St Helens is one of the latest restaurant and bar hotspots to hit Kirra beach and is the brainchild of Head Chef Jess Hayes. Jess is from the Pacific Northwest region of the US and the name comes from the famous Mount St Helens volcano of the area.
When Jess came to me they had already done a soft opening with the main focus being on the food with a fairly simple interior. The location was begging to have the addition of a cocktail bar and more of an outdoor presence so the interior space could draw people in.
As this was round two of a fit-out the budget was tight which is where my experience comes into play, and I was certainly up for the challenge. The key was to add as much warmth and texture to help create an inviting space.
We chose a warm textured tile that was a cross between terracotta and brick. The existing dark paint colour Resene Diesel was used to re-paint the walls surrounding the kitchen and Jess arranged for a custom wall mural to be painted by local artist Mike Ambrose.
The new overhead bar rack helped to make the bar the showpiece and lends itself for the addition of further accessories and layering down the track.
We added faux hanging plants in textured pots and baskets as a simple and effective layering solution throughout. The external black timber planters have pots of onion grass, again, adding another layer of texture but not trying to compete with the fabulous surroundings.
New cushions with warmth and texture were added to the existing banquette seating along with accessories for the tables and bar area.
Whilst the budget didn’t allow for a complete furniture swap we did manage to change the high bar stools to a textured woven style for a feature and contrast at the bar area.
Please reach out and say hi, we’d love to hear more about your project
