The Art of Invitation — Schiavello Showroom by Ambit Curator
When Australian furniture and workplace design leader Schiavello set out to refresh its Sydney showroom, the company turned to Angela Chang of Ambit Curator to craft a space that feels both grounded in heritage and naturally inviting.
For more than five decades, Schiavello has created world class environments across a wide range of industries including health, hospitality, law, education, and finance. Its Sydney home, an 1892 heritage building in the heart of Surry Hills, has long reflected the brand’s craftsmanship and spirit of innovation. The recent refurbishment honours that legacy while reimagining the space for a new generation of clients and collaborators.
“There were many heritage considerations we wanted to respect,” says Kristian Missen, Director and State Manager NSW at Schiavello. “It was equally important to capture Schiavello’s own story, from a floor to ceiling photograph of founder Tony Schiavello taken in the late 1960s to an ‘Anything is Possible’ neon sign that reflects his enduring mantra.”
Angela’s brief was to open the space, bring in natural light, and create a warm and cohesive environment that highlights Schiavello’s design capability. “We began by reinstating a window that had been sealed off for years,” Angela explains. “Allowing daylight to flood in changed the mood entirely, reconnecting the building with the street and setting the tone for the rest of the design.
Inside, the showroom unfolds through a series of thoughtfully arranged zones that mirror how contemporary workplaces function. There are community areas for informal connection, residential style spaces for collaboration, quiet rooms for focused work, and flexible meeting areas for deeper discussion.
“The result tells the Schiavello story beautifully,” Kristian reflects. “It expresses the craftsmanship, warmth, and creativity that define who we are, in a way that feels perfectly at home in Surry Hills. We look forward to welcoming clients and partners for a coffee and conversation.”
