Shannon Shlom & Dominique Brammah from We Are Duet
Dominique Brammah and Shannon Shlom, directors of interior design practice, We Are Duet, create layered and harmonious spaces – specialising in design solutions that compose a duet between aspiration and nostalgia.
Photography: Anson Smart
Shannon Shlom & Dominique Brammah from We Are Duet. Photo: Anson Smart
Greyleigh Main House – casual living through to bunkhouse by We Are Duet. Photo: Anson Smart. Photographic stylist: Olga Lewis
Greyleigh Main House – formal dining and living by We Are Duet. Photo: Anson Smart. Photographic stylist: Olga Lewis
H&F: Hi Shannon & Dominique – what led you join forces and start the We Are Duet journey?
Dominique: Shan and I had spent many fruitful years working in collaboration as associates at our wonderful former workplace. But the Duet journey began rather organically after we both respectively started our families and were each working on our own. An absolute dream project landed in our laps and it was simply too large to undertake without a collaborator and a friend, so we joined forces and were so delighted with the process of working together again – we’ve simply never looked back.
Do you both have a disciplined studio routine and any rituals to help keep you focused?
Shannon: Absolutely not! For me, my routine has been survival since having kids and starting Duet. I would love to say a swim in the ocean followed but an oat milk infused chai tea whilst meditating to ocean waves was my every morning – I’m usually scraping dry weet-bix off the floor and rounding up kids to get out the door so I can return to my desk and dive straight back into client work. My mornings usually follow on from a late night prior, working to fit it all in. It’s the late nights that keep me focused - uninterrupted, peaceful time.
Dominique: I have somewhat of a disciplined studio routine, which usually revolves around getting rid of my kids as quickly as possible on work days and going into my little home studio, my very happy place. I don’t have any rituals other than a hot pot of coffee, a heater on too high, a great playlist and something that smells nice. Time disappears in my office. A whole day passes and I have often not lifted my head.
As a designers, what’s the best lesson you’ve learnt along the way?
Shannon: To keep designing and moving forward at your own pace. Never stop to wonder how someone else is doing it because that time is unnecessary to your own success.
Dominique: Oh there is simply no end to the lessons being learnt – every element of every completed project is a lesson learnt, every encounter a chance to grow. I think the lesson I keep learning is ‘never assume anything’, to assume is to make an ass of u and me, right?! So I’m honing the craft of being clear, consistent, to clarify, to always ask questions, and to hone in on establishing a process for doing things.
When did you first understand design as a form of expression?
Shannon: For me this stems back to some of my earliest memories. Decorating my barbie house with anything I could find lying around, painting my nails in all different colours, adorning myself with beaded jewels and getting creative with hair styles and any clips available - I was very experimental with my outfits and the ability to express myself just fuelled my interest in creating and layering my imagination with ideas. In my mind, nothing was off limits - and this just kept fostering (and refining) through school, to university and ultimately to my profession, which is such a huge part of who I am today.
Dominique: It was pretty early. I was rather generously invited to be involved in the design of our family home by the late Bruce Rickard as an adolescent. I went to all presentations and site meetings and the house shaped me in a way I’m still discovering. I also remember rather vividly many houses and spaces visited in my childhood that created a sort of buzz within me. I couldn’t quite work out what the feeling was but I know now, it’s that kick of dopamine, that energy that your passion creates inside you.
What drives you as designers to keep exploring new ideas?
Shannon: The excitement of seeing an imagined idea become a reality!
Dominique: We have a bit of a mantra and Shan is the greatest ambassador for it, to always find something new or a new way of doing something. Shan’s zest for new and exciting ideas and her almost unshakable bravery keeps me on my toes. Sometimes I find it puzzling and need a moment to gather my thoughts but inevitably every new idea starts and ends with us both. It also relies on a trusting and brave client and we have been, and continue to be, blessed with clients who have a thirst and passion for new ideas. We have a beautiful synergy in the studio, it’s really our process, we send each other voice notes with our big ideas. It’s total verbal waffle but we pick up a clue in each others words and the big swirly wonderful ideas come from there. The drive is felt deep within the gut and the soul.
Greyleigh Main House – study by We Are Duet. Photo: Anson Smart. Photographic stylist: Olga Lewis
Greyleigh Main House – kitchen by We Are Duet. Photo: Anson Smart. Photographic stylist: Olga Lewis
“As a team, we just keep hot potatoe-ing ideas, workload, inspiration, encouragement, support and basically everything that keeps a good relationship working.”
Matchpoint kids study by We Are Duet. Photo: Anson Smart. Photographic stylist: Megan Morton
Matchpoint master bedroom by We Are Duet. Photo: Anson Smart. Photographic stylist: Megan Morton
Greyleigh Main House – loft suite by We Are Duet. Photo: Anson Smart. Photographic stylist: Olga Lewis
Grafton House formal dining by We Are Duet. Photo: Anson Smart. Photographic stylist: Olga Lewis
What/who influences your work the most?
Shannon: My business partner Dom. She encourages me, she inflates me and we just have a symbiotic rhythm that works incredibly well. Her input is never criticism rather ignition to a fire that always leads to an even better solution. Apart from Dom, there is endless visual influences that float around my world daily. This stems from social media and magazines right through to my beautiful children that share the same creative thirst that I do.
Dominique: It may be an un-designy thing to say but honestly our clients influence our work and are always at the heart of the story of their home. It’s our job to glean what we need, catalogue, curate and shape their vision for how they want to live in and experience their homes. The last few years have been tough for keeping eyes fresh. I have spent far too much time scrolling on my phone and really miss getting out and about and seeing things IRL! I’m not much of a goal setter but I would really like to do some creative-brain-expanding in 2023!
