A balanced realisation of the aspirational and the authentic, Seen Skin by Golden is a wellness destination that celebrates beauty in imperfection. Located in inner Melbourne, this harmonious collaboration with specialist builder S&K Group has resulted in a flagship experience that seamlessly blends the polished with the raw, reflecting the client’s honest approach to beauty.
The waiting room features the Joy Chair by Jardan, Artek Side Table from Surrounding and Reeno Bench by Grazia & Co
Diiva Swivel Stools by Grazia & Co
Working within an existing heritage building, Golden enlivened the street level retail space to entice new custom, while a transition to waiting and treatment rooms is imbued with intimacy and discretion. Inspired by the clinic’s genuine commitment to long term, sustainable skin health, thoughtful spatial planning and considered materiality physically and symbolically honours this ethos.
Greeted by a threshold that offers tactile delight – a contrast of textures connected by a tonal palette that invokes earthy calm – raw, honest materiality signals you’ve arrived and sets the tone for holistic healing. Organic granite counters from Corsi & Nicolai are offset by the symmetry and pragmatic finish of acrylic 2pac joinery. Minimalist open shelving provides polished display for take-home product, while more exclusive elixirs are housed elusively behind closed doors underneath.
Curved interior elements carry through to the furniture, which includes seating by Grazia & Co and Jardan. The Pastille Vanity wall lights from Koda provide a bold geometrical effect.
Pastille Vanity wall light from Koda
Diiva Occasional Chair by Grazia & Co
The ark of the joinery reverberates in adjacent rendered walls, their unique texture the result of a carefully hand-trowled application, developed in close partnership with the plasterer. Providing a wonderfully tactile finish, unlike anything I have seen before, I asked Alicia McKimm, director at Golden where the idea came from, and whether she had created anything like this previously. She explains "Seen Skin’s ethos, natural, raw and uncovered was key to our concept for the textured wall. Plaster became relevant with the hand trowelled quality connecting back to the natural and raw qualities important to Seen Skin. We found the start stop motion reflects the beauty in imperfection. This was a unique collaboration where we worked closely with a local artisan to workshop the thickness as well as the variation in thickness throughout. Overall, we are pleased with the outcome and will no doubt explore this technique in the future." I can see why! It's so beautiful.
Curved, the walls invite a full circle visual journey back to the glass brick entrance, cleverly used to demarcate a private waiting area without compromising on space in what is a narrow building. Inventive design solutions such as the pairing of block-out and bamboo matchstick blinds maintain aesthetic fluidity whilst catering to treatment requirements with heritage overlay. Doors inlaid with Kvadrat Maharam jute wallpaper and finished with Buster & Punch handles provide an organic, focal grounding within the otherwise restrained treatment rooms. Another one of my favourite elements, Alicia says "For us it’s important to create a feeling when designing a space. The inspiration behind the use of Kvadrat Maharam jute wallpaper was to bring a natural texture that softens the treatment room. Jute is a natural fibre that elevates an interior evoking a sensation that is approachable, inviting and calming."
Seen Skin by Golden is a transformative wellness experience. Framing the client experience from arrival to departure, Golden’s reductionist approach to expressive interiors demonstrates an intuitive understanding of the impact physical environments have on our wellbeing, and for Seen Skin ensures an immersive, sensory introduction to world of holistic healing.
Photography by Sharyn Cairns
Images courtesy of Golden