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Bates Smart: where the designers are interior architects, not decorators

By Olivia Shead •

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Being one of the oldest architecture practices in the world, Bates Smart has a very impressive 162-year history! It’s safe to say they’re one of the most respected in Australia. With projects spanning from the Australian Embassy in Berlin, the Crown Towers Hotel at City of Dreams in Macau and the New Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne (which alone won a whopping 23 awards!), no project is too large.

35 Spring Street display suite
35 Spring Street display suite

Jeff Copolov is one man who knows this all too well. As Bates Smart’s interior design director, he leads a team of 45. Working at the firm for the last 20 years, he joined after a stint as a set designer at the ABC and Channel 9, before deciding interiors was the way he wanted to go.

Jeff Copolov
Jeff Copolov

Working across commercial, health, hospitality and residential, Jeff believes Bates Smart’s point of difference is their ability to fuse interior design with architecture: “In our office, we deliberately don’t have one floor with interior designers on it and one with architects,” explains Jeff. “In fact, we see that as a fundamental part of how we do our interiors; it’s a seamless process where interior designers are on the job from literally day one. They’re not decorators, they’re interior architects, first and foremost that’s really what they are.”

Screen Shot 2014-07-09 at 2.40.01 pm
Crown Towers Hotel, City of Dreams, Macau
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Crown Towers Hotel, City of Dreams, Macau

An acclaimed interior designer in his own right, Jeff took out the IDEA Gold Medal in 2013 and won IDEA Designer of the Year in 2010. And while he has worked on a myriad of projects (he normally overseas 20 at a time!), Jeff always finds his latest projects the most exciting. “I know it’s a corny line and everyone says that their latest projects are always the most interesting, but it’s true. It keeps your mind active and if you become jaded by it, you might as well give up.”

Currently working on such projects as a nursing home, a high-end multi-residential project called 35 Spring Street, Heston Blumenthal’s latest restaurant at The Crown and the new Club Stand for the Victoria Racing Club at Flemington, Jeff loves that design allows him to explore areas he previously knew little about. “The great beauty of working as an interior designer or architect is that you get a glimpse and an insight into the workings of a diverse range of organisations,” says Jeff. “I didn’t know much about nursing homes before, but now I know a lot more about the people, how it works, what the priorities are and what the health department is after.”

While Jeff does find it hard to name a favourite project, he does admit he’d be remiss not to mention the New Royal Children’s Hospital. “We produced a really outstanding product that changed the way people looked at hospitals,” explains Jeff. “We really looked at the recuperative benefits of natural healing through the introduction of the natural environment. So we brought in a lot of natural light, soft colours of the landscape and a lot of courtyards. As much as possible, we tried to bring in the benefits and healing processes of nature into the hospital and make it a nurturing and relaxing environment.”

Screen Shot 2014-07-09 at 2.36.47 pm
The New Royal Children’s Hospital
Screen Shot 2014-07-09 at 2.37.17 pm
The New Royal Children’s Hospital

Working on such large projects from the initial masterplans to the final soft furnishings, Jeff sees the high calibre of projects he gets to be a part of as the biggest benefit of working for Bates Smart. With a style that is contemporary, forward-looking and clear of any gimmicks, all of their work is of the highest quality, which is why Jeff believes they continue to win such exciting projects. “I think we also have a strong niche: a combination of architectural rigour, relentless attention to detail and producing interiors of lasting quality. I think our interiors feel significant, they have substance and depth and I think that speaks for itself.”

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July 17, 2014

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Swipe for after! What a fab, yet sympathetic, mak Swipe for after!

What a fab, yet sympathetic, makeover of this untouched (but not in a good way!) 50s house by @sellinghousesaus See all the rooms on the blog now via link in bio.

Great use of small space and working with the retro feel of the home while still modernising it.

Bravo @wendymooreedit 👏

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@andrewtwinter
There's nothing like ticking off little jobs! We f There's nothing like ticking off little jobs! We finally knocked out our 60s brown tile back step and replaced it with a smaller grey one made from @trexcompany Island Mist decking to match our deck (that went in 4.5 years ago) and now painted brick exterior. Making the step smaller allowed us to add in an additional manhole under the back door too to allow easier access under the house at the back. And we made a cover for that too (final slide) using Trex. I say "we" but I really mean our handyman 😉 One plank was enough for both jobs. Why we didn't do this ages ago I do not know but it's done now! 😁 Installed with @trexrainescape to ensure it stays dry and lasts!

Disclosure: Plank of Trex decking was gifted. I paid for the handyman.

#backstep #doorstep #deck #decking #deckdesign #deckideas #compositedecking #trex #trexdecking #greydecking

Mat from @doormatau
Me and @fantasticfurniture go WAY back! When I fir Me and @fantasticfurniture go WAY back! When I first came to Australia in my 20s, it's where I headed to buy everything I needed for my first apartment at an incredible price! And I've loved watching the range get more and more impressive over the years as my knowledge of furniture has increased. I had no idea how extensive their Aussie Made sofa range was though. I'd love you to check out the options via link in bio as I think you'll be impressed! I think we have a renewed appreciation for Aussie Made and supporting local manufacturing and jobs and this is a great success story. We love a bit of high low decorating, and turns out Fantastic Furniture is a great place to find your family lounge, a special accent chair, an extra ottoman for occasional seating and so much more. 

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@brittwhitestudio worked closely with the boys (aged 7 and 9) to understand their needs with a bespoke bunk bed solution crafted by BRC Cabinets, featuring ample storage as well as an under-stair hidey-hole, a useful reading nook for books and a built-in charger for electronics. Local craftsmen Emmett’s Ropes designed and hand-tied the ropework on the top bunk and the supporting pillar beneath.

Head over to the blog via link in bio to see and read more!

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Just 3 of the kitchens in the @duluxaus Colour Awards 2023 shortlist which will give you some serious inspiration!

Loads more gorgeous residential rooms to see on the blog this morning via link in bio.

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#duluxcolour #duluxpaint #duluxaus #duluxcolourawards #duluxcolourawards2023 #moodykitchen #allwhitekitchen #designerkitchen #sagekitchen #boldkitchen #colourfulkitchen #colouredkitchen #theinteriorsaddict #interiorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome #interiorsblog #interiorsaccount
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Read all about it via link in bio now.

Love your work @twin_palms_lennox

#kmartaustralia #kmartdiy #kmarthack #kmarthome #modernmediterranean #balconymakeover #balconyideas #diybalcony #budgetdiy #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome
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Head over to the blog to see how @grafico_walls transformed this blank canvas Melbourne townhouse with their products, which you've probably seen on The Block over the years. And read how Damian Corney has grown this Melbourne business with wife Adele and a growing team. There's also a look inside the very cool Motley Hotel which has used a whopping 4km of their wallpaper throughout!

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Via link in bio now.

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We have all the finer details on the blog today via link in bio. Particularly love the kitchen refresh using the existing blue cupboards which really weren't doing anything for me before 😂

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About Olivia Shead

When she's not writing for Interiors Addict, Olivia is now a TV and radio news producer. She's a journalism graduate of UTS Sydney.

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