Custom hotel fabric for guest rooms, restaurant, public areas and bar, designed by Nic Graham & Associates, give the QT Newcastle a unique narrative. Launched on June 9, 2022 guests can now enjoy a design-led boutique hotel with local references.
The Brief
Art consultants and graphic designers were briefed at the same time to develop the many beautiful custom carpets and rugs throughout the hotel. The team was lead by director Nic Graham and his studio, who collaborated with the head contractor and local trades to produce custom pieces of joinery, furniture, fabric, wall panels and floor patterns.
Working with a heritage building, the design process involved the formulation of the narrative foremost, followed by a mockup room that could be adapted to the many room types this historical building occupied. The main goal was to expose the raw shell, onto which they projected a polished layering of materials.
The Narrative
We asked Nic Graham how the narrative of the moon came about.
“Driving inspiration from the synthesis of the building location and history, connection to the coast and a vibrant young energy of the city itself– we linked the urban renewal to the renewal of the Moon cycle, and that is where the narrative started to evolve,” explains Nic.
“The moon, in its many forms, is represented throughout the design and is a wonderful metaphor for ‘renewal’ and rebirth – in this case, the reinvigoration of a heritage building while preserving and respecting the heritage spirit.”
The Colour Palette
“There are two approaches to colour in the hotel,” says Nic. “One is colour blocking where bold colour is blocked on walls and joinery, and the other is inspired by the hazy horizon line where the ocean meets the sky, ship hulls, coal refinery and the busy harbour. This is evident in some of the fabrics – circles on the cushions and rugs – almost a watercolour effect where we shift colours as the horizon does – from bright green to orange, hot pink to black etc.”
Materialised Product – Custom Hotel Fabric
Everything we printed was designed by Nic Graham and developed by our in-house team to meet his vision.
GUEST ROOMS
- Custom double-sided ombre printed on Palermo Sugarcane with striped trim
- Custom stripe bed valance manufactured by A.H. Beard as part of the bed base, printed on Ayre
- Custom two-panel design (grey at the bottom; taupe at the top) printed on Spindle blockout drapery
- Four custom cushions with circular ombre design, printed on Arizona
JANA RESTAURANT
- Custom double-sided ombre printed on Bruge for restaurant drapery doubling as room dividers
Read more in our interview with Nic Graham about his hotel design expertise.
The Team & Credits
Interior Design: Nic Graham & Associates
Client: QT Newcastle
Imagery: QT Newcastle
Hotel Beds: A.H. Beard
Window Furnishings: Turner Bros.
Materialised: Team NSW
