When the design team at Design Matrix Inc. was first approached by their hobbyist collector client, neither party ever imagined their journey together would reach epic proportions; a journey they have come to regard fondly as a shared galactic obsession. Having been accused of owning “too many toys”, the client sought to reclaim the home’s storage room and create a unique environment incorporating both closed storage space and display units. The interior design project saw a small, T-shaped, 275 sq. ft room located above the existing garage and transformed it into a daring, imaginative spacecraft-themed display room for the client’s Star Wars collectables.

“We’ve had the pleasure of creating many unique designs at DMI. From furniture to custom features to hidden cabinetry.  But this project took us all to a whole new level.” – Tania Romao-Readings, Senior Designer at Design Matrix Inc.

“We’ve had the pleasure of creating many unique designs at DMI. From furniture to custom features to hidden cabinetry.  But this project took us all to a whole new level.” – Tania Romao-Readings, Senior Designer at Design Matrix Inc.

Known for their attention to detail, the international award-winning interior design studio of Design Matrix Inc. approaches each design project as a distinct challenge and is inspired by the unique possibilities every space holds for those who use them. This project was a voyage beyond the ordinary. The team, led by DMI’s Senior Designer Tania Romao-Readings, embraced the opportunity to flex their creative muscles while focusing on their client’s emotional connection to the space. The result revealed an ultimate collector’s showcase out of this world.

The project involved a coordinated team effort. With the initial design concepts presented to the client, they were then further developed in collaboration with Tony Hindle of Hindle Finishing Systems. Hindle is a master millworker who not only believes in the art of craftsmanship, but believes there’s always one more step, one more detail, one more touch that’s required. The terms meticulous and detailed might be regarded as understatements when it comes to Hindle’s preoccupation with detail. As a child, Hindle dreamed of becoming an astronaut, and as an adult he remains a fan of George Lucas’ epic space saga movies, and the genre in general. He proposed add-ons that took the designed elements to the next level. The combined imaginations of client, millworker, and design team were in overdrive. This 5-year design-build project was truly a galactic-sized obsession where the designed elements, room features, and the precision detailing of the carpentry are rivalled only by the passion of the client collector.

“Tania and the team at DMI had me at hello. We had worked on projects together before, but when Tania called and asked if I wanted to build a spaceship, I was speechless! My heart was pounding with enthusiasm as I said yes! At first, I thought we were creating a kids’ room. Instead, I was being presented with a collaboration opportunity of a lifetime!” – Tony Hindle, Hindle Finishing Systems

Thousands of individually custom crafted millwork pieces were designed to create the showroom. The experience begins in the hall lined with full height militant custom millwork stanchions providing hints to the level of detail yet to come. Automated sliding double doors lead from the hall to the interior of the ‘spacecraft’. Constructed to open at the push of a button, the doors set the stage for the room’s reveal with a Hollywood-esque space-door “pshhhh” sound. Custom millwork with an extraordinary level of detail, including multi-faceted angled glass storage cabinets, angled pulls, uniquely shaped open shelving, as well as tall, angled display cabinets, and closed storage solutions line the room. A new centered bulkhead was constructed along with ceiling panels and centre beams where overhead stowaway cabinets were installed with touch latch releases. Gas pistons assisted in opening the larger cabinets and every single hinge was concealed. Approximately 100 panels were added to all the walls bringing added layers of dimension to the inventive space and serving as housing for all the required wiring. One can’t help but notice the broad spectrum of lighting solutions that were introduced to highlight the features of the “spaceship” interior, further bringing the theme to life. In addition to the wall and cabinetry lighting, the room uses recessed strip lighting and RBG LED lighting for futuristic effects. Curative raiding of the scrap yard for electronic waste and circuit boards led to a myriad of custom- built fake electronics, as well as decorative ventilation and ducting systems. Its muted colours serve to accent the collectables as well as mimic the interior surfaces of both real and imagined digitized modular spacecrafts. So much went into the details of this design folly, that Hindle has amassed a small library of all the trades, sourced materials and documented trials of any and all moving parts that took place over the years.

“Every detail was sweated to create this mesmerizing space. And then Tony cranked that up another notch.” – Tania-Romao-Readings, Senior Designer An homage to fantasy, imagination, and passion, the room is not modelled after any one particular spacecraft, but there is a touch of scientific reality visible within the room. The most riveting detail, the geometric window made of tempered glass with invisible fasteners and jewels, features fiber optic lighting which accurately maps our night sky of twinkling stars and leads to a galaxy – you guessed it! – far, far away.

This Star Wars collector’s retreat not only houses the clients’ collectables but is a delight for everyone who enters. How could it not? From the “beep-beep-boop-bop” fake panel gadgetry to a simulated view of our stars, to the memorabilia housed within, this project satisfies the imaginations of all who experience it. Far from a typical interior design project, this galactic obsession of an undertaking showcases the collaborative design team’s attention to detail, creativity, innovation, and dedication to delivering a high-quality result no matter how long it takes.