The design for The Paper Mill dining precinct in Western Sydney’s Liverpool, draws inspiration from the history of the building. Originally built in 1868 by the Australian Paper Company, the new evolution of the building uses cast iron, natural stone, timber and glass – an obvious nod to its industrial past, softened with the use of foliage, an aesthetic that is very much on trend in today’s hospitality hotspots.
Crank Furniture and Mesh Furniture were tasked with the supply and manufacture of all the furniture and accessories at The Paper Mill. The clever use of rattan and green elements throughout softens and humanises the raw industrial shell of the historic premises.
Other custom designed items include planter boxes on iron trolleys, concrete cutlery boxes and ceiling pendant lights, as well as the very impressive and imposing floor to ceiling metal entry way and doors that lead through to the private dining area.
The use of cast iron in the interior is a standout, linking the industrial with the convivial. The show stopper is the marble topped customised cast iron 80 metre long wrap around counter façade designed and manufactured by Crank Furniture. Hemang Savla, designer director at Crank Furniture says: “The counter façade design was inspired by a recent trip to Alaska, where I came across an old fire stove in a mountain cabin,” Savla said.
“Casting iron is not a simple process; eleven prototypes were required before the curve for the counter was perfected. Installation was not an easy feat either, the flooring levels on site went up marginally by 10mm, which resulted in having to revise the entire facade on site to ensure a snug fit.”
Balance in materiality is achieved through the use of wicker furniture. The chair design is modelled on the historic Parisian café chairs that have lined the boulevards of Paris since the 19th century. This style of chair is synonymous with café lifestyle and they find a home in this industrial space.
While the traditional chairs are made from natural rattan sourced from the French colonies in Asia, Mesh Furniture chairs don’t differ too much, whilst they take advantage of a synthetic wicker to ensure a harder working chair with a longer life span. Natural rattan used on the frame is Tohiti, which is the highest grade of rattan that can be used for wicker and rattan furniture.
Being entrusted to bring the interior designer, Paul Papadopoulos from DS17’s vision to life is not a responsibility that has been taken lightly. This rare opportunity to showcase custom design and manufacturing abilities of Crank Furniture along with the quality and style of Mesh Furniture in one space results in a cohesive and considered design throughout.
