Cucina Regina restaurant featuring an Italian-inspired design with wooden bench seating upholstered in brown fabric, white linen curtains, and warm, dim lighting for a cozy ambiance.

Q&A with Tom Mark Henry.

News

Date
September 2018

Tom Mark Henry is a multi-award winning, internationally recognised, interior architecture studio based in Sydney. Active in the residential, commercial, retail, hospitality and workspace sectors, TMH is well known for their work on California Nails, WeWork, Vibe Hotel and Made by the Hill.

We’ve had a design crush on Tom Mark Henry for the past few years and we we’re super excited to sit down with Co-Founder, Cushla McFadden to chat upcoming design trends, dream clients and the inspiration behind our upcoming project with them, Ramen Zundo.  

Ramen Zundo is set to open late November in Chatswood Chase.

Cushla McFadden, Co-Founder of 'Tom Mark Henry.' portrait shot on a dark wooden chair.

Cushla McFadden – Co Founder (Tom Mark Henry)

I have always been interested in the creative field, and was naturally drawn to a career in art or design. When I discovered that UNSW offered Interior Architecture, it felt like a perfect fit for me.

My personal design philosophy is to keep it simple and do it well, and I apply this to my design process, design palette and my approach to collaboration. I believe that uncomplicated design is easier to understand and use and leads to a more successful result.

Our dream client would be an owner of a boutique hotel, bursting with passion and love for design!  Really, any client who aligns with our values and passion for design is a dream client and makes for a great project.

Collaboration is an important part of the process and a team effort always leads to a more gratifying and successful result. I feel it is important to recognise the values, skills, experiences and perspectives of others especially between the designer and builder to achieve a successful and cohesive outcome for the project.

We’ve drawn inspiration from the noodle bowl and ramen pot extrapolating the geometry of the vessels, and using circular shapes both in the floor plan and design features within the fit out. We’ve used somewhat traditional Japanese design elements throughout, however have used them in a modern context to ensure that the design fits seamlessly within the new development at Chatswood Place.

I hope to see more craftsmanship and experimentation in the design process. We can easily get caught up on CAD or 3D renders, however it’s nice to return to the art of making with our hands in order to get the best outcome for the brief.

Want to collaborate on an upcoming project? We’d love to hear from you!