR here}
What one design feature would you like people to remember about ROAR? I really love little details, so I really enjoy the subtle copper plumbing joins that divide the hanging rail into sections, something most people won’t even notice. However the large scale curved wall ‘the hero’ that continues upwards into the ceiling plane, and the graffiti artwork on this that we commissioned local graffiti artist, Luke Anderson to create are the standouts. I was so great to have the freedom to do something so fun and youthful like this.
How would you describe your signature style? I like to design timeless, elegant yet very relaxed & comfortable spaces and I am drawn to natural materials, favouring raw unfinished timber, white walls & fabrics like linen and leather. I go through material and finish obsessions and currently have a thing for powder coating steel. It’s become a bit of a joke between my clients and I. I love custom everything and working with skilled local joiners and metal workers to come up with completely unique fixtures and fittings, bespoke lighting and so much more.
What hot in Australian design right now? Although not so new, fashion label Bassike is going from strength to strength right now and as it warms up, watch out for the Spring Summer 12 collection hitting the racks at Roots & Wings Design. I feel like I need to triple the size of my wardrobe because I can pretty much justify owning every piece. The label is really growing up and I love the restraint they’ve shown. We have very proudly stocked Bassike for almost 5 years now since opening our doors in 2007, Bassike launched only a year earlier in 2006.
Which designers send you weak at the knees? When it comes to international labels I cant resist Acne, Alexander Wang, Isabel Marant, Givenchy and Celine. That’s my top 5 right there!
What inspires you to get out of bed in the morning? My morning coffee! Made even better because my gorgeous partner brings it home from Milkwood for me every morning before I head to work. Milkwood is the new Berry Sourdough’s take away only bakery. Since it’s opening we have barely used our own coffee machine, it is that good!
EATING: I love dude food and I’m kind of obsessed by pulled pork sandwiches, Mum’s are the best but the ones at Kitchen by Mike are pretty good too. (we love KBM too!) My favourite new restaurant though would have to be the Chiswick in Woollahra. I think it’s exactly what was missing in Sydney food. I also can’t wait to checkout the Grounds of Alexandria, I have heard such great things and only wish it was there when I lived there.
READING: Mostly blogs. I LOVE Leandra Medine’s blog, THE MAN REPELLER. She is just hilarious and really has fun with fashion, clearly has a style that is all her own. I love that she is not so serious about it all, in that way, we are alike.
LOVING: I am working on an exciting new bar & restaurant that is set to open this Spring on the Shoalhaven River, its called ‘Wharf Rd’. It’s really very exciting for me, my largest project to date and a big deal for the area. I’m so pleased to be a part of something that has the potential to show off the beautiful Shoalhaven River and I hope it marks the start of more of this. I’d really love to work on more local projects that really help better the area and entice new people to visit the beautiful South Coast, Berry in particular. It has a lot to offer and loads of potential for those looking for a change in pace.
Stay tuned for more Style Sessions coming every month on the blog. In the meantime you might also like another of my interviews, this I did a little while ago with fabulous Australian Author Belinda Alexandra.
Welcome to my newest segment on the blog. I am so excited to finally share this with you. I have a fabulous line up of Australian designers, stylists, artists and more to share with you on the blog in the coming months. To kick of the inaugural {Style Sessions With...} the lovely and very busy Bec Riles joins us on the blog to share some fabulous new interior design projects - the recent interior design for Cronulla's new luxe store ROAR, and the design for a brand new South Coast restaurant Wharf Rd, which I am personally very excited about. Bec has been a very busy girl indeed!
What is the inspiration behind your latest project Roar?
When I met up with the girls in the beginning they proposed the stores name be ‘ROAR’. With both of them being Leo star signs, and both beautiful strong women themselves, I loved it immediately. Not only was it a great starting point for the concept for the space, but I thought it would also help them to define their style ‘as fashion buyers’, steering them towards strong key fashion pieces. From there the concept evolved through sketches and modelling, developing into the strong form that now engulfs the space, just like the strength that characterises their star sign. The girls were after something like my own space at Roots & Wings Design, characteristic of my own quite classic style with clean lines and a neutral palette. However, knowing the area with its abundant surf and skate culture I wanted to give the space some of that flavour but with a more polished edge. So in contrast to the raw plywood wall and other more rustic timber influences, I have also used sleek materials and finishes such as Smartstone Carrara bench tops and shelves and clean white powder coated steel and mirror as it was important to have that balance. {you can see some more pics of ROAR here}
What one design feature would you like people to remember about ROAR? I really love little details, so I really enjoy the subtle copper plumbing joins that divide the hanging rail into sections, something most people won’t even notice. However the large scale curved wall ‘the hero’ that continues upwards into the ceiling plane, and the graffiti artwork on this that we commissioned local graffiti artist, Luke Anderson to create are the standouts. I was so great to have the freedom to do something so fun and youthful like this.
How would you describe your signature style? I like to design timeless, elegant yet very relaxed & comfortable spaces and I am drawn to natural materials, favouring raw unfinished timber, white walls & fabrics like linen and leather. I go through material and finish obsessions and currently have a thing for powder coating steel. It’s become a bit of a joke between my clients and I. I love custom everything and working with skilled local joiners and metal workers to come up with completely unique fixtures and fittings, bespoke lighting and so much more.
What hot in Australian design right now? Although not so new, fashion label Bassike is going from strength to strength right now and as it warms up, watch out for the Spring Summer 12 collection hitting the racks at Roots & Wings Design. I feel like I need to triple the size of my wardrobe because I can pretty much justify owning every piece. The label is really growing up and I love the restraint they’ve shown. We have very proudly stocked Bassike for almost 5 years now since opening our doors in 2007, Bassike launched only a year earlier in 2006.
Which designers send you weak at the knees? When it comes to international labels I cant resist Acne, Alexander Wang, Isabel Marant, Givenchy and Celine. That’s my top 5 right there!
What inspires you to get out of bed in the morning? My morning coffee! Made even better because my gorgeous partner brings it home from Milkwood for me every morning before I head to work. Milkwood is the new Berry Sourdough’s take away only bakery. Since it’s opening we have barely used our own coffee machine, it is that good!
READING: Mostly blogs. I LOVE Leandra Medine’s blog, THE MAN REPELLER. She is just hilarious and really has fun with fashion, clearly has a style that is all her own. I love that she is not so serious about it all, in that way, we are alike.
LOVING: I am working on an exciting new bar & restaurant that is set to open this Spring on the Shoalhaven River, its called ‘Wharf Rd’. It’s really very exciting for me, my largest project to date and a big deal for the area. I’m so pleased to be a part of something that has the potential to show off the beautiful Shoalhaven River and I hope it marks the start of more of this. I’d really love to work on more local projects that really help better the area and entice new people to visit the beautiful South Coast, Berry in particular. It has a lot to offer and loads of potential for those looking for a change in pace.
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I couldn't agree more with Bec. The South Coast is my 'home away from home' and a place that I can truly find serenity and really chill out. A huge fan of Milkwood too, and I cannot wait to check out Wharf Rd in Spring. The outdoor sundeck will be my choice of location for summer dining/drinking. A huge thank you to Bec for finding time in her busy schedule to talk to us about her design inspiration and favourite eat read loves. Stay tuned for more Style Sessions coming every month on the blog. In the meantime you might also like another of my interviews, this I did a little while ago with fabulous Australian Author Belinda Alexandra.