As big fans of exquisite hand-lettering and vintage-inspired typography, we were instantly smitten with the photos of the Melbourne-based studio of traditional sign painter Antonio ‘Tj’ Guzzardi.

The images were taken by Tatanja Ross for her Tête-à-tête series, which she started as part of a publication project at university and since then it took on a life of its own. The general idea of the book was to create a catalogue of creative spaces around Melbourne and give an insight into the lives of their owners through the aesthetics of their spaces.

The name Tête-à-tête came from the idea that Tatanja was visually creating a private conversation between these people and the space they surrounded themselves by, as well as a small conversation with her as she got to meet them and photograph their areas. She visited homes and studios, with a range of participants from students to freelance artists and small working studios.

Don’t forget to check Tj’s blog and Instagram to see some more of his amazing work and keep up to date with his projects.