Danielle Brustman
Blending her design practice with art making, Melbourne-based Danielle Brustman captures the fun aesthetics of the 1960s and 70s.
Words: Emma-Kate Wilson
The Meteorite Light, a finalist in the 2022 Australian Furniture Design Award – a collaboration between Danielle Brustman and Edward Linacre. Photo: Jonathon Griggs
Will I Ever vanity designed by Danielle Brustman, part of the Wonderstruck show for National Gallery of Victoria. Photo: Dean Toepfer
Brighton Street Easy Learning by Danielle Brustman. Photo: Sean Fennessy
‘I feel so much more awake and open to seeing things from a fresh perspective when I'm away from my home – travel sharpens your senses, which is most valuable as a designer,’ says Danielle Brustman. Photo: Dylan James
Melbourne-based interior designer, furniture designer, and artist Danielle Brustman blends her three careers into one, drawing from each discipline for her creative pieces. The results are commercial and residential interiors plus furniture and lighting objects for exhibition and installation that speak in the same language of colour and pop-like expressions.
Danielle first studied interior design at RMIT in the 90s, finding a heavily conceptual course which suited her direction. However, after graduating, she decided to lean into the creativity outside of structural work as a set designer for theatre and film.
‘It was an interesting space for cross-disciplinary creative work, and I felt more at ease designing spaces that were temporal in the early days,’ says Danielle. ‘It was also an interesting place to explore unconventional materials and practice my craft outside the traditional realms of interior design.’
It was here she learnt how design could be a powerful storytelling device, and the impact of light, materiality, and colour—all on a limited budget. Here, colour became a key ingredient, and these ideas carried through into her interiors and furniture designs.
While the different elements of her practice work in harmony, it can be hard for the designer to set aside time for the art. Exhibitions and Design Week offer space to work on more experimental projects, such as The Chromatic Fantastic series or the Flower Table for Art of Dining 2019.
‘I have to carve out space specifically for the more art-making side of my practice as building project deadlines and issues can be very stressful and does takes up a lot of mental space and time,’ she says. ‘I really do love both worlds.’
‘Exhibitions and Design Week are great incentives to step away from the more commercial side of my business and devote time and creative thinking into projects that are a little more experimental in nature.,’ says Danielle Brustman. Pictured: Triennial 2020 at National Gallery of Victoria. Photo: Jonathon Griggs
“I love art and design from the 1960s and 1970s across the fields of architecture, design and fashion. This period is an endless source of inspiration to me and seems to weave its influence into a lot of my work.”
‘My favourite project to date was the Rigg Design Prize, this project allowed me to understand that my more experimental work was the most rewarding…. this was a liberating thing to realise, and my design work took a real turn from that point onwards.’ Pictured: Inner-Terior exhibit designed by Danielle Brustman for the Rigg Design Prize at National Gallery of Victoria. Photo: Shannon McGrath
The Chromatic Fantastic Wall Light designed by Danielle Brustman at Sophie Gannon Gallery. Photo: Jonathon Griggs
Retail display at Mitch Studio designed by Danielle Brustman featuring the six arm Entler Chandelier by Entler Studio. Photo: Nicole England
‘I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to traverse both worlds,’ says Danielle Brustman. Flower Table by Danielle Brustman. Photo: Jonathon Griggs
In her practice, projects like the Rigg Design Prize at the NGV in 2018 give the designer licence to be her most authentic self. ‘This project helped me understand the power of storytelling through design. It was the largest installation piece I have created to date, and it was such an honour to have it presented at NGV alongside such a stellar line up of local interior designers,’ Danielle adds.
Danielle has recently been represented by Sophie Gannon Gallery in Melbourne after she was invited to present a show as part of the 'Designwork' series for Melbourne Design Week 2020. ‘I think there is a slight shift in trajectory for me as I absolutely love creating furniture and installations for exhibition, and hopefully, there will be more exciting opportunities to do more of that,’ the designer adds.
The art, architecture, and fashion of the 1960s and 70s feeds into her work, evocative of the glamour and pop lifestyle. But Danielle also draws on local Australian design plus (newly apricated) travel. ‘I just got back from New York City. It is so wonderful to travel again and see so much art and be transported to unfamiliar settings and experience differences in culture,’ she says. ‘I find travelling the most thrilling and inspirational thing one can do.’
Between days in the studio with admin, drawing and dreaming up designs to being onsite, sourcing materials, and meeting clients, no two days are the same; just like her projects. Each element of Danielle’s design practice are filled with unique creativity and expression—offering moments of joy from tables to installations.
