INTERIA DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE
Karryn Dargie & Dean Baird

“Our entry into product design and manufacture has afforded us the time to become closer acquainted to materials, get to know makers and explore our own design sensibility.” 

There’s a sense of ‘this goes with that’ harmony surrounding Karryn and Dean and their work. They have forged a partnership that complements each other both in business and in private life.

They met while working on a project for an architectural firm in Hobart: Dean was the architect and Karryn, the interior designer. It was a perfect fit which has led to the creation of their own practice, Interia Design & Architecture, to undertake a variety of commercial and residential projects including new buildings, interior fit-outs, exhibition design, event design, interpretation projects and signage.

Dean and Karryn have a particular interest in heritage work where they are informed by sustainable practices such as finding new uses for old material and balancing this with new elements they bring to the project. As part of their design work, high value is placed on creativity and collaboration. Where possible they seek greater involvement from traditional industry based craftsmen for handmade products. This shared passion for beautifully crafted handmade objects and products helps set their design work apart.

For Dean and Karryn, the details that embellish the home or workplace are just as important as the overall picture. In fact, it was to address a particular imbalance that led the team to enter product design. Not finding the right door hardware for a recent project, Dean and Karryn decided to create their own.

Their first series of door hardware made from recycled material has only been available a short time and is already creating strong demand and bodes well for future new products.

Interia has been recognised at both state and national level for exemplary project outcomes such as the work undertaken at the Brunswick Hotel, Hobart and University of Tasmania Learning Hubs in Hobart and Launceston.

“We believe that thoughtfully designed spaces and objects help us learn, reflect, imagine, discover and create. We place an importance on the details of every day life, a cup of tea in the morning sunshine, a meeting space that inspires, or a soft light to welcome you home. We are committed to celebrating the delight and richness of life and aim to always impart a sense of this magic into all our projects.

A recurrent theme throughout our work has been the production of items with a ‘handmade quality’. We place great importance on the value of traditional industry based craftsmen, and are strong advocates of the inclusion of their works within projects. It is our belief that the handmade adds character and individuality, and it is important these skills are not lost to future generations.

This creation of bespoke items has evolved into the reincorporation of demolished materials within projects. Our product design is a further evolution of this, exploring design opportunities inherent within waste materials. Our products are not designed for mass production. They are instead artisan pieces that highlight the skill of Tasmanian craftsmen, and the beauty of our native timbers. Underpinning this is a strong environmental approach focusing on a reduction in waste material, and lessening the importance of mass-produced items.”

The Product

Door hardware can be an obsession for the architect and is an integral part of a successful interior. However, door hardware made from timber has become near impossible to source. So, inspired by knobs and pulls from the 50s, 60s and 70s, Interia has created ‘The O Series’, the first of its architectural hardware range. In keeping with the company’s design principles, the new door hardware is manufactured from timber salvaged from the Tasmanian furniture and building industry.