Featuring a number of bespoke details, this new modern Mexican restaurant in Sydney’s Freshwater was designed by local interior design studio Five Foot One.
Called St Alma in reference to its ‘big sister’ restaurant Alma in nearby Avalon, the restaurant has a large open dining room with banquette seating on one side and booths on the other, a gorgeous burgundy bar and a semi-enclosed kitchen with open windows.
One bespoke feature of the design hangs overhead in front of the bar, an installation that was made by hand out of a number of different layers of rough-edged cloth. Inspired by the original interiors, which were revealed during the demolition to include a high ceiling running through the centre of the restaurant, the hanging fabric feature was designed to “hang within this void, naturally moving with the ocean breeze,” says Five Foot One’s Kat Thompson.
Another bespoke design in the space is a wall piece in cream above the banquette seating that includes a number of different molded shapes. The four-metre long geometric sculptural piece was designed by Sam Leary, mother of St Alma co-owner Jack Leary, in consultation with the interior design team.
Other eye-catching features include a curved shelving feature in burgundy behind the bar and a stylish waiter’s station in green and mustard. These elements add talking points to a fresh interior with a bold burgundy theme.
“We channelled a fresh and light base palette as a response to the coastal setting and inserted vibrant colour blocking at key focal areas,” says Thompson. “For example, striking burgundy has been used to highlight the front entrance and bar area as a way to draw guests in.”
For co-owners, Jack Leary and Tim Christensen, the interiors suit the minimal Mexican modern cuisine and the location on the Northern Beaches. Leary said: “I’d sum it up as fresh and chic yet casual and soulful with an edgy twist.”
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