Project in Review: DCF Property
Australian property developer DCF Property specialises in delivering premium property across Melbourne. At the core of the company lies the firm belief in the art of collaboration. When DCF Property moved their head office out of the CBD to a standalone heritage terrace in East Melbourne, Bluethumb’s trade specialist Alexandra worked closely with the DCF team to facilitate an atmosphere reflecting the company’s central ethos.
The Brief
A testament to their art-focused character, DCF Property begins each project brief with a piece of art, which is later donated to the Owners Corporation upon completion. “This informs the architectural and design brief for the development,” DCF Property’s Development Director, Nick explains. “We believe that integrity, authenticity and a story create a deeper connection to our work, therefore creating places of pride and value. As firm believers in curating and promoting local connections as part of this storytelling, it was a natural response for us to look to promote local emerging artists; and we were truly impressed with the depth of talent within the Bluethumb stable.”
Walking into the space awaits two pieces by Bluethumb artist Paula Payne.
The Process
The partnership between DCF and Bluethumb began back in 2019, but given the unprecedented nature of last year, much of the project was put on hold. “All industries and sectors have been casualties of Covid; with Construction being forced into site closures and challenges in procurement and logistics across all facets of the supply chain,” Nick tells us when reflecting on the project. “Our builder had to down tools for a number of months, and managed this process smoothly, in a sea of ever-changing legislative requirements. We were initially expecting to move in in April or May 2020… Luckily my team are patient people, and we are just thankful that the situation has improved. We now have a beautiful new office to return to, to make up for lost time in 2020!”
The view of the hallway from the meeting room.
“We were very lucky with the artworks selected for the hallway,” Alexandra adds further. “These pieces by Paula Payne were from the original selections in 2019 and were fortunately still available when it came to purchasing.”
The Outcome
Work from Paula Payne, Tatiana Georgieva, Tania Chanter and Amy Hawkins was chosen for this project and now sits pride of place in DCF Property’s head office. “The outcome is better than we could have imagined,” Nick commented on the final fit-out, which was completed in January 2021.
Perhaps the standout artwork for Alexandra was the piece by Tania Chanter in the property’s bar room. “A proud parent cannot pick a favourite,” Nick says on this. “However, the most memorable experience was working with Tatiana Georgieva. Going from first contact on Friday morning, progress update pictures late on Saturday evening, to receipt of our custom commission via overnight road freight on Tuesday afternoon!”
The commissioned piece by Tatiana Georgieva.
“Our staff love the artwork we have selected. It’s fantastic to be able to share our art ethos in our own setting, rather than attached to a specific development or event. These are pieces to be shared and treasured by the entire team; as opposed to only by the specific people working on a specific project for a specific length of time. They go particularly well over a reflective session in our new whisky bar!
How epic is this piece by Tania Chanter in this space? We love the colour matching and sophisticated edge that still shows a cool sense of character.
“Working with Alex and the team at Bluethumb was a pleasure. They gave time to understand our space; our interior design concept and our business. They provided curated shortlist selections to inspire, impress and challenge our views and preliminary ideas. We even had a moment where we threw all the shortlists in the bin, and started from scratch – and Bluethumb took this in their stride and happily re-prepared selections.
The mid-century modern feel of the meeting rooms pairs perfectly with this vibrant piece by Tatiana.
“The process from short listing to procurement was easy and seamless, and the post delivery experience (from installation of artwork labels to re-stretching of frames) was fantastic too! It wasn’t about pushing the most expensive or longest time in gallery pieces at us; it was about getting the best result for our space and letting the art shine through.”
Find out more on supporting independent Australian artists with your next project – contact us here with your enquiry to get started.
