11.09.25
At TheEND, the relationship between form and function blurs, challenging thought and experience to create emotive, evocative interiors. Each room is filled with stories and conversation, chapters that unfold from one location to the next, from maker to user; they’re inspired, transformative and individual. Just like the premium furniture pieces, it’s guaranteed that no two spaces will be the same.
Showcasing this in action, TheEND’s James Maroun has collaborated with Shona McElroy, Principal at SMAC Studio, the celebrated Sydney-based interior design firm. As an on-brand act of co-creation, the pair honed the details of the lifestyle brand’s first residency in Paddington: a terrace reimagined, a summer store designed TheEND way.
Here, two creatives converge.
The Paddington Interior
As a nod to TheEND’s uniquely oversized, sculptural pieces, the Paddington residency shares this sentiment. Perhaps there is something a little ‘off’; it’s recognisable but unusual, familiar but not as you know it. As Shona describes, “Most homes are familiar with the reflective surface of mirrors, the sumptuous properties of curtains, the plushness of carpet,” yet here they are utilised en masse. Curtain-clad walls and mirrors on the ceilings — subverting the typical, traditional use, and extending the imagination.
Similar to the collection, and true to James’s personal aesthetic, white is layered to allow the negative space to speak.
“The way white can elevate a space, but also neutralise and create a sense of calm,” says James of the choice. A tool used for contrast, set against the darker, sturdier tones of aged teak pieces. And appropriately utilised to display two distinct aesthetics viewed through TheEND’s lens.
Split into separate arenas, each floor is intentionally designed. The lower, a nod to the Victorian-era terrace that houses the showroom, features sandy-coloured floors and white walls - “truly a summer space,” says Shona. Here, ‘liveability’ is key, showcasing the more subtle blending of pieces within an existing area, merging the classic with a European-inclined sentiment.
Upstairs, immersion takes over. A modern art gallery — full of soul — with playful rooms that amplify each piece in all its handcrafted, perfectly imperfect beauty.
A Summer Showroom
Exquisite soft furnishings and iconic finishes are the nods to an aspirational, largely lived summer. “Alive,” as Shona describes it. You can imagine the summer breeze gently whispering through the curtains, tugging them this way and that, or taking a moment on the Block Seat to escape the heavy heat.
The harmony of colour and texture creates a calming balance — even large-scale, sculptural pieces are not warring for attention, but existing together, unconventionally so. A feeling that is in line with a season of languidness and luxury, when time seems to slow and every moment is savoured.
Prodded for her favourite piece from the collection, Shona mentions the Moreau Hanging Light. “I have it in my own living room — it’s the hero of my home because of the scale, while also sitting so blissfully calm because of the palette,” she says. “She shoots up an amazing glow onto the high ceiling. To me, it’s the perfect mix of classically influenced, yet modern and cool.”
As pieces that are consistently described as conversation starters and centrepieces, the goal is to find these placed in homes in very individual, reimagined ways. “This space is an invitation to experience our pieces in context — not as isolated objects, but as part of a living, breathing story,” says James. It’s an invitation to build a liveable art gallery of one’s own, harmonious and expressive.
Residency Details
Location: 57 William St, Paddington NSW
Opening Hours: Tuesday - Sunday, 10am - 4pm