Steele House
Steele House is a heritage-listed Hawthorn shop fit out on Glenferrie Road, carefully designed and executed to keep faith with the style and history of the original building. Fox Building Group worked within the constraints of an original, heritage-listed facade to deliver a considered retail environment for the Steele clothing label.
Steele House: A Heritage Hawthorn Shop Fit Out
Project status : Completed
Year completed : April 2022
Client : Steele
Designed by : The Stylesmiths
Location : Hawthorn, VIC
Value : $175K
Bespoke Joinery and Fit Out Detail
Fox Building Group was trusted with completely renovating and creating the finer details within this shop fit out, such as bespoke POS, one-of-a-kind clothing racks, custom made mirrors and hand-crafted cabinetry, working closely with The Stylesmiths to keep every fixture true to the heritage character of the building.
Every joinery piece in Steele House was purpose-built for the space, rather than adapted from stock fittings, so that the finished retail floor reads as a single, cohesive design rather than a collection of off-the-shelf elements. Working inside an occupied heritage streetscape on Glenferrie Road meant sequencing trades carefully: existing period detailing, cornices, and timberwork had to be protected throughout demolition and reinstated once the new fit out elements were in place.
Working Within Heritage Constraints
Heritage overlays in this part of Hawthorn place real limits on what can be altered at the shopfront, so the brief for Steele House balanced retail functionality with preservation of the original building fabric. Structural interventions were kept to the rear and internal zones wherever possible, allowing the street-facing heritage elements to remain intact while still delivering a fully functional, modern retail fit out behind the facade.
Materials and Finishes
The material palette for Steele House was chosen to sit comfortably against the heritage brickwork and original joinery of the Glenferrie Road building, rather than compete with it. Natural timber, brass detailing, and softly toned render were used throughout the retail floor, giving the space a warmth that photographs well and wears well under daily retail foot traffic. Lighting was planned zone by zone, so that garment displays, changing areas, and the POS counter each have their own considered mood rather than a single flat wash of light across the store.
A Considered Commercial Fit Out
We are so proud that Steele. clothing trusted us with their flagship store, and we love bringing our high attention to detail into the commercial realm. This Steele House fit out shows what’s possible when a heritage building and a considered retail brief come together.
From bespoke joinery through to the final styling of the retail floor, the project reflects Fox Building Group’s approach to commercial fit outs: protect the heritage fabric that gives a building its character, then build modern retail function carefully around it. The result is a Hawthorn shop fit out that feels purpose-made rather than inserted into the space.
See more of our completed commercial projects or get in touch to discuss your own retail fit out.