Interview: Jeremy Bull of Alexander &CO

With over 20 years industry experience, Jeremy Bull established Alexander &CO. in 2011, taking on multifaceted projects with equal rigour around commercial, cultural and creative focus. Sydneysider’s may recognize his work in local hospitality institutions such as the Watson’s Bay Boutique Hotel, an iconic beachside club, and regular readers may remember our feature on the Sean Conolly at Dubai Opera rooftop restaurant.

Bull advises to never take a client you wouldn’t share a meal with, indicative of the personal approach taken to projects that goes beyond simply adhering to a brief. Humanity, Bull says, is at the heart of all Alexander &CO. projects, which has thus far resulted in some homely and enviable residential projects across Sydney.

A reaction he credits to an increasing, consumerist need for ‘newness’, Bull pursues simple timelessness through his work. Designing projects to last lies at the heart of Alexander &CO.’s considered and precise ethos. Read on for more wisdom from our full interview with Jeremy Bull!

Alexander & Co’s Bondi Junction Home. Photography by Anson Smart. Styling by Claire Delmar.

+ Hello Jeremy, welcome to Yellowtrace! Could you please give us a quick introduction on yourself and the path that lead you to start your practice?

Thanks for having me!
I believe in communities and I also believe in the cultural value of innovation. I have historically been restless in trying to understand my own place, and probably a pretty terrible employee given my own urgency to tip out systems which I saw as ineffective. Alexander &CO. was the natural progression toward trying to build a better system and create our own culture. It’s a journey which is in its 7th year, but it took me the 12 years prior to build the technical skills and courage to try.

Alexander & Co’s Bondi Junction Home. Photography by Anson Smart. Styling by Claire Delmar.

+ What is your main priority when starting projects? Is there something that is fundamental to your practice – your philosophy and your process?

Our relationships with one another and our client underpin all of the creative workflows. At the centre of design, is humanity. I think design fails when it forgets this fact, we are not only in pursuit of some design mythology, we are commissioned by real people within a context, the creative story is always second to this fact.

Tilly May’s, Surry Hills. Photography by Anson Smart. Styling by Claire Delmar.

+ You’ve won a number of (well deserved) awards over the past couple of years – how do you approach maintaining momentum and growth within your business and the industry at large?

We are not growth focused. Our interest is pursuing excellence with intention. Our practice oscillates at around 20 people within our team, and at the centre of our discussion is maintaining excellence, both commercially, culturally and creatively.

Burleigh Pavilion, Burleigh Heads QLD. Photography by Anson Smart. Styling by Claire Delmar.

+ How is your studio structured? What types of skills do you have in-house, is there anything you are outsourcing, and how many projects do you handle at any one time?

We have a practice and a team which is run by a leadership of seven Associates across 3 internal departments; Operations, Marketing and Administration. We use Open Book Management and have equity holders within the practice, so internal transparency is a core value. Within the team at large of 20 or so professionals, we have architects, interiors designers and FFE designers as well as marketing and financial administration. We outsource highly defined and specific skills sets whenever possible, so our network of professional contributors is actually much larger, we hold a belief that this brings diversity and structural robustness.

Palm Beach House. Photography by Felix Forest. Styling by Claire Delmar.

+ How do you organise and manage the competing demands of modern business and life? Do you have any tip or tricks you could share with us that help you in your day to day?

I have a family and four sons, as well as a role within the business. Historically this is not so much a balance, as an ‘all-in’. Accepting that life is not built around a need for ease is probably first, after that there is fairly extreme organization and very little lag. Time is non renewable, and this fact is not lost on me. I am grateful for every moment, and I believe that gratitude is an amazing universal gift which allows opportunity to grow. Practice it daily and use a good note keeping app like Wunderlist.

Woolwich Pier Hotel. Photography by Tom Ferguson. Styling by Claire Delmar.

+ Has there been any particular project, client, or an important set of skills you’ve developed that has changed the course of your practice?

Oh god, every failure builds you. Fail lots, be relentlessly self critical and course correct daily.
I think we get lost in the aesthetics of life, like it is some mythical Instagram account. Search for your own failure and sit in the discomfort, it is fundamental to growth.

Park House Food Merchants. Photography by Felix Forest. Styling by Claire Delmar.

+ What do you feel is the most challenging part of being an interior designer today? And if you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be?

I struggle with the need for ‘newness’. There is an inherent wastefulness that underpins consumer needs for newness, a sense that design is always almost obsolete (to quote Rem).
I think our pursuit of simple timelessness is a reaction to churn and waste. I wish we could all slow down and be more careful, longevity is a wonderful thing. Oldness can be so special.

Sean Connolly At Dubai Opera. Photography by Brooke Holm.

+ What are your top 3 main sources of inspiration and references you are drawn to regularly – i.e. books, magazines, websites/ blogs, podcasts etc.?

Seth Godin’s Akimbo podcast.
Harvard Business Review, the whole paper back catalogue.
Getting lost in Pinterest.

+ Who or what are some of your influences? What other designers, peers and creatives do you admire?

Axel Vervoordt.
Le Corbusier.
Roman and Williams.
Sejima.
And then there is just heaps of amazing creative energy in Australia. Look anywhere.

Queens Park House. Photography by Felix Forest. Styling by Claire Delmar.

+ What advice would you give to emerging designers? What was one of your biggest lessons learned since starting your practice?

Work hard. There is no simple way around this. To quote Brene Brown – “Embrace the suck”.

+ What would be your dream creative project or a collaboration?

I would like to go back in time and be at the table when someone dreamed up the pyramids. That discussion would have been outrageous. Right now, I am happy with my lot, this is all a dream.

Darling Point House. Photography by Tom Ferguson. Styling by Claire Delmar.

+ What’s next – can you share with us your vision, some of your goals and some of your current projects?

Coming into our next five years we have a clear goal to cement our internal structures and really build into the bench strength of our team and leadership. We have bought a building which will become our new office, which we hope to complete building in the first half of next year. This will help to elevate our client journey and offer our team a more purpose built facility, especially as the needs of our team changes with realities like children, maternity leave and work mobility.
We are just starting to re contemplate spreading our wings offshore, so this might also be a discussion which will build.
And then there is our passion to outreach to our Indigenous design community which is starting with various mentorships and sponsorship programs. We would like to be part of the collective voice that is working towards educating indigenous kids about the real possibility of design as a career option. That is very important for us.
And then… the work.