We hosted Tom Blachford and Daniel Barbera   for Melbourne Design week 2026

Fused Deposition / Molten Tension showcased the work of two Melbourne artists undertaking raw explorations in new mediums as part of their ongoing practice. 

Daniel Barbera, a designer and maker with a decades long practice in industrial/furniture design, presented his sculptural glass work alongside interdisciplinary artist Tom Blachford, showing his first ever series of sculpture. 

The design community gathered in out studio and shared in the passion we have for design!

Melanie spent an intensive week in February completing the Company Directorship Course hosted by the AICD.

Since she has sat the 3 part examination to graduate the course. Phew that was not a breeze.

A 2 storey / 3 bedroom townhouse has been thoughtfully reimagined by transforming the former internal garage into a bright secondary living area. Improved amenity includes a new kitchen open to the living room allowing visual connection to family and friends.
A new entry door defines a welcoming transition into the home. We have referenced the mouldings of the period the home references with fluting and framing details in the doors and the joinery. New Herringbone flooring and soft dewy tones to the walls and joinery. Living room will feature Jardan furniture and Bolia dining table.
The kitchen is ample with new Siemens appliances, walnut laminate joinery and textured porcelain counter tops.
A new bathroom upstairs combines a separate toilet and bathroom into a family bathroom with curved shower enclosure and free-standing bath. The upper level is complete in tones of Angora blue and navy pin spot carpet. Finished photos to follow.

Fused Deposition / Molten Tension showcases the work of two Melbourne artists undertaking raw explorations in new mediums as part of their ongoing practice.

Daniel Barbera, a designer and maker with a decades long practice in industrial/furniture design, will show his sculptural glass work alongside interdisciplinary artist Tom Blachford, showing his first ever series of sculpture.

Both artists employ highly iterative processes in contrasting methods; one using tactile traditional processes, the other integrating computer aided fabrication technologies.

At the event expect interactive design & live manufacture. Process outcomes that are uncurated and experimental. Both Daniel and Tom’s pieces are available for sale.

Opening Event 19th May – Booking

Walking into Sightline in February this year, we were pre-warned by speaker Dana Tomić Hughes of Yellowtrace that that this was not to be another trend forecast talk. Sightline was more an opportunity to articulate the problems Tomić Hughes has observed within contemporary design practice, stemming from the constant stream of online content and trends at the detriment of substance and expression. She exposed the reality of the current design state, using the term The Great Flattening to describe the way in which engagement-based content feeds into the production of a universal homogenous aesthetic client brief. This brief forms the same ‘beige’ aesthetic we designers have all grown tiresome of seeing over-represented. The talk centered on the need for discernment and critical thinking in distinguishing meaningful signal from industry noise.

Rather than focusing on aesthetic trends, Tomić Hughes mapped the broader forces we can use to shape design and shift client expectations; contemporary and sustainable technologies, site, community and cultural exploration, and integrating our own unique narrative and energy within the process. This emphasises the value in demonstrating critical thinking and suppressing reactive design. The concept of Performative practice was revealed by Tomić Hughes the as the pressure we are put under to constantly produce, present, and appear certain. She positioned this as an unsustainable approach, advocating for intentional and reflective design thinking grounded in clarity and purpose.

Ultimately, Sightline was framed as a call to action to designers; to seek creative clarity and dull the noise. We as designers need to practice the ability to slow down, filter content exposure, conduct more rigorous, meaningful research and make deliberate decisions.

Form generation through model making is one of the key tools used at MBAD to establish a viable layout at the earliest stages of a project. By working in three dimensions, these physical models allow clients to more intuitively understand spatial relationships, scale, and proportion in a way that drawings alone often cannot convey.

This hands-on approach makes it easier to test ideas quickly, explore multiple configurations, and identify opportunities or constraints early in the process.

For clients, it provides a clear and immediate way to engage with the design, ask informed questions, and feel confident in the direction being taken.

Ultimately, model making supports a more collaborative and transparent design journey, helping ensure that the final layout is both functional and aligned with the client’s vision from the very beginning.

Sketch renderings are an important tool we use at MBAD to help clients clearly visualise their future spaces from the earliest stages of design. By translating ideas into a tangible, easy-to-understand image, these renderings remove much of the uncertainty that can come with interpreting plans and drawings, allowing clients to feel more confident and engaged in the process.

As the design develops, layering in materials such as tile and stone further enhances these images, giving clients a more realistic sense of texture, tone, and overall atmosphere. This makes it significantly easier to compare options, refine preferences, and make informed decisions about finishes—reducing the risk of costly changes later on.

Ultimately, this approach creates a more collaborative and reassuring experience, ensuring that clients feel confident their space reflects their vision before construction begins.

This rendering was created for the Primary Ensuite at Prismatic House, shown alongside the completed design.

Melanie was recently interviewed by Her Design Her Story hosted by Sarah Reid. The discussion centered around our studios approach to personal and professional development. The design journey that has been Melanie career to date and shared love of design with Sarah’s insightful Podcast.