Both Shan and I are absolutely obsessed and driven by detail, so even the most unlikely references are shared between us. I once shared a photo of a low brick fence with Shan because it was a great shape for a bed head! I think we really draw inspiration from enchanting objects - sculptural jewellery, a little skirted vintage chair, a wobbly wrought iron candlestick found late night trawling Facebook Marketplace, a little wall light in the background of a screenshot… hence our regular celebration of such preciousness every week with Objects of Desire featured on our Instagram. If I have to name names I will say that the annual Site Unseen American Design Hot List is ALWAYS full to the brim with inspiration and influences so much. And I go utterly fan-girl-y for Giancarlo Valle and Studio Shamshiri’s work.
What do you value most about working as a team?
Shannon: The collaborative approach. Within our wider team, we have 2 support staff that really make our Duet world spin. Although they aren’t doing the design work, their input is fundamental to the cogs turning and we value the ability to lean on them whole heartedly in the skills they bring to Duet. And as for Dom, I value her every desire to keep building Duet alongside myself. As a team, we just keep hot potatoe-ing ideas, workload, inspiration, encouragement, support and basically everything that keeps a good relationship working.
Dominique: It’s always an ear or an eye - someone to bounce ideas big and small off, people to listen and share their wise words, people to temper and balance. I miss face to face time with our team very much, we are all remote, spread out from Sydney, Mollymook and Thirroul.
“I value friendship, camaraderie and the support. There is no end to the love and appreciation I feel for my business partner and our pit crew, Kristen and Amy. A team is a beautiful little blanket around you, it’s endlessly comforting.”
Is this your dream job?
Shannon: Absolutely! I couldn’t imagine anything else exciting me more than creating and visualising for our wonderful clients.
Dominique: Yes. It really is. The partnership formed with Shannon has only amplified the dream. It was a long and beautiful road to get here and without the experience, mentoring and support I received at my former workplaces, my pre-Duet life, there would simply be no Duet. Dreams are made when someone nurtures you and builds you into the designer and person you are. And of course, there are those that support on the home-front who have allowed us the space for Duet to blossom (husbands, you know who you are). I have so many people to thank for making this dream job a daily reality.
Have you faced any hardships to follow this path?
Shannon: For anyone who wants to have their own design practice, any time spent prior to making that first step seems like a hardship… or at least legwork. I know it did for me - but in hindsight, I know I wouldn’t be as qualified, inspired and equipped to venture out on my own without the experience I so fortunately had prior to starting Duet.
Dominique: Starting a business with 2 small children and then a subsequent 3 more children between us and being somewhat remote has naturally had its challenges. But work has been our solace for us both and a very stable force amongst the chaos. We were well rehearsed in working remotely, communicating without face to face design sessions together (most of the design work of our first project Matchpoint was done over text!) and working flexibly, well before covid. In terms of charting the path to the dream job we have both worked INCREDIBLY hard. We have hustled from school to university, to the workplace, to motherhood to business ownership.
What is a good piece of advice you’ve been given or would give?
Shannon: I started my design career in commercial design (designing offices and public spaces) which is where I learnt the majority of my technical knowledge I know and use today. This gave me a real good understanding of the rules and regulations around keeping people safe and really understanding what it means to design for the masses. I then moved into residential interiors, which is less about legislation and more a space where I can utilise my design flair.
Dominique: This job is incredibly detail-focused and very demanding. It requires persistence, patience, the ability to think (and act) quickly on your feet, a great memory, and a bit of foresight. Some days you are basically a removalist and it’s not glamourous. It also requires collaboration with many people to achieve the finished product, so it is also really about nurturing strong relationships, and managing expectations around tight deadlines.
What does success mean to you?
Shannon: Success is a combination of happiness, work life balance, and continual relationships with clients that aligned with our firm ethos. Success is a happy household for both my family and my clients.
Dominique: Surely everyone would say ‘balance’ but I reckon that is a pretty impossible task. Do you ever get to a point and say BANG, success?! Probably not. I think a creative mind is always striving and jumping ahead of ones self and we are not naturally wired to find a moment to enjoy our success. To date, we’ve chosen our own path to measure our success, we haven’t entered our projects in awards, we have been quietly chugging along and looking after our clients the best way we can. That has been, and will continue to be, our primary focus.
The greatest measure of success, to me, is a happy client. I will say I’ve had a couple of quiet moments banging on the newsagent’s door the day our projects have been released in many incredible publications. There have been a few rather big ‘pinch me’ moments and I did savour it all over a coffee at my local cafe with a few tears of joy and pride shed over the pages of a magazine.
What are you looking forward to most next year, what’s coming up for you work-wise?
Shannon: The Duet family is expanding by one member- I’m expecting a baby so that will keep me busy for the first half of the year. Apart from that, we have some beautiful projects finishing, which will be able to be photographed and shared with the world as well as many new gorgeous clients. We also have a few collaborations with suppliers we are very fortunate to be working with. And we are manifesting some retail projects, which are on both mine and Dom’s bucket lists of things still to sink our teeth into.
Dominique: This year is going to be an interesting one for us as Shan has her third child and will enjoy precious time with her new addition. I will be steering the ship for Duet for at least the first half of the year and that will involve putting on many more hats over the course of my days. I don’t know how I will go without my parter in this Duet journey but I will do my very best. We have 5 incredible projects currently on site at the moment and many in the pipeline!