When Three Pound Group approached State of Kin to develop a new section of their iconic Perth venue The Stables, the studio jumped on the opportunity to work on the heritage location.

The client’s goal was to add an intimate streetfront section to the bar and eatery that referenced the existing bar and the building’s historic character, while also bringing its own unique identity. In order to do this, State of Kin “highlighted and rejoiced in the bones of the building, but injected the space with a distinctly contemporary refinement”.

Established in 2013, the name of The Stables pays homage to the bar’s location in an original 1894 horse stable. To honour the historic location, State of Kin referenced original photos of the facade to inspire openable front windows. This modern interpretation of the building’s historic aesthetic increases light and air flow, while minimal clean lines, rich colours, a tonal terrazzo floor and sculptural forms such as the unique bar shape contribute to the contemporary aspect.

“The heritage building is incredibly beautiful and we tried to ensure it was celebrated with this new evolution within its envelope,” says the studio.

Made up of two levels, the street level is bright and bustling, while the basement “offers an intimate sanctuary from the bustling street above,” according to State of Kin.

Upstairs, benches embellished with maroon tiles allow alfresco-style seating along the windows. A cylindrical light by Santa & Cole emulates the curve of the bar it hangs horizontally above. In the basement, a more intimate and intriguing space is created through darker colours and a split floor of terrazzo and dark wood. Angled table lamps by Marset bring a playful touch to the otherwise elegant aesthetic throughout.

State of Kin directors Ara Salomone and Alessandra French are taking Perth by storm at the moment with their desire to enhance the western city’s flourishing design community, and this project proved no different. “Reinvigorating the streetscape of the western end of Hay Street in the CBD with the creation of an intriguing, responsive frontage to this space is a contribution to the ongoing elevation of the built form in the surrounding urban fabric,” says the studio.

Salomone and French were recently nominated in The Prodigy category at the INDE.Awards due to their embrace of striking colour, expressive forms and unexpected materials, as well as their championing of women in the design industry. The studio was also shortlisted in The Wellness Space category for Bodyscape Yoga Studio, a contemporary repurposing of an historic post office.

Because of State of Kin’s success with The Stables, the same client recently approached the team to design his personal Perth home, a project that is currently underway.

State of Kin
stateofkin.com.au

Photography
Jack Lovel