Exploring Life, Wellness, and Design with Tess Glasson of Alexander and Co
Posted: 09 January 2024
Alexander and Co, a prestigious design firm in Bondi, Sydney, creates exquisite spaces and with notable works like the Burleigh Pavilion, they're known for design excellence. We chat to their Marketing Director, Tess Glasson, as she shares insights on life, wellness, and design.
Welcome to the world of Alexander and Co, a renowned architecture and interior design firm nestled in the heart of Bondi, Sydney. A studio for all things design, bringing about beautifully crafted spaces and custom furniture for their myriad of clients. From residential, big and small, commercial and hospitality projects at Alexander and Co, versatility is the hallmark as they seamlessly navigate through the realms of architecture, interiors, styling, and project visualisation, leaving a trail of design excellence in their wake. If you’re Gold Coast locals like us you may have seen their work in real life, having designed the always iconic Burleigh Pavilion refurbishment alongside many other projects like Marketing Director, Tess Glasson’s own family home. Read on as Tess talks about life, wellness and design.
Q: Your studio has worked on a vast array of projects, would you say there is a consistent aesthetic connecting them?
A: They are each a development of our creative thinking so to that degree they are naturally linked but there is no house aesthetic, as such. It is more a collection of processes that we are expanding and learning and growing.
Q: What colours do you gravitate towards in your home?
A: A lover of all the hues of green pared back with the neutrals; beige/grey/cream
Q: From a design perspective, if you could go back in time what era would it be and why?
A: I’ve always been intrigued by the roaring twenties and the flapper era. Besides the fashion which is fabulous it was a redefining moment for woman; claiming political, economic, and sexual freedom…a little hedonistic, a lot of scandal, they represented a new found sense of femininity and female identity, challenging the norms and the role of woman Not strictly design related I know, however love to be teleported into a speakeasy and be part of this time.
Q: Slowing down, being mindful and wasting time for the pursuit of pleasure is so important. What do you do to take time out?
A: Oh, slowing down is a real work in progress for me! With four sons, working full time and managing the day to day domestics, wasting time is often not an option! Weight training and a walk either around our area or pounding the promenade at Bondi Beach is a daily ritual. Jeremy and I also do an evening walk most nights to check in/debrief and breathe out!
Q: What is your favourite restaurant, wine bar, spot to watch the sunset and museum?
Favourite Restaurant Sydney – Nomad. Consistently beautiful food, really fun, attentive service and the fit out still feels fresh.
Place to watch the Sunset – There is a window in one of our boy’s rooms that looks out over the local neighbourhood and has the best views of sunset. It’s become a bit of a ritual a couple of times a week over the last few years to turn the lights off in the room and a few of us will stand around for a few moments and appreciate the incredible changing colours and landscape.
Museum – When we were in Paris at the end of last year, I went to the L’Atelier Brancusi at the Centre Pompidou for the first time. It’s a replica of his studio with all of his original works that he left to the French government on his death. An incredibly special collection featuring hundreds of sculptures, pedestals, drawings, painting, and photographs. His work has been an enduring influence of our Practice, so I was very excited to get lost in there for a few hours.
Q: We believe that if you sleep well, you live well. What does your sleep wind down routine look like?
A: Oh, another work in progress here! As I’ve got older, I’ve really tried to prioritise my sleep because I know what my day feels like without it. I wear an Oura ring which is one of the original sleep trackers and gives you all the insights to set yourself up for quality sleep. However, for some nights it’s just a sprint to get through all the domestics, homework, work and create space to check in with each of my boys before I collapse on the bed hopefully before 10pm! Better nights would have the six of us hanging out, winding down and watching something on Netflix together.
I have also been known to go on an Instagram scroll after lights out which is never a good idea but usually involves looking through some of my favourite fashion sites or my current obsession is online auction sites where I have been known to put in a few random late night bids in!
