In Conversation With Industry Leading Sourcing Agency, Aldini

Our conversation with Adrian Zipevski of Aldini

Thank you so much for sitting down and chatting with us and telling us more of your story. We are so excited to share your story! Tell us about yourself, what you love to do on the weekend, where you live, and what you do:

Oh gosh, I love the sun & the beach, staying in shape, going for long coastal drives and planning / designing homes or products that I don't own yet ! I live in Rozelle which is a leafy suburb just out of the city in Sydney.

Why do you love where you live?:

I love Rozelle because its so central, everything is literally a stones throw away depending on what you feel like doing, the community is a youngish family orientated demographic & everyone is always walking with their doggos with morning coffee in hand. Although its so close to the city it still feels very leafy and has some really quiet peaceful pockets.

What got you into design and interiors in the first place? How did you get here?:

I have always loved design, as a kid I used to draw cars and loved the idea of designing cars for a living, I did realize how small this field was and as I progressed into high school I was infatuated with how people would flip houses, I used to love seeing how run-down properties could be transformed. Naturally interior design followed suit; I completed a diploma in business management first then got into interior design all whilst working at my cousins stone importing business learning about natural stone from the inside out, even doing cleaning and sealing before progressing into sales and specification.

After a solid 6 years with the company I had finished my studies and was ready for a new challenge, which is where the journey with SG started

How did your first business Surface Gallery begin?:

Funnily enough I was actually the first employed sales representative at SG when the brand was only 3 months old; before later becoming a partner in the business 5 years in. I have 2 amazing business partners which both have had immense trust in me from the start, this gave me huge confidence and solidified my vision for the business was united.

SG was like my baby from the day we started, we where deep into the GFC at the time however I was out to prove I had what it takes to work with Australia's best designers and I was relentless in the purist of this. I would make lists that where pages long daily and cold call until I was given an opportunity, it was a hard slug for quite a few years however when the momentum started it was so satisfying -almost 14 years later we have expanded across now 3 states and have a team just shy of 40.

What brought about the idea for Aldini?:

Working closely with designers daily, I sensed a persistent need for a company capable of resolving designers' challenges by uniting various material artisans under a single roof. Aldini's core essence lies in the motto: "If you can draw it, we can make it." Delivering something unprecedented in our market holds a unique significance and means utmost satisfaction for the designers involved. Its always been a dream to have a creative outlet built into my day to day, Aldini was the perfect vehicle for that.

What does Aldini do and what problem is it solving?:

In essence, Aldini encapsulates a unique boutique sourcing agency. Our primary goal is to offer a turnkey solutions to designers, developers, or builders seeking to create products that require the collaboration of multiple artisans and materials. By bringing diverse talents under one roof, we streamline the process, saving valuable time & costs on-site, whilst giving more creative freedom to ensure projects can be pushed further.

What is your process of working with interior designers, architects or builders?:

I think the process is very different for each, its also equally important to understand and work in with the various personality types in each field, for example a builders priority will usually revolve around the lead-time & buildability, where a designer will be more focused on aesthetic, correct material plus function, a developer on the other hand will be interested in having an edge over the market whilst keeping budget at the forefront.

When considering each of the different personalities & moving parts of the construction puzzle we slightly adjust our process to ensure customer confidence and always strive to over-deliver on expectations. This tailored approach ensures alignment and superior delivery across all fronts.

What is the most challenging part of business?:

I think the most challenging aspect is just managing time efficiently, essentially its a very hands on role and it can be difficult being everywhere at the one time.

What do you wish you knew from the beginning of Aldini that you have learnt along the way?:

Aldini is still quite a young company, we have only really just found our feet in terms of our offering, and our key focus. One major aspect we have learnt is that sometimes it’s much more important to slow down to be able to speed up.

Part of this lesson was re-inventing our brand image properly. Partnering with SStudio has enabled us to authentically portray our aesthetic, transforming how we're perceived in the market and internally shaping our awareness of the uniqueness of our daily work and how special that really is.

What are some design trends you see coming in 2024/2025?:

I think there are some exciting trends coming through, stainless is definitely coming back, as is colour and materials that can include colour; weather that is natural stone, acrylic or coloured steel. Texture is also coming on very strong, weather that's through finish texture, scoring or even scratched finishes

What advice would you give to an interior designer/business owner about working with businesses like yours and other trades in the industry?:

My advice to any interior designers in relation to working with any trade or supplier would be to work in with people that help make the process easy and enjoyable, then stick with them.

A strong relationship with a supplier can pay dividends in resolving inevitable issues that will arise or could be the missing component to completing or elevating your design aspirations on a project. In my experience many interior designers jump around from supplier to supplier trying to find the next best thing and in the process miss out on building a solid foundation which can save them a huge amount of time, energy and money. A good supplier will work hard for you, most aren't given the opportunity!

We recently completed a full rebrand for Aldini which you can view here.