Walking along Macpherson Street in Bronte, the ocean rises above rooftops in flashes of blue. For a moment, the houses seem secondary to it, as though the landscape is gently holding everything else in place. It is a feeling familiar to anyone who spends time in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, where nature and suburbia exist in constant negotiation.
It feels like an appropriate setting for Daniel Boddam‘s new showroom.
Located within a small retail strip, the space is unlike most furniture showrooms. There is a front room where visitors are welcomed and introduced to the collection, but beyond that sits Boddam’s home: his living room, kitchen, the dining table where he eats and the sofa where he sits with a guitar at the end of the day.
Certainly, the project reflects Boddam’s longstanding preference for more personal encounters with design. “I’ve never been particularly drawn to traditional retail environments,” he says. “Some of the most memorable design experiences I’ve had were in places that felt far more personal – apartments, galleries and private studios where you could spend time with the work.”
The furniture is not arranged as a temporary display but as part of daily life. A Dune Lounge sits comfortably within the living room, while the soft curves of the Surf Coffee Table and Surf Side Tables catch the changing light throughout the day. In the front showroom, the Pipi Coffee Table anchors the space, its rounded form feeling both sculptural and relaxed.
The pieces contain subtle references to nature, with curves rather than hard edges and materials chosen for their texture and character. Timber, cork, stone and brass appear throughout the collection, while colours move through sandy neutrals, deep greens and earthy tones that feel at home in this part of Sydney.
What becomes apparent while moving through the home is how closely design and daily life are connected. Boddam lives with every piece. He notices details that others might overlook: the height of a table, the comfort of a chair, the way a material behaves in morning light compared to late afternoon. Small refinements are made not because a market demands them, but because he experiences them himself.
Related: Making room at the table
Much of contemporary design is encountered first through photographs. Here, the emphasis is on spending time with the work itself — understanding its scale, handling materials and seeing how pieces operate within a home rather than a showroom setting.
Artworks, books and collected objects sit alongside furniture and prototypes, blurring the distinction between presentation space and private residence. The result is less formal than a conventional showroom and more revealing of how the collection is actually used.
