A leader in the field of hospitality and residential design, interior designer Léo Terrando has brought his particular aesthetic to the fore of contemporary interiors. 

Léo’s projects take references from cinema, culture, art and architectural movements, creates multi-faceted design rich with history and nuance, that is also wholly contemporary.

French trained, Léo thrives on projects that create new and exciting challenges, whether it be as small as adapting vintage furniture for a new purpose or as large as moving to the other side of the world for a different design perspective.

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Image: Working from home Source: Léo Terrando

Léo joined SJB in 2007 and was appointed Director of SJB Interiors’ Melbourne studio in 2016, working on numerous award winning residential and hospitality projects, including the Reymond family’s Fréd’s and Frédéric in Cremorne, Melbourne.

Léo spoke to WILLIAMS MEDIA about his career and creative process.

What do you enjoy most about your profession?

The freedom to be creative and to design spaces. I love spaces, objects and putting things together. I’m really obsessed with how things take form and talk to each other. I get really excited when I discuss design with the client.

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Image: "I'm really obsessed with how things take form..."  Source: Léo Terrando

With the current focus on sustainability what trends do you see emerging in design?

In terms of design:

Incorporating renewable energy and energy efficient processes in interior design are important. The building should only work when people are in it and using it. Also, partnering with stakeholders who understand sustainability and know its importance is essential.

In terms of products:

Recycled plastic products. I’m fascinated by the shape of things and with plastic, the colour of the product, the opacity and how the light reflects is something special.

Re-use and modifying furniture – when something is broken, you fix or change it to suit your current situation, not everything needs to be discarded and replaced with something new. I like to purchase vintage items for my place and also in my projects, it’s a point of difference, it gives the space character.

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Image: "Living in a natural reserve, facing the beach...is true luxury  Source: Léo Terrando

Having first worked in Biarritz then South America before calling Australia home, is design in Australia different from what you encountered overseas?

When I lived back in France, my perception of Australian Architecture was contemporary and mineral. Abundance of straight lines within a pure minimal aesthetic.

All of this surrounded by exotic landscape was truly inviting.

Where I used to live in France was more in the countryside and the design approach was fairly traditional which is probably why I felt the need to travel, to experience different challenges and to be confronted with a more modern design approach.

What would be your advice to a new client?

Don’t spend all your money on expensive finishes because at the end of the day, the most important thing is lighting. Having a space or an object lit properly is the key to success in design.

If you have expensive finishes that you can’t see, it is a waste. It’s like buying a new dress and leaving it in the cupboard.

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Image: "The most important thing is lighting", enjoying the completed Frédéric  Image: Léo Terrando

With an extensive portfolio of projects in residential, retail and hospitality, including new interiors for Calibre Menswear and the Reymond family’s Fréd’s and Frédéric in Cremorne, Melbourne, do you have a favourite?

Frederic – now that it is has finished I am able to go back and enjoy it, and see how it evolves. I like visiting to see what has changed and what works.

When a venue opens, there is always a few things that need to be adjusted to suit unpredictable customer behaviour. 90% of the time, people’s behaviour in a restaurant is predictable which leaves a period of adjustment where the design can be refined.

That’s what is good about hospitality. With residential, you can’t just pop in all the time.

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Image: Frédéric Interior   Source: Léo Terrando

What is the most interesting brief you’ve been given by a client?

I had a call from my client asking me to jump on a plane and be in Sydney that afternoon to look at a new project. We had dinner, viewed other properties and in the morning walked around the Harbour and watched the sunrise. This gave me the best introduction to the project.

The brief was to design a building; interiors and architecture; to attract an international player. The project was in an emerging district where commercial design limits were being pushed. 

Researching, learning and designing with this in mind was exciting.

Did you take on the project?

Absolutely!

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Image: Research and inspiration Source: Léo Terrando

What advice would you give a newly qualified designer or someone thinking about a career in design?

The most important things that you learn from school are discipline and precision. Everything else is irrelevant. You need to go out and keep learning; talk to people, travel, be social and keep learning that way.

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Image: Catching the waves at Bells Beach   Source: Léo Terrando

As a keen surfer living in Bells Beach, a world away from your CBD office, you seem to have blended two lives into one…is there anywhere else in the world you would rather be? 

No. Living in a natural reserve, facing the beach and having thousands of birds and sea life surrounding me is true luxury!

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