8 Decorating Ideas to Borrow From These Sydney Hospitality Hotspots
Step inside some of Sydney's best dressed bars, cafes and restaurants to garner the coolest decorating ideas for your interiors at home
The hospitality scene is constantly evolving. Lip-smacking good food isn’t enough anymore; customers also expect dining out to also be a feast for the eyes. In a world where taking a picture of your meal and uploading it on Instagram is the norm, restauranteurs – along with bar and cafe owners – employ only the best design professionals to make their interiors just as photogenic as their menus.
Sydney boasts a number of beautifully curated cafes, restaurants and nightlife spaces that those lucky enough to live in the harbour city can visit, and we suggest taking note of their design features for inspiration. Here are some ideas for getting the look of eight of Sydney’s favourite hospitality venues at home.
Sydney boasts a number of beautifully curated cafes, restaurants and nightlife spaces that those lucky enough to live in the harbour city can visit, and we suggest taking note of their design features for inspiration. Here are some ideas for getting the look of eight of Sydney’s favourite hospitality venues at home.
Get the look
Why not borrow the gallery wall idea from the Coogee Pavilion for your own home? Mismatch different sized artwork and frames in a freestyle way to give your home a hint of the venue’s creatively haphazard wall design on the way up to their rooftop bar.
Why not borrow the gallery wall idea from the Coogee Pavilion for your own home? Mismatch different sized artwork and frames in a freestyle way to give your home a hint of the venue’s creatively haphazard wall design on the way up to their rooftop bar.
2. Speakeasy chic: Palmer & Co.
Another Merivale venue that is a hit with the local punters is Palmer & Co. Tucked away down an inner-city alley, in what is essentially an expansive basement, the venue is reminiscent of a prohibition-era speakeasy – complete with mood lighting, rough-hewn walls and lots of timber and leather. Ho and Justin Hemmes collaborated with Sibella Court to make these dark and brooding interiors, perfect for clandestine nights spent clinking glasses.
Take a look inside Court’s home
Another Merivale venue that is a hit with the local punters is Palmer & Co. Tucked away down an inner-city alley, in what is essentially an expansive basement, the venue is reminiscent of a prohibition-era speakeasy – complete with mood lighting, rough-hewn walls and lots of timber and leather. Ho and Justin Hemmes collaborated with Sibella Court to make these dark and brooding interiors, perfect for clandestine nights spent clinking glasses.
Take a look inside Court’s home
Get the look
Living down a dodgy alley in a dark basement may not be everyone’s first preference, but the warm and moody interiors of Palmer & Co could well be. This home uses the idea of mixing worn timbers with exposed brick to create a sense of masculinity and richness.
Living down a dodgy alley in a dark basement may not be everyone’s first preference, but the warm and moody interiors of Palmer & Co could well be. This home uses the idea of mixing worn timbers with exposed brick to create a sense of masculinity and richness.
3. Easy, breezy tropical vibe: The Butler
With breathtaking views, a French-inspired menu and stylish tropical decor, it’s easy to feel like you’ve been swept away to an exotic French colony when you visit The Butler. The interior design by Luchetti Krelle uses neutral palettes with rainforest-inspired wallpaper, coupled with cane and tan leather seating as standout features.
With breathtaking views, a French-inspired menu and stylish tropical decor, it’s easy to feel like you’ve been swept away to an exotic French colony when you visit The Butler. The interior design by Luchetti Krelle uses neutral palettes with rainforest-inspired wallpaper, coupled with cane and tan leather seating as standout features.
Get the look
Taking elements from The Butler, the same laid-back tropical look can be replicated at home. This kid’s bedroom is decorated with similar leafy wallpaper, topped off with a comfy cane armchair to evoke a similar exotic feel.
Taking elements from The Butler, the same laid-back tropical look can be replicated at home. This kid’s bedroom is decorated with similar leafy wallpaper, topped off with a comfy cane armchair to evoke a similar exotic feel.
4. Exposed inner workings: Donny’s Bar
Donny’s opened its doors in Manly in 2013 and is a New York-style loft bar with an Asian-inspired menu. The venue has a distinct industrial look, using materials such as copper, exposed brick and fence netting, paired with the warmth of raw materials including original hardwood sleepers and vintage lighting.
This is another design by Krelle, and was shortlisted for the Australian Interior Design Awards 2014 in the Hospitality Design category. Every part of the venue was designed with care, including the bathroom where the warm industrial look is showcased.
Donny’s opened its doors in Manly in 2013 and is a New York-style loft bar with an Asian-inspired menu. The venue has a distinct industrial look, using materials such as copper, exposed brick and fence netting, paired with the warmth of raw materials including original hardwood sleepers and vintage lighting.
This is another design by Krelle, and was shortlisted for the Australian Interior Design Awards 2014 in the Hospitality Design category. Every part of the venue was designed with care, including the bathroom where the warm industrial look is showcased.
Get the look
Key features of this bathroom design to take away are the exposed piping, subway tiles and makeshift-style basin. Definitely a different direction to the popular sleek contemporary bathroom design!
Key features of this bathroom design to take away are the exposed piping, subway tiles and makeshift-style basin. Definitely a different direction to the popular sleek contemporary bathroom design!
