Old bones, new ceiling

The bones of the Nott's Taproom were too good to lose, so we retained its original fireplace and the retro-chic terrazzo marble at the bar, while introducing a dramatic skylight to improve the lighting throughout the bistro. Our approach to hospitality interior design is always one of restraint, opting to restore and renew before we think about new additions. 

A vintage cinema-inspired menu box and chequerboard tables dial up the nostalgia even more, and the result is a classic pub renovation that respects its own history rather than overwriting it.

Designing for the people

The Front Bar & Pool Room got the same treatment, just with a few more opinions to consider. We carefully restored these popular spaces after some intensive consultation (and more than a couple of beers) with the Nott’s regulars, the people who know this pub better than any interior designer ever could. 

We injected some new vigour via cork panelling and luscious green velvet flooring (a little nod to footy fields and cricket pitches), without straying too far from its past – a fine line to walk when renovating a heritage hospitality venue.

A pub that still feels like one

There’s certainly trends in pub interior design worth paying attention to, but our renovation of The Nott succeeds because it’s not trying to be any other pub.

Every material decision was made in service of the building’s original character and patrons: we aimed to keep what people love, fix what's broken, and let the regulars recognise their own local when they walk back in. We believe heritage pub design is at its most effective when you let the site speak.

Something for everyone

This is a venue that attracts a mixed crowd: there’s students sharing a bev after class, families enjoying a mid-week dinner and some punters almost as old as the pub itself. 

Designing a place with broad appeal is always a challenge, so we treated the multi-stage renovation as an assemblage of distinct but connected spaces, each with their own customer in mind. The restaurant and hospitality fitout of the Taproom feels warm and approachable, while the Front Bar & Pool Room lend themselves to rowdy nights out.

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