With fast-casual dining on the rise and fine dining establishments undergoing a casual conversion, restaurateur Scott Pickett took a notable risk, enlisting Ilija Karlusic of HBA Melbourne to design Estelle by Scott Pickett (ESP)—a high-end degustation restaurant in Melbourne. The 52-seat eatery was converted from a 100-year-old building as a thematic extension of the neighboring Estelle Bistro, also helmed by Pickett.



Wanting to create a space that was less about the design and more about enjoying the food, “we conceived a darkly dramatic and moody atmosphere that would act as a backdrop to the experience,” Karlusic says. “The interior is relatively tone-on-tone; dark but not jarringly so.”

For example, one wall—with storage for wine bottles and glasses in box-like displays that were burnished to a high gloss—is clad in smoked gray paneling concealing structural kick outs, while an opposite wall is lined in mid-tone concrete to lend texture and “set a tone that contrasts with the beautiful colors of the food,” says Karlusic. 



ESP’s focal point, however, is a centered show kitchen (whose installation required the removal of several existing walls and beams) toward the back that features an overhead flue finished in mirrored black metal and glossy black wall tiles, which contrasts an array of high-end copper pots along the back shelf. “Just like a chef would finish off a great dish with special garnish, we finished the space with a black high gloss reflective metal,” says Karlusic, “but only in certain areas to not bring attention to the actual material.” 



Karlusic placed bar seating and polished concrete flooring around the show kitchen’s perimeter. While an adjacent carpeted area features round chocolate-colored oak tables, a series of banquettes sit atop dark timber floors.



“The three zones are distinctively enhanced through materials that reflect the type of experience found in those locations,” says Karlusic, explaining that the relatively dark elements  “pull the different areas together without distracting from the restaurant.”



During the renovation, original wood joists—complemented by suspended, minimalist light fixtures for a soft glow—were uncovered, stained black, and restored as a subtle reference to the building’s heritage. “I like exposing and retaining history where applicable,” Karlusic says.