Project
Sarah & Sebastian
Site
Sarah & Sebastian
Location
Melbourne, Australia
Interior Design
Akin Atelier
Lighting Design & Supply
ambience
Casambi Commission Partner
ambience
Photography
Tim Salisbury
Sarah & Sebastian’s Melbourne flagship on Exhibition Street is the brand’s largest store to date, designed as an immersive retail environment where materiality, texture, and lighting work together in a calm and understated way. Custom lighting using RGBW and tunable white luminaires controlled via Casambi allows the space to shift subtly throughout the day, balancing soft ambient tones with focused illumination that enhances the jewellery displays. Across retail, consultation, and Piercing Lab spaces, the flexible lighting system quietly supports the customer experience, creating a refined atmosphere that highlights the jewellery without overpowering it.
Sarah & Sebastian’s Melbourne flagship is located on Exhibition Street, in the heart of the city’s historic Paris end. As the brand’s largest store to date, it brings their jewellery world into a more immersive retail space, where materials, detail, and lighting all work together in a simple and considered way.
The store follows a calm journey through contrast and texture. Soft plaster finishes sit alongside stainless steel and stone, with lighting used to gently connect these moments. Rather than drawing attention to itself, it supports the jewellery and guides how the space is experienced.
Custom lighting plays a central role in this approach. The luminaires combine RGBW and tunable white sources, each controlled through dedicated Casambi modules. This separation allows precise tuning of different lighting layers, from warm ambient tones to more focused, high-clarity illumination for display. The result is a space that can shift subtly in mood throughout the day, depending on use and timing.
On the main retail floor, lighting remains soft and balanced, with careful highlights bringing focus to the jewellery displays. Subtle changes in brightness and tone help define different areas without breaking the calm atmosphere. The intention is not to spotlight everything, but to let the eye move naturally through the space.
In the Fine Jewellery Library, the lighting becomes more focused. Each piece is lit individually to create a clear sense of detail and depth. Lighting scenes can be adjusted easily through Casambi, depending on whether the space is used for viewing, consultation, or private appointments.
The system also supports more functional areas, including the Piercing Labs. Here, lighting takes on a softer, more clinical feel, with orbital-style illumination that provides clarity while maintaining comfort for both clients and practitioners. Scenes can be adjusted instantly depending on appointment type, all managed through the same wireless platform.
What ties the system together is flexibility without visual complexity. Casambi allows each lighting zone to be controlled independently while still working as part of a unified environment. Scenes can be adjusted quickly, transitions remain smooth, and the overall atmosphere stays consistent with the brand’s understated approach to luxury.
In the end, the lighting does not compete with the jewellery. It supports it quietly, shaping how each piece is seen, experienced, and remembered.
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