BRIEF
Tamsin Johnson came to TRiC to refresh her brand, creating a new identity for her personal practice, office and showroom space in Paddington, Sydney. We created the original brand in 2014; a gestural mark reminiscent of a signature, and so the task was to reinterpret this and evolve the identity to better reflect her design philosophy and practice.
RESPONSE
In reimagining the identity, we updated the earlier mark to a typographic signature; a hyper-classical Italian Old Style typeface, complete with terminals suggestive of Italian flourishes, not too dissimilar to those seen in historic architecture. The typeface nods to Tamsin’s upbringing, living amongst classical objects and furniture with her father, renowned Melbourne antique dealer Ed Clarke.
We drew inspiration from ornamental motifs and detailing found in Roman and Italian furniture, and architecture. We also looked to the showroom building at No. 1 Victoria Street, and identified opportunities to create expressive moments unique to the space. Curves seen in traditional furniture and bent steel tied in with the iconic wiggles of the building’s terracing. This led to the creation of a distinctive ‘TJ’ icon, which elegantly references curved steel and works cohesively with the typographic wordmark.
A large window on the front facade sits in front of a roller door, which we emblazoned with a red and orange square on either side to represent the counter forms of a capital T, thereby branding the building with a bold subtlety. When the roller door is open, the window casts light across the floor of the showroom, animating the brand experience within a space filled with wonders and oddities sourced from across the globe. A small flag featuring the same motif finds its place atop the facade, signalling customers towards the building.
OUTCOME
The refreshed approach and identity capture the work and tone of Tamsin Johnson, whose interiors reference the past while presenting a distinct contemporary edge.
