Going Baresque! Celebrating 50 years of design excellence
- Baresque
- Sep 1
- 2 min read
Updated: Nov 20
Fifty years ago, Baresque laid the foundation for what would become the Baresque Group - a story rooted in passion, innovation and a relentless commitment to design excellence.
On 1st September 1975, the name Baresque was born. Transitioning from the bankrupt Fabraloom, Baresque took shapefrom "B" - for the Blaiklock family and Borden, one of the company’s key suppliers at the time - plus a nod to Satinesque, theleading wallpaper range of the era. Unbeknownst to us, the catchphrase “going Beresk!” was already being exclaimed byDorrie Evans, leading lady in the hit TV sitcom Number 96 – a coincidental but fitting malapropism for going berserk or crazy, capturing both the spirit of the business at the time and giving us a head start in brand recognition.
Our journey began by acquiring the assets of a small bankrupt wallpaper importer in Sydney. The early years were hands-on and challenging, marked by slow importing processes and limited communication. Yet, within weeks, co-founders Richard Blaiklock and Gay Bell were travelling the world - from the US to Japan to Scandinavia - seeking out the best products,partners, and possibilities for Australian interiors.
Over five decades, that pioneering spirit evolved and expanded, growing from a single brand into the Baresque Group, aglobal design-driven commercial interior and public space solutions company. Today, the Group’s portfolio spans Baresque Australia, Zintra (acoustic solutions), botton+gardiner (public space furniture and waste solutions), and func. (creatives pace division).
Through every change in technology and design trends, one constant remains: the golden thread of people, partnerships, and passion for transforming spaces.
We invite you to step inside the 50-year story of Baresque - the brand that started it all - and discover the moments that haveshaped our journey.
