INTERIOR: LAVADA

Calm And Nurtured

That's what patients feel like once they've visited Lavada, the new wellness destination in Hobart.

We didn’t need yet another reason to visit beautiful Tassie, but Hobart has a new spa destination for locals and tourists alike, and it’s called Lavada. The wellness space offers more than just facials, combining medical aesthetics, spa treatments and dermal therapies tucked away in a quiet courtyard close to the harbour.

“Our building was formerly an art gallery and is heritage listed,” explains Lavada owner and visionary Natasha Wolf, who began designing her dream spa space three years ago. “I didn’t end up working with an interior designer as I pretty much knew exactly what I wanted. However, my vision was brought to life through collaboration between myself and an amazing Tasmanian architect Kate Symons (@studioilk) and Australia’s best spa consultant Naomi Gregory (@spasessionsconsulting). The work of these wonderful women was crucial to the success of the project.”

As with most builds, this one didn’t come without its challenges. Natasha was left without a stone for her reception desk when the Travertine slab she chose broke during installation.

“It was three days before Christmas and there was no travertine left in Tasmania,” she tells us. “I was frantic to say the least. We were faced with having to open Lavada with a piece of plywood as the reception counter! BUT, true to my determined nature I ended up in the stonemason’s yard early in the morning in the pouring rain and mud, rummaging through huge slabs of stone.

We finally found a replacement marble fittingly called ‘The Taj’. It just felt so fateful as my husband and I used to jokingly say the building of Lavada felt like we were building the Taj Mahal.” There were more challenges with long delays getting supplies to Tasmania and many tradesman repeatedly unable to work due to COVID, but a lot of flexibility and rethinking of plans meant the opening in early January 2023 could go ahead. “I had to learn to let go of some elements of the design and focus on the bigger picture and getting the project completed,” says Natasha.

Walking into Lavada now, you wouldn’t notice anything had ever gone wrong. The look of the space is crucial to Natasha’s business success, she says. “I feel the look affects the energy of the space. My vision was to create a space that promotes calm and allows people to feel nurtured, and replenished when they leave. The space also affects the service our team is able to provide to our guests so it needed to be beautiful and functional. One of our highest values as a business is providing impeccable service to our guests, so the design is everything.”

Natasha Wolf

Her advice for others in the industry wanting to open their own spas or clinics? Be brave. “Don’t give up on your vision, trust that if you’re brave enough to keep on moving forward you will get to where you want to be. I would also say to expect cost blow-outs with the building industry, do your homework, ensure you can accommodate the blowouts financially as it can be a true strain.” But in the end, it was all worth it. “We are so proud of what we have achieved and we’re excited to share Lavada with our local community and visitors to our beautiful state.”

Facts & Figures

Name: LAVADA

Owner: NATASHA WOLF

Location: HOBART, TAS

Size: 250m 2

Treatment Rooms: 6 + IV/LED lounge

Staff: 10

Interior Inspiration: SUBTERRANEAN, CALMING, GRAND