Upstairs at the Cusack Centre in Kingston has been given a breath of fresh air thanks to three creative ventures moving in.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The level, which used to house the Cusacks furniture store, has been predominantly empty for almost a decade.
David Traylen and Chris Lloyd opened the CARDIF Collective in December 2015, a not-for-profit space to give support to local fashion designers, including studios, equipment and a retail store.
Kate Ticehurst also moved her Latin and Brazilian dance company Subsdance into the centre about six months ago from Civic.
"Our clientele were extremely happy to come to Kingston and not have to battle Civic traffic or car parking, so it's actually been really good for them and they love having their own space and windows that look out onto the street," Ticehurst said.
"I think Kingston is quite really started to come to life since we moved in here – it's sort of waking up a little bit."
The floor will be full on Monday when new hairdressing salon A Flick of Hares moves in.
Owners Craig and Melanie Rhodes are opening the salon and creative space, which will also house areas for training and space for a fashion shows and photo shoots.
The duo, who previously owned Smitten Hairdressing in Tuggeranong, decided to move their business and liked the vibe of Kingston.
"We sense there's a really cool vibe in old Kingston, like it's getting away from new Kingston. There's something that's changing and coming back here," Craig said.
"We feel the vibe of old Kingston is much more suited to the direction that we're taking."
The new salon features individual "suites" for each customer plus collaborative spaces and is completely adaptable with moveable partitions and the ability to transform the space for events.
The three businesses are already collaborating on projects, and are hoping to create a creative hub in Kingston – even suggesting it could be the new Braddon.
"People love Kingston, it's always been a really nice place to head out to on the weekends – so I think being in here and bringing some life back will bring people back as well," said Ticehurst.
