“The support Futurespace has had from Cult and Richard over the years has been a true partnership that gets stronger and stronger. We value their excellent service and commitment to Australian design, and look forward to working on many more projects together in the future.” – Angela Ferguson (Futurespace)

Celebrating 20 years at the forefront of the A&D community, Cult, or as it was known at inception, Corporate Culture, has been bringing beautiful furniture and objects to our attention for as long as many of us have been in the industry. Moreover, with Richard Munao’s eye for design excellence and connection into the Danish design community, Cult has gently steered the aesthetic we now call Australian.

“Australian interior design just wouldn’t be what it is without Cult. Richard has changed how we approach design in Australia, from the incredible imports to the quality of Australian designers he has fostered, supported and brought to market. His taste is impeccable and that is what we want to bring to our clients.” – Juliette Arent and Sarah-Jane Pyke and (Arent & Pyke)

Cult’s Nau showroom. Pic: Sean Fennessey

Bringing design of calibre to Australia, the Cult showroom has been the home and partner to notable international design houses, including Republic of Fritz Hansen, Poltrona Frau, Magis, Cappellini, Emeco, Carl Hansen & Son, Cassina and Lightyears.

“Five years ago, when our studio opened in Sydney, we came across a mega furniture emporium called Cult in the back streets of Chippendale. This warehouse holds a serious array of genuine furniture collections and one-off icons, which always seem to seamlessly fit into our projects no matter what era, style or aesthetic. ‘Never buy everything from one shop’ they say, but, for some reason, that same rule doesn’t seem to apply when shopping at Cult.” Yasmine Ghoniem and Katy Svalbe (Amber Road)

Pic: Sean Fennessey

Today, the showroom has been expanded to make room for eight new brands including Karakter Copenhagen and Nanimarquina, along with Zanotta, Tecno, Vipp, Louis Poulsen, Montana and Design Letters. Designed by iconic Melbourne-based studio DesignOffice, the showroom has an architectural language that is pared back, minimalist and edgy, just as it should be.

“The new brands fit naturally into the Cult collection with their aesthetics and the strong sense of craftsmanship for which our current range of brands are known… With Montana, Vipp and Nanimarquina we are moving into new market segments, giving our clients a more complete offering that includes shelving and storage systems, as well as kitchen and bathroom solutions and soft furnishings. Zanotta and Karakter Copenhagen extend our range of classic design icons, and Tecnno’s range of technological innovations elevates our workplace and commercial solutions. Moreover, Louis Poulsen strengthens our lighting collection and Design Letters is a welcome addition to our accessories and range.” – Richard Munao (owner and managing director of Cult)

Pic: Sean Fennessey

DesignOffice has also designed a stand-alone NAU gallery to showcase Cult’s growing Australian collection. These include Adam Goodrum’s Bilgola range, which exemplifies Munao’s passion for truly amazing Australian design. Moreover, the extraordinary party celebrating Cult’s 20-year achievement and gorgeous new showrooms also served to announce Goodrum as Cult creative director.

“I feel incredibly fortunate to be working with Richard. He is one of the most passionate and motivated human beings that I know. It is such a privilege to be part of the NAU story and I am seriously excited about his far-reaching vision for the brand.” – Adam Goodrum (Adam Goodrum Design)

“Having previously designed the signature steel staircases in our Melbourne showroom, this collaboration with DesignOffice is a natural evolution that pays homage to the growth and changing structure of the showroom over the years.” –Richard Munao (owner and managing director of Cult)

“We wanted to be respectful to the existing buildings and allow them to retain their individual character, but articulate the window forms to unite the buildings together under the Cult brand.” – Mark Simpson and Damien Mulvihill (DesignOffice)

Pic: Fiona Sustano

A great supporter of the industry as a whole, Cult has supported the IDEA program since inception as sponsor of the ‘Designer of The Year’, with last year’s award going to SJB.

“It has been a real privilege to work with Cult over the past 20 years. To some extent there has been a parallel journey with Cult representing brands that match our clients’ ever evolving aesthetic. There have also been surprise pieces that become favourites and the hallmark of an era.” – Kirsten Stanisich (director SJB)

For Cult, excellence in design has been a standard. It has pushed boundaries, raised the bar constantly and made Australian design what it is today.

“There is a sense of having arrived when your clients are ready for Cult; whether it’s a single statement piece or the perfect light, a room can grow from that single perfect gesture.” – Greg Natale (Greg Natale Design)

We are indebted to and proud of Richard’s commitment to the design community and the future he sees for us all.

Jan Henderson and Gillian Serisier

Co-editors inside Interior Design Review