Neil Bradford is a man for all seasons. His new design boutique, simply named BRADFORD, exemplifies his design philosophy of understated, high-quality interior furnishing items.
He says, “Simplicity is the key. Sometimes designers can try to do too much in a limited space”. He prefers products with good provenance and design integrity which are classic and timeless.

With 35 years’ experience and a distinguished reputation here and overseas, he is able to draw on big and small projects to help customers re-design, renovate and refurbish their homes and apartments. He has worked in Sydney, London for 12 years and New York for ten years, the Westin Hotel penthouses and the Lindrum Hotel, Melbourne, as well as country houses in upstate Connecticut, London Townhouses and a Tuscan farm guesthouse, Locanda al Colle, an 18th-century villa surrounded by gardens, now an elegant B&B 10 km from the 16th-century Palazzo Mediceo and 50 km west of Florence on the Ligurian coast.

His range of Bohemian vases has been a hot item, made by Lasvit, who commissioned Israeli artist, Arick Levy to create a colourful angular design, recently featured in The London Financial Times “How to spend it” design magazine.

His collection includes an eclectic range of beautiful objet d’art of glass, ceramics, silver, wood, textiles, china, homewares and finishing products; all made using traditional methods and exceptional craftsmanship. Nothing is ephemeral.

The 1.25 X 1.25m artworks are by Paul Ferman, a local Potts Point resident, an accomplished artist recently exhibited in Italy. His colourful acrylics of Pompeii and Herculaneum are a visual palimpsest of those ancient cities with today’s modern cities superimposed over ancient volcanic archaeology. These layers of time create a matrix of meanings which are immediately
captivating and poignant.

The extravagant mouth-blown Italian crystal vase by Carlo Moretti, 30cm high by 25cm wide and 3 cm thick weighs 30 kg and is spectacular. It’s vibrant prism both reflects and refracts light into any space. A glass bowl, “Frozen”, by designer Maxim Valcovsky, cleverly exhibits the liquid origins of the glass making-process. A white ceramic vase with silhouetted indentations by 1882 Limited, a fifth generation firm now re-opened by Emily Johnson and originally established in 1882, is an eloquent and elegant statement. Paola C is an Italian company which
commissions modernist makers to design sinuous silver plated jugs and vases.

The most unusual objects are plaster-cast lamp bases by an English company in a design paying homage to the 1930s designer, Jean-Michel Frank (1894-1941). He was admired for his plain-lined but sumptuous furniture made of luxury materials, such as shagreen, mica, and intricate straw marquetry.
The lamp bases are simple but create a subtle chiaroscuro of light and dark shadows.

Unusually, a book on Christian Dior graces the entrance way. “Books accessorise everything. I love books and reading and love to learn. Books mirror the inner soul of their owners and enrich a space,“ says Neil.

His boutique has only been open since August but business is brisk as passers-by call in to say hello and discuss design ideas.
BRADFORD enhances and enriches the local area, an area Neil loves for its cosmopolitan street ballet, livability and proximity to restaurants and the city.

BRADFORD
Shop 2, Macleay-Regis 12 Macleay Street, Potts Point NSW
Phone 9357 4775
Email neil@bradford.studio www.bradford.studio
Tues-Sat 10-6, Sun 11-4

By Andrew Woodhouse, Director, Heritage Solutions

Image: BRADFORD, design elegance and a soft gravitas enrich the hum and thrum of inner-city living.