Project Team

Design: Rothelowman
Furniture: BCI Furniture

Photographer: Rhiannon Slatter

The edginess of St Kilda was the inspiration for Phamish, a new restaurant, bar and café on The Esplanade. With interiors designed by leading architecture and interiors firm, Rothelowman, an unbeatable location opposite Luna Park and the Palais Theatre and just a stone’s throw from the beach, Phamish promises to be the restaurant of choice for locals and visitors alike.

The interiors team was determined to capture the best of the St Kilda experience. The eclecticism and dynamism of the popular precinct is brought to life through the clever arrangement of materials and textures and the deliberate decision to concentrate on particular aspects of an edgy suburb.

Rothelowman interior designer, Roberta Tessarolo explained that their vision for the venue not only capitalises on the ‘unique St Kilda experience’ but aims to ‘breathe life’ into one of the few remaining quieter pockets of the otherwise thriving St Kilda hamlet.

“Phamish enjoys an enviable location opposite two St Kilda icons,” said Tessarolo. “While the front of the restaurant has a very narrow aperture to the street, we were determined to design an all inclusive space with the potential to engage everyone; from punters at The
Palais Theatre, families going to Luna Park and pedestrians walking by, to commuters on trams driving past the front of the restaurant.

“This called for a flexible design that catered for the middle ground, accommodating large groups, people stopping by for a quick coffee, couples dining in, the weekend brunch crowd and those who just want to be bar flies,” Tessarolo added.

This was achieved by referencing the best St Kilda has to offer. A raw look was achieved through the use of polished concrete floors, exposing structural features, juxtaposing raw materials against delicate white stone and specifying fashionable, drop pendant lights. The distinctive graphic for the floors was originally inspired by resilient plants that break their way free between the cracks of St Kilda’s footpaths.
Tessarolo explained that the design deliberately draws the eye level in from the street and keeps the attention low through the use of ambient lighting, a mixture of bright furniture and furnishings and of course, the pattern on the floor.

The solid European Beech ‘Mocha’ chairs were supplied by BCI Furniture who after importing and assembling them, then colour-matched them in their in-house polishing facility.

A white, wood fired pizza oven can be seen from The Esplanade outside, while a private dining area with copper mesh curtains for walls, red chairs, redgum fire wood along one side and a distinctive red chandelier, enjoys privacy at the rear of the restaurant.