A small Western Australian interior design firm has been in the spotlight recently after winning several prestigious awards.
A small Western Australian interior design firm has been in the spotlight recently after winning several prestigious awards.
Anitma design group last week won first prize in the Design Institute of Australia WA sector awards, corporate interior design, for its project at Paradigm Total Salary Management.
And Anitma has become the only WA company to be short-listed for a national award with IDEA – the (inside) Design Excellence Awards, for its work with Pierucci Menswear in Perth.
Started in 2002 by Anita Moullin and Paul Lim, Anitma has recently worked with clients including Godfrey Pembroke Financial Services, Itochu, Rosso, Entrust Private Wealth Management, Argonaut Limited, and General Property Trust (GPT).
Ms Moullin told WA Business News the company’s philosophy was that perfection was in the detail, and that the company wished to challenge existing views of design.
“With Paradigm, as a key strategy the new fit out aimed to encourage a sociable community environment, while also maintaining a sense of individual privacy when required,” she said. “The space also addresses the collision of the company’s established foundation with its modern approach to practice, through the contrasting selection of material finishes, furniture, fittings and colour.
“For example, the use of highly veined marble in the reception counter front gives an initial impression of tradition, which is then juxtaposed by contemporary signage and a retro pop style pendant light fitting.”
Ms Moullin added that Anitma had recently secured a contract with GPT to work on the recently purchased El Questro Resort.
“Being a smaller firm we can become more personal and become part of the larger family at GPT – they are so large, and appreciate that closeness,” she said.
“With the companies like Rosso, Pierucci and Paradigm, they are all very dynamic and their philosophies really drive them, and have a similar philosophy to us, whether is be to design or their business.”
Ms Moullin said her professional relationship with Mr Lim extended back 10 years before they decided to “start doing things the way we wanted” and go into business together.
“The city is so vibrant right now and there are new projects popping up all over the place,” she said.
With the tight office market in Perth, Ms Moullin said that, increasingly, people were refurbishing their existing space, as there was simply no new office space available.
“With Itochu, they couldn’t find any new space, so they decided to refurbish their existing fit out in a way that is totally different to what they had before,” she said.
