Celebrating Adam Robinson Design’s Studio Launch

On a warm November evening, Assembly Label celebrated the opening of a new Adam Robinson Design outpost in Byron Bay. It’s the second location for Adam Robinson’s eponymous landscape design studio, and its arrival in the Northern Rivers speaks to Adam’s burgeoning reputation and reach. An innovative landscape designer and stylist, Adam and his team recently won Landscaper of the Year at the 2022 Landscape Excellence Awards, an accolade that affirms his creative impact on outdoor spaces across Australia. Ahead of the launch event, Adam invited us to explore his new Byron studio, with his team wearing Assembly Label’s latest collection and rooms styled with Assembly Label homewares and linen bedding.

Tell us about your first studio in Sydney…

Woollahra is my dream Sydney studio. I drove past it once and it had a for lease sign and I pounced on it. We have street frontage but off the main roads, tucked in with a few others businesses in a pretty, leafy residential area. The space is collaborative with other design professionals. It allows us to be creative with a large sample library, a boardroom with gorgeous natural light and a rooftop garden for dreamy lunchtime hangs with my team.

What sorts of clients did you find yourself working with?

Our client base is so diverse. Every project brief is different. My clients appreciate good design with a desire to be close to nature, and they appreciate my creativity and design aesthetic.

What have been some of your favourite locations?

Brunswick Heads, Palm Beach, Redfern, and all over Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs.

Do you feel you have a particular approach that you’ve become known for?

I always take inspiration from the architecture and interiors of a client’s home. I always aim to be sympathetic to these, taking on board the client’s brief and lifestyle, and then add my own signature contemporary spin.

Assembly Label draws inspiration from our coastal environments. What about Australia’s coastal lifestyle influences you and your work?

I grew up heading to the coast at any free moment. It was a 45-minute drive away, but never felt like a chore. Mother nature is effortlessly beautiful, calming and charming and I feel that my design aesthetic is definitely influenced by striving to evoke the same feeling or qualities from my gardens.

When did the idea to launch a studio in Byron emerge?

Oooh that idea had been brewing for quite a while. Everything just needed to come together at the right time and the signs were strong to take the plunge. Timing is everything as they say! Once it felt right to make the decision to open in the Northern Rivers, it felt effortless and everything just fell into place, which tells me it was the right move. Feels like it was meant to be.

Did you have a strong client base in northern NSW?

When I first started coming up [to the Northern Rivers] I had no clients. Naturally I immersed myself in the community and connected more deeply with the people I loved up here and the work started flowing.

What about this region do you love?

The amazing natural landscape — you are so close to nature here — as well as the amazing community and I really love how much creativity is cherished and celebrated here!

How did you find the studio location?

It found me. When I first came to Brunswick Heads, some friends took me to the beach and we bypassed the property so they could show me this incredible house they knew about. Three years later I now find myself living and working here.

How did you celebrate the Byron studio launch?

We had a garden soiree and invited local artists, designers, architects and business owners that we are inspired by, as well as home and lifestyle shop owners who sell products we admire. [Musician] Ollie Falcor serenaded us with his guitar playing and singing. We had some amazing local sponsors like Stone & Wood Brewing Co. and Cape Byron Distillery who made us delicious Brookie’s Gin cocktails, and artisanal vegan chocolates from Loco Love. Myself and my team felt as ‘smart as paint’ in our Assembly Label ensembles!

Who or what are your enduring design influences?

Mother Nature, Piet Oudolf, Rick Eckersley, Peter Fudge and Jamie Durie.

Running your own business, what are your non-negotiables?

Meditate twice a day, rarely work after hours and don’t expect my team to do so either. I need to have music playing in the studio while working alongside my team with an open and collaborative ethos.

Where would you like to see Adam Robinson Design in five years?

I'd like to build an eco retreat with biophilic design principles to connect and create community that is close to nature.

What has been the greatest reward to come from starting your own studio?

Winning Landscaper of the Year 2022 felt very rewarding!