A bright Sydney restaurant inspired by the sea

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A new restaurant on Sydney’s Northern Beaches is inspired by its surf and seaside community while avoiding the cliches of coastal design and dining.

The brief for Fish Face was not an easy one. Referencing the location is a must; the beach and the salt and sand all need to be a part of the design language and point to the excellent seafood and produce coming from the kitchen, but the cliches and traps of coastal design were to be avoided at all costs – this is not a place for driftwood, seashells, rope or seagulls.

The challenge was taken by Five Foot One Design. With a subtler, gentler touch, the team were able to bring all the elements of the seaside together but in a fresh, new way.

“I envisioned a restaurant that was open, the walls and windows, but also welcoming and friendly. Indoors and outdoors at the same time,” says Fish Face owner, Anna Walker.

“We never like to be too literal in our approach to design,” Kat Thompson from Five Foot One says, “for us it’s about letting the seafood offering inform the colour palette [using] geometric forms and layering to execute a contemporary interior relevant to a modern Australian market.”

Of course, not everything nautical needed to go; a palette of lobster red, ocean blue, sand and crisp white leaves you in no doubt that you’re at the seaside, but in a more considered, sophisticated context. Mosaic tiles in various sizes, colours and finishes perfectly grasp the brief along with savvy graphic design that seals the deal.

Laminex Moroccan Clay and Laminex Bayleaf on table tops, Surround by Laminex Scallop 45 wall panelling, Laminex Moroccan Clay shelving | Design by Five Foot One Design | photography by Ryan Linnegar

Scattered amongst the space are white glass pendant lamps, dropping from the ceiling like buoys ready for mooring: they hint of the harbour, but are less flotsam and jetsam and more tongue-in-cheek quirk. They guide diners to their table or the oyster bar at the end of the main island – each orb spelling out O.Y.S.T.E.R. in bold capitals.

In any commercial space durability is a priority, but the demands of salt, water and seafood, while delivering on colour, represented a new set of challenges. Five Foot One looked to the extensive range of products, finishes and features from Laminex to achieve both the aesthetic and durability considerations of the project.

Laminex Moroccan Clay, Laminex Aged Ash and Laminex French Navy on table tops with Surround by Laminex Scallop 45 on walls | Design by Five Foot One Design | Image 1 Photography by Kitti Gould | Image 2 Photography by Ryan Linnegar

“Five Foot One showed us the profiles of Surround by Laminex and Scallop 45 was meant to be. It perfectly represented the sea and the calm of the ocean to us, but its suitability for hospitality made as much sense,” says Walker of the balance Surround by Laminex strikes between design and practicality.

Keeping the strong palette on message is achieved through consistency and repetition. Laminex AbsoluteMatte in Moroccan Clay on the communal table and selected tops, Laminex Bayleaf on small tables, and Laminex French Navy at the oyster bar were joined by Laminex Aged Ash Chalk, calming the bolder elements of the design. The aptly titled Scallop 45 from Surround by Laminex was used on several walls. Made in Australia for Australian spaces, Surround by Laminex is a sustainable and impact resistant product perfect for commercial and high traffic areas.

“We loved the cost efficiencies the Surround boards offered,” says designer Kat Thompson. “The fact they could be supplied pre-primed and, in a tongue and groove system was great. It allowed us to introduce texture to the walls on a budget!”

Finished in crisp white, they add an intangible comfort that is equal parts nostalgia and contemporary flourish.

Laminex Moroccan Clay and Laminex Bayleaf joinery and tabletops, with Surround by Laminex Scallop 45 on walls | Design by Five Foot One Design | Photography by Ryan Linnegar

"...the profiles of Surround by Laminex and Scallop 45 was meant to be. It perfectly represented the sea and the calm of the ocean to us, but its suitability for hospitality made as much sense."

Anna Walker - Fish Face Owner

Fish Face makes quiet nods to 50s diners and New England style fish shacks, but in ways that are familiar and fresh. Large open facades and oversized serving windows reveal the action within, luring customers with scents and smells, colour and a materiality that reminds us of the fun of the beach and what the summer could hold.