Melanie Katsalidis store by Foolscap Studio

Jewellery designer Melanie Katsalidis has opened her first-ever dedicated retail store beneath Gaunt’s Clock in Melbourne’s iconic Royal Arcade.

Foolscap Studio worked closely with the jeweller to develop the interior design, which has been inspired by the expressive, architectural style of Katsalidis’s creations.

Jewel-like in size, the store features a calm, natural material palette and playful displays.

“Each material has its own properties and past stories bound together in one space, to tell a new story,” says Foolscap Studio founder Adèle Winteridge.

Elements from Melanie Katsalidis’s former Piece of Eight Gallery in Russell Place have been sensitively adapted and reused; whether new or like-new, each material is used in rich and refreshing ways: neutral fabrics, custom terrazzo and concrete sculptures that double as display plinths.

At the centre of the space sits a ripple bench that is sheathed in vivid blue upholstery – one of many objects the Foolscap Studio team designed especially for this store.

“This sculptural piece references the velvety ridges found in a traditional ‘ring tray’,” says Adèle. “Here, you can slide custom designed mirrored and polished stainless-steel trays in and out to re-energise and merchandise.”

Other handmade features include: a custom sculptural pendant light by Melbourne-based designer, Brahman Perera; a collection of hand-cast concrete sculptural objects by Five Mile Radius; and bespoke furniture pieces including a steel base table.