The Interior Design for Diesel, was inspired by both the unique, historically-significant building that houses it, and the provocation and sex appeal of its previous tenant ‘Diesel’ clothing. It is an eclectic, surreal, disorienting and glamorous mix.

202 Little Lonsdale St is an eccentric blend of architectural styles that hark back to the industrial and warehousing character of the area in the late 19^th and early 20^th century: A time when the street was a seedier, vice-ridden version of itself, full of opium dens and brothels. The building tells this story, with plenty of original features and all of its bones on show, and we sought to preserve and showcase these elements. Exposed red brick walls with crumbling mortar, large pipes that criss-cross throughout the building and creaky timber rafters are all retained and left exposed and unpolished.   A perfect example of this is the concrete basement that now houses the main bathroom, which maintains its rough bunker appeal, but with a hallucinatory, futuristic twist.

We then mixed these industrial, authentic details with the seductive edginess and humour of the prior tenant, ‘Diesel’.  Elements such as a full size taxidermy African Gazelle that seems to leap above diners heads, and a majestic bespoke, rib like chandelier, designed by Please Please Please, that spans the entire ground floor encapsulate this idiosyncratic union.

Exaggerated glamour is then stirred into the mix with the luxury and opulence of huge slabs of heavily veined marble, brass detailing, and intricate, custom feature lighting.

The Design is a surreal, disorienting, dream-like mixture of decadence, seediness, glamour, industry and provocation, creating a unique dining and drinking experience.