5. Pared-back glam: Cho Cho San
This Japanese restaurant design by George Livissianis aims to replicate the feeling of an izakaya (Japanese gastropub) and uses contemporary Japanese minimalist architecture. The ceiling is backlit to give a natural glow, and the combination of blonde timber, white-painted brick and gold accents make the space feel clean and simple. Livissianis’ work here hasn’t gone unnoticed either; he and his team won the 2015 Australian Interior Design Award in the Hospitality Design category.
This Japanese restaurant design by George Livissianis aims to replicate the feeling of an izakaya (Japanese gastropub) and uses contemporary Japanese minimalist architecture. The ceiling is backlit to give a natural glow, and the combination of blonde timber, white-painted brick and gold accents make the space feel clean and simple. Livissianis’ work here hasn’t gone unnoticed either; he and his team won the 2015 Australian Interior Design Award in the Hospitality Design category.
Get the look
For a contemporary Japanese-style decor like Cho Cho San, borrow the idea of combining timber, white and gold. This scheme works particularly well in the kitchen, as pictured above.
For a contemporary Japanese-style decor like Cho Cho San, borrow the idea of combining timber, white and gold. This scheme works particularly well in the kitchen, as pictured above.
6. Beachside brights: Watson’s Bay Boutique Hotel
Located on the beautiful waterfront of Watson’s Bay, this restaurant-bar plays host to Sydney-siders wanting to soak up the view. The interiors were designed by Alexander & Co and play with the beach theme. The striking mint-coloured bar, shelves decked out with pineapples, and beachside finds – such as the lifesaver ring and driftwood – highlight the venue’s prime location.
Located on the beautiful waterfront of Watson’s Bay, this restaurant-bar plays host to Sydney-siders wanting to soak up the view. The interiors were designed by Alexander & Co and play with the beach theme. The striking mint-coloured bar, shelves decked out with pineapples, and beachside finds – such as the lifesaver ring and driftwood – highlight the venue’s prime location.
Get the look
If you’re translating this look to the home, it’s best suited to a waterside property. This home uses a more subtle mint paint colour by Dulux for the exterior, coupled with beach decor – including colourful buoys, a surfboard and a striped deck chair.
If you’re translating this look to the home, it’s best suited to a waterside property. This home uses a more subtle mint paint colour by Dulux for the exterior, coupled with beach decor – including colourful buoys, a surfboard and a striped deck chair.
7. Overgrown in the garden: The Potting Shed at The Grounds of Alexandria
Having a meal at The Potting Shed is reminiscent of sitting in a little greenhouse with a multitude of hanging plants, terracotta pots and creeper vines at every corner. Acme & Co’s Caroline Choker designed this welcoming space, along with the rest of The Grounds, and was shortlisted for the Eat Drink Design Awards in 2014 for best restaurant interiors.
Having a meal at The Potting Shed is reminiscent of sitting in a little greenhouse with a multitude of hanging plants, terracotta pots and creeper vines at every corner. Acme & Co’s Caroline Choker designed this welcoming space, along with the rest of The Grounds, and was shortlisted for the Eat Drink Design Awards in 2014 for best restaurant interiors.
Get the look
We don’t all have the time to tend to the number of plants that The Potting Shed is populated with, but there’s no reason why we can’t decorate our own homes with a similar green outlook. This living room layout has used green wall paint along with an emerald-coloured armchair, and has filled the contemporary shelving with a variety of pot plants. Larger house plants add even more lush greenery to the space.
We don’t all have the time to tend to the number of plants that The Potting Shed is populated with, but there’s no reason why we can’t decorate our own homes with a similar green outlook. This living room layout has used green wall paint along with an emerald-coloured armchair, and has filled the contemporary shelving with a variety of pot plants. Larger house plants add even more lush greenery to the space.
8. Warehouse dining: Devon on Danks
This Waterloo cafe is the second venue from the masterminds behind Devon Cafe. Its fine-dining approach to casual cafe food is what sets it apart. The design by Matt Woods is contemporary and inviting, in a large, high-ceilinged venue that has a cool warehouse feel.
Photo by Georgina Egan
This Waterloo cafe is the second venue from the masterminds behind Devon Cafe. Its fine-dining approach to casual cafe food is what sets it apart. The design by Matt Woods is contemporary and inviting, in a large, high-ceilinged venue that has a cool warehouse feel.
Photo by Georgina Egan
Get the look
The black, white and timber colour palette works nicely in this open-plan kitchen and dining room. Exposed pendant lights give the space the same industrial warehouse look as Devon on Danks, while different seating options – as seen in the cafe – offer a variety of formal and informal dining spaces.
TELL US
What is your favourite hospitality interior in Australia? Let us know in the Comments section.
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The black, white and timber colour palette works nicely in this open-plan kitchen and dining room. Exposed pendant lights give the space the same industrial warehouse look as Devon on Danks, while different seating options – as seen in the cafe – offer a variety of formal and informal dining spaces.
TELL US
What is your favourite hospitality interior in Australia? Let us know in the Comments section.
MORE
Cafe-Style Kitchens: How to Groove to the Bistro Beat
Houzz Tour: Local Cafe Culture Inspires Melbourne Reno
16 Tough-Talking Tips to Take From Pro Kitchens
The Coogee Pavilion was completed in 2014 and is a multi-faceted space with a large menu selection, a bowling alley and secluded lounge areas. The upstairs area, meanwhile, is reserved for cocktails on the rooftop bar. A collaboration between Justin and Bettina Hemmes, Amanda Talbot and Kelvin Ho, this venue features clever design that is all about the experience, thanks to this creative team.