;)
Client: Tara Asian Fusion
Project Type: Full Restaurant
Status: Completed(2024)
Location: Sanctuary Cove, QLD
Builder: Open Projects Group
Photographer: Studio Blackardt
Brief
Tara Asian Fusion offers a modern dining experience that balances sophistication with warmth, providing guests with a sense of quiet luxury. The space is designed to feel both inviting and exclusive, with a focus on comfort, ambience, and visual appeal. Key features include suspended ceiling elements with warm, layered lighting, intimate window lounges with cushioned seating and sheer curtains, and a Corian bar with an internal glow serving as the focal point of the restaurant. Green tones in finishes and materials are used to add depth and subtle vibrancy, reinforcing a contemporary and cohesive aesthetic.
Design Intent
The design of Tara Asian Fusion was created to elevate the dining experience through a sophisticated and contemporary Asian fusion aesthetic. It balances style and functionality, using a cohesive palette of warm tones, textured finishes, and metallic accents to create a sense of quiet luxury. Intimate seating, soft lighting, and sheer curtains enhance comfort and privacy, while key features such as the glowing Corian bar and feature walls act as visual focal points. Durable, high-quality materials ensure longevity and ease of maintenance, resulting in a welcoming, elegant, and memorable restaurant environment.
Project Background & Objectives
To create a modern, sophisticated dining environment that combines quiet luxury with comfort, intimacy, and visual appeal, elevating the guest experience while reflecting the restaurant’s contemporary Asian fusion identity through finishes, colour, and materiality.
Design Intent Studio provided full documentation across all stages, from initial design brief through to final construction drawings.
Scope of Works
- Interior design and spatial planning of the dining area, including seating layouts and circulation.
- Design and detailing of key architectural elements: suspended ceilings, feature bar, window lounges, and lighting schemes.
- Selection of materials, finishes, and furnishings that support a luxurious yet contemporary atmosphere.
- Integration of greenery and biophilic elements to enhance visual interest and comfort.
- Coordination with contractors and suppliers to ensure design intent is executed accurately.
- Preparation of documentation suitable for construction and fit-out, including detailed plans, elevations, and 3D visuals.
Design Approach
The design approach for Tara Asian Fusion centers on creating a sophisticated and elegant dining environment. The spatial layout prioritizes intimacy and flow, using window lounges and soft furnishings to encourage relaxed, private dining experiences. The led lit Corian bar, serves as a visual anchor and elevated sace. Green tones in finishes and materials are strategically applied to provide richness and depth, complementing the warm lighting and elegant textures throughout the restaurant.
Key Design Features & Material Strategy
Shelving and Detailing
Product: Copper, Polished
Highlights architectural details and adds subtle metallic warmth, reinforcing the restaurant’s sense of quiet luxury.
Product: Bronze Mirror Acrylic
Adds reflective warmth and depth, amplifying light and creating a sense of space without overpowering the interior
Cocktail Bar
Product: Corian Solid Surface, Sandstorm
Forms the seamless, glowing bar and joinery surfaces, acting as a sleek, tactile centerpiece in the dining environment.
Joinery Cupboards
Product: Polytec, Malt, Matt Finish
Serves as the soft, neutral backdrop for joinery and cabinetry, allowing feature elements to stand out.
Product: Laminex, Copper Brush, Metallics
Applied on select surfaces to create reflective highlights and textural contrast, adding depth and richness to the design.
Feature Sheer Curtains
Product: Curtains
The sheer curtains gently diffuse natural light and soften the space, creating an intimate and elegant dining atmosphere.
Green Feature Tones
Product: Dulux Paints,Ocean Wave
Adds a serene, muted tone to ceilings, enhancing the layered warmth of the interior palette.
Product: Beaumont Tiles, Fire Fingers, Sage Gloss Mosaic
Introduces pattern, texture, and subtle colour variation to feature areas, enhancing visual interest and sophistication.
Product: Upholstery- Instyle Fabrics, Mezzo, New Wave
Offers comfortable, durable seating with contemporary patterning, reinforcing the restaurant’s premium and inviting atmosphere.
Paint Finish
Product: Porters Paints – Irish Linen, Limewash Finish
Provides soft, textured walls that create intimacy and a tactile sense of warmth throughout the dining area.
Lighting
Product: Mica Lighting, Terra LED Glass pendant
An organic shaped glass pendant for an elegant feature in the space
Challenges & Solutions
The Tara Asian Fusion design faced the challenge of balancing a sense of quiet luxury with the durability required for a busy restaurant, while creating intimate dining areas within an open plan. Achieving warm, layered lighting, integrating standout features like the glowing Corian bar and metallic accents, and harmonising green tones with neutral finishes were key considerations. Additionally, careful attention to acoustics, circulation, and precise execution of bespoke elements ensured the space is both visually striking and functional for daily operations.
Additional Notes
Design documentation included full drawing sets, FF&E schedules, and coordination with consultants as defined in the agreed scope. Intellectual property retained by Design Intent Studio.
