Overview of Market Trends
As buyers agents who operate around Paddington and the Eastern Suburbs, we’ve seen how stunning, timeless furniture can transform a house into a home – or successfully stage a property for sale. Which is why we’re long-time fans of Great Dane Furniture, which has brought quality Scandinavian furniture, lighting and objects to the Oxford Street strip for nearly a decade.
In our Meet the Locals series, we’re chatting to Great Dane Furniture’s founder, Anton Assaad, about the store’s history, the pieces customers love, his furnishing tips – and why he’s not a fan of throwaway culture.
R&J: Anton, how did Great Dane Furniture come to be in Paddington?
Anton: I started the business almost 25 years ago and we moved to Paddington 8-9 years ago. We were in Redfern for a long time, [but] I loved Oxford Street and I always wanted to open a showroom there because I thought it was such a beautiful high street, and I wanted us to be part of a village that had feeling and community. We found this shop that had been kind of derelict and we basically refitted the whole thing.
R&J: Do you remember the response to Great Dane Furniture’s arrival?
Anton: It was a bit of a disaster when we first opened, because the builder hadn’t done his job and it was half finished! But we already had locals popping in, there was a lovely vibe and people obviously enjoyed the street, and wanted it to be full of interesting cafes and restaurants and retailers. So it felt right pretty quickly.
R&J: You're a destination for locals who love that Scandia aesthetic and high quality craftsmanship. What are customers looking for?
Anton: Something unique. What we do has thought and meaning to it; every product in our showroom is curated – so when you buy from Great Dane, you’re buying something you’re not going to see everywhere else. Some describe Scandinavian as pared back, bare, not a lot of feeling, I’d argue that’s a misconception – Scandinavian homes are often very layered and textured and it all works together; it has depth.
R&J: What does it mean to live ‘the Great Dane way’?
Anton: I think it’s about people choosing things that mean something to them. People who are buying a piece from us are buying it for life; it’s personal. And when you think about it, if you buy a dress you don’t like you can hide it in the wardrobe but you can’t do that with a beautiful 3-meter dining table. So I think a lot of people come to us and choose something in a really considered way, it’s about choosing things that have meaning and that you want to keep, not something you’re going to throw out in three years. To us that’s important. I don’t like throwaway culture. No one’s immune to it, but we think it’s a bit like slow food; you take your time, you get it right. Same with creating your home. You don’t buy it all at once, you find things you love and then you put them together over time.
R&J: What would be your advice to someone curating their home?
Anton: I’d take it slowly. We always say, start with the big things. Start with a dining table, or a sofa. And find something that you really love, take the time to sit in the sofa, to lie down on it, to feel the leather. We always say to people, if you want to borrow a dining chair overnight or a side table, if you can fit it in the car you should take it home and try it. Because what if you get it home and it doesn’t work?
R&J: Are there pieces your customers always make a beeline for?
Anton: The DCO9 is probably our most iconic chair. You look at this chair, and think, it’s wooden. There’s no seat pad, there’s no fabric, no leather. But everyone sits in and goes, Okay, well, now I’m ruined… because it’s not only beautiful, it’s incredibly comfortable. Another product our customers love is the Klassik sofa, a reinterpretation of a vintage design we used to have 20 years ago – we could never get enough of them but we always felt they needed… something. So Megan, my partner, who’s our creative director, tweaked the form, changed the shape a little, did all these things. And it’s popular, because it’s light, it’s off the ground, it doesn’t take a lot of space and it’s also very comfortable.
R&J: Any design brand you’re glad to be supporting?
Anton: We’ve just started working with a Swedish company called Vandra Rugs, a powerhouse of three women, two Swedes and one Ukrainian. They’re hand-weaving these amazing rugs – probably one of the only things being manufactured in Ukraine and exported. So we’re proud to support them and the entire weaving community making them.
R&J: Paddington terraces are famous for being some of the most beautiful houses in Sydney. How does Scandinavian furniture fit?
Anton: We sell to people all over Sydney, but Paddington is an interesting suburb because of the terraces, and people want things that work in those often narrow spaces. So things like the dining tables, the Klassik sofa, the DC09 chairs – they’re not a big footprint, they have a beautiful presence and they’re not visually imposing – so the lightness of our designs can definitely suit terraces and that inner city living.
R&J: What kind of approach do you take to furnishing your own home? I imagine that’s interesting at times!
Anton: It’s not all Scandinavian, we have some Italian furniture, a mix of vintage and new. I have lots of vintage Japanese ceramics I love, I have my grandmother’s paintings all over the walls. There are pieces I’ve had for 25 years that I won’t let go of. But we do have conversations about why we would choose [this or that]. My kids think it’s pretty funny. They’re like, ‘okay, what’s gonna [change] this week?’ But I don’t change much anymore. A school parent walked into our home recently and said, ‘I feel like I’m in a curated art gallery!’ And yes, maybe – but everything here can be touched and used; everything has a purpose.
R&J: Now you’re part of the Paddo village, what are your favourite haunts?
Anton: There’s an Italian restaurant we’ve discovered in the last couple of years called Cipri – it’s old school, family owned and feels like being in Italy – you walk in there and you feel at home. And I love 10 William; it’s a great little bar to sit in and have a cocktail. It’s cozy and I feel like you could disappear in there for hours. They make a very good martini!
“Many people come to us and choose something in a really considered way. It’s about choosing things that have meaning and that you want to keep, not throw out in three years”
Final Thoughts
Buying property in the area? Reach out to Rose & Jones buyers agents, we’d love to help you secure your dream property at the right price and terms. Get in touch.
