House of Wickham St Studios

If you love all things movement, fun and colour, allow us to do the honours and introduce to you Wickham St Studios — the Newcastle-based pilates and yoga studio renowned for its joy-inducing classes and refreshingly friendly approach to fitness. 

Its founders — Aishling and Sinead Barrett — wanted to create an environment to get people moving and feeling more connected, challenged and alive. Located in a converted warehouse in the city's inner-city suburb of Wickham, the house of Wickham St Studios does exactly that with its use of bold colour, photo-worthy studios and greenery-filled communal spaces.

It's fun, feel-good and energising — everything you want (and nothing you don't) in a fitness studio. Scroll on to take the tour.

 

"We're a refreshingly friendly yoga and pilates studio in Wickham! We have fun. We don't take ourselves too seriously. Our goal is to get people moving and feeling more connected, challenged, alive!"

 

 

"It's really evolved in the past few years. It's got great coffee, cute shops and harbour views, but our fave thing about Wickham is the really cool, community vibe."

 

"We've been here just over a year now (hopefully there's many more years to come)."

 

 

"We totally lucked out when we found this space, which was previously an open plan office. It already had the foundations of our dream studio; heaps of natural light, polished concrete floors, white brick walls and lots of space to play with.

 With the help of pretty much everyone we know (seriously!) we built a wall to section off our reformer room, added mirrors and barres, completely repainted the outside of the building and finished it off with heaps of plants, handmade plinths, art and colour. 

It was definitely a team effort and we're forever grateful to everyone who helped us along the way (hi mum and dad!)."

"WE TOTALLY LUCKED OUT WHEN WE FOUND THIS SPACE, WHICH WAS PREVIOUSLY AN OPEN PLAN OFFICE. IT ALREADY HAD THE FOUNDATIONS OF OUR DREAM STUDIO; HEAPS OF NATURAL LIGHT, POLISHED CONCRETE FLOORS, WHITE BRICK WALLS AND LOTS OF SPACE TO PLAY WITH.”

 

 

How would you describe the style and vibe of the space?

 

"Warm and optimistic warehousey vibes."

 

 

"The natural light, for sure. And the fact that it allows us to have tonnes of beautiful plants, despite being really bad plant parents."

"JOY, INCLUSIVITY AND COMMUNITY ARE A HUGE PART OF W.S.S! SO IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT OUR SPACE REFLECTED THAT AND PROVIDED MOMENTS OF CONNECTION AS WELL AS MOVEMENT."

How would you describe the space in three words?

 

"Simultaneously energising and relaxing (who said pilates teachers can't count?!)"

 

Why was creating a beautiful, inviting and joyful space for your clients and members important to you?

 

"Joy, inclusivity and community are a huge part of W.S.S! So it was really important that our space reflected that and provided moments of connection as well as movement."

 

What can people expect when they visit Wickham St Studios?

 

"A really good time! And to be comfortable in our space, challenged by our classes and connected to our community."