A layered interior for Brotherwolf
Project - Brotherwolf
Product Used - HW1391 Antique Versailles, Parquetry Design Collection
Designer - Jessica Ellis Studio
Builder - Spire Projects
Photographer - Kristoffer Paulsen
Brotherwolf’s South Melbourne flagship is a quiet masterpiece, a heritage-listed former bank transformed into a space that feels both grounded and finely tuned. Designed by Jessica Ellis Studio and brought to life by Spire Projects, the interior reflects a European-inspired material palette that balances nuance and depth.
Honouring the heritage
When Brotherwolf set out to create its South Melbourne flagship, the brief was as much about feeling as function. Founded by Pádriag Whelehan and rooted in community, culture and craft, the brand needed a space that could host haircuts, retail, gatherings, and events, all while honouring its heritage and design-savvy identity.
Located within a heritage-listed former bank dating to the 1860s, the 120 sqm site offered rich architectural bones: high ceilings, enduring masonry, original mosaic tiles. Jessica Ellis Studio chose to preserve and amplify these elements rather than overwrite them.
From the moment you step through the Boom-era facade, the sense of arrival is immediate. Skylights wash the parquet flooring with natural light, antique oil paintings lean into the heritage narrative, and timber-clad walls introduce a soft, elegant counterpoint to the building’s robust structure.
A floor that anchors the story
At the core of this material conversation is Antique Versailles from the Parquetry Design Collection.
Its classic pattern introduces a subtle rhythm underfoot and complements the restored tiles and aged timber details.
More than a flooring choice, it anchors the space’s layered narrative while evolving beautifully with use.
Material intentionality and collaboration
These moments reflect a design philosophy grounded in careful material selection and spatial clarity. Jessica Ellis describes the space less as a barbershop and more as a contemporary club lounge, somewhere that encourages people to linger and connect.
Specifying Havwoods was a natural extension of this approach. The team wanted a surface that felt timeless and authentic. Something that could sit comfortably alongside restored heritage features and contemporary bespoke joinery.
The Versailles Antique parquet met that brief, combining refined pattern with engineered stability suited to high-traffic commercial environments, while delivering a warmth that evolves with every footprint, conversation, and event.
Collaboration with the Havwoods team provided technical specification guidance and material insight, helping ensure the parquet performed as beautifully as it looks in a dynamic commercial setting.
Eggshell tones, honeyed wood, and restrained neutrals create a calm backdrop for moments of character: a classic Persian-style rug beside a relaxed linen sofa, safari chairs paired with vintage leather seating, and local artisanal lighting scattered throughout.
A space that lives and grows with the brand
Today, the Brotherwolf flagship presents as a refined expression of the brand, a space that feels honest, intentional, and full of life.
Explore the Parquetry Design Collection and discover how the right timber surface can shape not just how a space looks, but how it feels and performs over time.
