CLUB HEATHCOTE HAND-PAINTED AND WALLPAPER MURALS

Club Heathcote is a small club adjacent to the Royal National Park on Sydney’s southern fringe. DACCA Architecture redesigned the club to create a modern welcoming space for the local community. The materials, textures and motifs in DACCA’s design are inspired by the bushland setting with its dry sclerophyll forests and archetypal Sydney sandstone. DACCA commissioned Di Emme to produce a two-storey mural as a backdrop to the staircase, which is repeated as a feature wall, and a horizontal mural running behind the bar.

The mural behind the bar was hand-painted on site taking inspiration from the local eucalypts – scribbly gums, Sydney peppermints and red bloodwoods. Di Emme initially produced digital artwork to confirm the composition and layout, followed by 1:1 painted samples. Completing the digital schematic and sampling for approval in advance, ensured Di Emme's artisan was able to adhere to the demanding on-site schedule. The approved design for the bar mural was hand-painted by one of Di Emme’s artists working quickly as final preparations for the club’s reopening got underway.

The staircase and feature murals are a custom wallpaper. Di Emme created the original digital artwork and produced test prints to confirm the exact texture and colouring. The gum leaves are abstracted through sheer size with the charcoal texture evocative of the traditional owners’ creative tools.

DACCA provided the concepts for both murals for artistic interpretation by Di Emme.