Wink Optometry: A Unique Approach to Optical Retail Design
Transforming Vision: Where Eyewear Meets Immersive Design
Rethinking the Optometrist Experience: A Departure from the Norm
For decades, visits to the optometrist have often been marked by sterile, brightly lit clinics or dimly lit, uninspired waiting areas. This familiar dichotomy rarely fosters a sense of comfort or ease, making the crucial decision of choosing eyewear feel less than appealing. However, the new Australian-based optometry practice, Wink, spearheaded by Mitchell Zurek and Andy Kelly of Brud Studia, is revolutionizing this experience. Their innovative interior design seeks to create an environment that feels less like a medical office and more like a welcoming home.
Crafting an Inviting Atmosphere: A Personal Touch
Andy Kelly, co-founder of Brud Studia, eloquently describes their vision, stating that traditional optical stores often resemble the intimidating waiting rooms of upscale dental clinics. These spaces typically demand serious decisions from patrons in a formal setting, prioritizing aesthetics over comfort. Brud Studia's objective was to design a space where individuals could completely forget they were engaged in a retail transaction. Their aim was to cultivate an atmosphere that encouraged relaxation, invited contemplation, and sparked curiosity, much like lingering over a coffee or exploring hidden treasures in a drawer.
A Retail Space with Character: Stepping into a Narrative
Located in Elwood, Melbourne, this optometrist marks Brud Studia's inaugural venture into retail interior design. The duo deliberately shied away from conventional retail tropes, opting instead to imbue the space with a distinct personality. Zurek and Kelly envisioned an environment that felt akin to entering someone else's meticulously curated world, even if only for a brief period. Each design choice was made through the lens of this imagined inhabitant, ensuring a coherent and compelling narrative throughout the space.
Inspiration from the Whimsical: A Blend of Influences
Their inspiration drew from an imaginative reinterpretation of the English nursery rhyme, 'There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe.' In their narrative, the old woman resides within her glasses case, which itself is nestled inside a Simone Rocha egg clutch. This whimsical character, a fusion of Iris Apfel's eclectic style and an impossibly glamorous grandmother, became the guiding spirit for the design. She is portrayed as someone who collects beautiful objects through serendipitous discovery, where nothing perfectly matches yet everything harmoniously coexists, each item holding a unique story and every drawer concealing a delightful surprise.
Global Aesthetics in a Domestic Setting: Milan, New York, and Australia
Mirroring their character's well-traveled nature, the interiors of Wink blend diverse design inspirations, evoking the sophisticated charm of Milanese apartments, the vibrant energy of 70s New York, and the understated elegance of European-influenced Australian suburbia. A pivotal element of this design philosophy was replacing the traditional retail counter with a communal kitchen island. Kelly explains that conventional counters create a barrier, whereas a kitchen fosters connection, encouraging clients to gather around rather than remain separated, thereby altering the entire dynamic of the space.
A Symphony of Textures and Tones: Unveiling the Details
The interior is a meticulously crafted fusion of materials, featuring sleek stainless steel, bold blocks of color, and warm timber joinery. The space is punctuated by carefully selected collectible design objects. This amalgamation of textures and tones achieves a cohesive aesthetic, where no single element overtly demands attention. The founders emphasize that unlike many retail interiors designed for instant visual impact, their approach for Wink focused on a gradual unveiling of details, rewarding patient observation.
The Art of Subtlety: Discovering Hidden Delights
Even the most striking design features, such as the lacquered red cabinetry, are intentionally scaled to maintain a domestic feel. Tiny mosaic tiles adorn the floor, small drawers invite exploration, and thoughtfully designed handles and mirrors offer unexpected reflections. The lighting is strategically placed to accentuate features without overwhelming the space. Every element serves a purpose beyond mere photogenic appeal, ensuring an experience that unfolds slowly and rewards curiosity, rather than demanding immediate engagement.
Glasses as a Transformative Element: Reflecting Identity
Glasses hold a unique position in our lives, offering the wearer an opportunity to explore different facets of their identity and how they wish to be perceived. Kelly and Zurek concur, highlighting that while glasses are practical necessities, they also serve as powerful tools for self-expression. A new pair of frames subtly enables one to embody a different persona. Wink, while technically an optometrist, playfully embraces this transformative aspect, imagining itself as a retail concept in "witness protection," allowing individuals to discover their new selves. The abundance of reflective surfaces, from mirrors to the industrial mesh ceiling, ensures that each glance reveals a fresh perspective of the space, creating a nuanced tension that feels perfectly fitting for a place dedicated to vision.