Business partners Rachel Luchetti, 34, and Stuart Krelle, 36, have been running their Sydney-based interior design practice, Luchetti Krelle, for six years. Yet, already the accolades are flowing for their work on high profile restaurant and bar projects. While the up-and-comers profess to avoid cookie-cutter design, a sense of fun is one undisputable hallmark of their style.
There's the refurbishment of NSW's last drive-in cinema at Blacktown, where they treated its diner to a retro, 50s/60s interior that's straight out of Happy Days. Then there's patissier Adriano Zumbo's concept store, Zumbo, at The Star (Casino) Pyrmont where inspiration came from the Charlie and The Chocolate Factory book/movie and the board-game Mousetrap. Display boxes filled with goodies have zanily been labelled "In case of emergency".
Luchetti Krelle's most recent coup, was to be appointed designers of the Food Court for the forthcoming facelift of Sydney CBD's high-end MLC Centre. "It's very exciting as the centre is iconic for many reasons," Krelle says. "It was designed by [the late architect] Harry Seidler and opened in 1977. The Food Court is a gathering space for so many people." Their appointment is all the more remarkable given that besides themselves, there are only eight others working in their practice (including one architect) and, for the MLC bid, they were pitted against large, multi-disciplinary design/architecture firms.
The majority of this duo's work is in the area of hospitality, yet they also undertake office fit-outs and residential jobs that includes the designing of bespoke furniture and fittings.
"We are both passionate about hospitality design and are pleased that clients who have appreciated our fit-outs, have approached us to bring a similar style into their homes," Krelle says. A recent example is the conversion of a 1930s block of flats in Bondi into two semi-detached residences: one is for restaurateur Maurice Terzini and his family, and the other for Angus McDonald and Connie Mitchell of the Sneaky Sound System band.
It was after both Luchetti and Krelle had completed a four-year Interior Design degree with Honours at UTS, and had been working on hospitality design at architecture and interiors firm peckvonhartel, that they decided to set up on their own.
They were undeterred by any risks. Although their situations have changed since 2008 - both are now married with Luchetti due to give birth to her first child in November, and Krelle having a toddler plus a mortgage. When they set up they were footloose and fancy free and able to supplement their income by lecturing at UTS. "Our lives have changed a lot. But starting our own business has afforded us freedoms that we wouldn't have had working for someone else and it's enabled us to concentrate on our specialty," Luchetti says.
Their impressive restaurant portfolio includes Sydney's old-school vibe Hotel Centennial; Melbourne's contemporary-chic Sake; Brisbane's Fat Noodle in a heritage building fitted out with sculpture-like lights and Canberra's new gastropub, Walt & Burley. And, located directly opposite the slightly wacky Zumbo is Momofuku Seiobo. "It's the polar opposite in look and feel. Momofuku has a restrained, calm aesthetic with a hidden entrance adding to the mystique," Krelle says.
The pair generally agrees with each other's design direction. "Most projects are organic with some shifts along the way but we work as a united front. If one of us doesn't like [an idea], it is scrapped without prejudice."
Another major benefit of being their own bosses is that they get to bring their dogs to work: Krelle has a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever and Luchetti a German Pinscher." The dogs do surprise clients," Krelle says, "But they are generally happy with them as foot warmers!"
