Gumtree Garden Pop-Up Bar by Yellowtrace.

Gumtree Garden Pop-Up Bar in Sydney. By the way, if you’re thinking that glowing signage looks suspiciously a lot like the “Yellowtrace” logo, that’s because the sign maker literally copied my handwriting – which also happens to be how the Yellowtrace logo came about. See mock up image of the entry wall  in gallery at the bottom of this page and you’ll know what I’m taking about. Freaky or what?
Photos © Nick Hughes/ Yellowtrace.

I’m so excited to share with you one of the latest projects designed by Yellowtrace – the Gumtree Garden pop-up bar which took place over just 4 nights during November. This very special pop-up bar was built in less than 48 hours, featuring items sourced on Gumtree in the local Sydney area. Situated in the heart of The Rocks, on Sydney’s oldest cobblestoned lane-way – Kendall Lane, the pop-up served fine Australian beer and wine and a delicious menu created by celebrity chef Hayden Quinn.

“Palm Springs” set at Gumtree Garden Pop-Up Bar, Sydney.
Photos © Nick Hughes/ Yellowtrace.

When the Gumtree team first approached me about designing the Gumtree Garden, I had my fair share of doubts as to how achievable this was going to be. But once I got over the initial shock, I became extremely excited about the project and the whole concept! As a designer, I’ve always been a great believer that good taste and style have nothing to do with designer price tags. In fact, at times it’s almost easier to bring a space to life, inject it with personality, and take it to the next level by cleverly mixing the old with the even older – particularly when the budget is tight. Vintage pieces really can layer a space with very special richness and soul. I like to imagine each pre-loved piece as a little vessel that carries someone else’s life within it – the care and the love of previous owners, together with the stories and inherent character can really add to the spirit of any space.

“Mid Century” set at Gumtree Garden Pop-Up Bar, Sydney.
Photos © Nick Hughes/ Yellowtrace.

The initial challenge for the design of the Gumtree Garden was ensuring there was a strong connection and consistent flow through the long lane-way. In my preliminary Gumtree search I identified a huge variety of furniture styles from a number of different eras. I quickly decided it was really important to showcase this breadth of product in our Garden. At the same time I knew we weren’t working with a huge space and I was really keen to keep everything feeling connected and belonging in the same place.

“Country Kitchen” set/ The Bar area at Gumtree Garden Pop-Up, Sydney.
Photos © Nick Hughes/ Yellowtrace.

As a result, we created 5 different “sets” inspired by some of the styles available on Gumtree: Palm Springs, Mid Century, Country Kitchen (the bar), Victorian, late 70’s / early 80’s, and of course the outdoor laneway. We sourced a whole bunch of weird and wonderful things – everything you might expect to find in a bar, and some things you might not, like a horses head, wheelbarrows, sculls and prams. The whole process took three months to design and plan, followed by really intense bursts of sourcing and purchasing trips.

“Victorian” set at Gumtree Garden Pop-Up Bar, Sydney.
Photos © Nick Hughes/ Yellowtrace.

I worked with Holly Hipwell from The Flower Drum on bringing the garden concept to life, using some less conventional elements, and really pushing the idea of the “garden” by embracing a fun and playful approach – from the arresting entry wall covered in ivy, to bar-staff head pieces and button holes, and everything else in between. I wanted the idea of the Garden to feel naturally embedded within the space, without resorting to the more obvious Garden references (you know – astro turf, white picket fences and stuff… No sir!). In three of the “sets”, the flowers and plants were layered with glorious botanical wallpapers by Timorous Beasties (note – the wallpaper did not come from Gumtree, but the installers who put up the paper did).

Hi there! That’s me looking all gardeny and stuff in the Victorian Room. Photo by Tippy Dray.

This is Husband, aka Papa Yellowtrace and part-time photographer, doing what he does best. Kidding! But not really. Photo by Tippy Dray.

Party time excellent at Gumtree Garden. Photo courtesy of Gumtree.

How could you not love a bit of camouflage? Hands down funniest Gumtree Garden moment goes to Ben! HILARIOUS! Photos taken with Husband’s iPhone.

So there you have it. I could really talk about this project for days… Instead I’ll leave you with a little making-of video, many more images in the gallery below, including some of our preliminary concept ideas and sketches. Although I can’t say it’s been easy every step of the way (but nothing worthwhile ever is), I am absolutely thrilled with what we created and I sincerely hope you all feel the same way. The Garden was a huge success, with thousands of people visiting the pop-up despite some of the crappiest weather Sydney has served up for this time of year. Killer marketing move by Gumtree, right? And just quietly – is it just me, or has Gumtree never looked better? I’d love to hear what you think.

The making of The Gumtree Garden.

[Unless otherwise noted, all photos © Nick Hughes / Yellowtrace.]