Need a dose of virtual travel? Us too. Join us for a look at Bentwood in Fitzroy, Victoria: Today it’s a restaurant serving up spins on “Australian cafe classics,” but in a former life the space housed the Thonet furniture showroom. Though it’s been redone in brick red by the firm Ritz & Ghougassian, Thonet chairs, of course, still take center stage.
Here’s a glimpse:
Above: “Bentwood features a vast brick stucco facade and near floor-to-ceiling windows, occupying a large corner site on Fitzroy’s leafy Napier Street,” according to the establishment. They’ve let the exterior retain its well-worn appeal. Above: The space once housed a Thonet showroom—hence the Bentwood name. “Little brass plates remain in the brickwork floor referring to different chair models, such as Le Corbusier and Bresso,” according to the restaurant. (You can catch a glimpse of the brass plates here.) Above: Ritz & Ghougassian redid the interiors in a tone-on-tone palette of rust, brick, and leather. Of course, there are bentwood chairs and stools, too.
Above: “Look up,” the restaurant’s site reads. “You’ll see a tessellating pattern of red-steel squares filled with a subtle amber glow.” Note also the punched-out cabinet doors which lift up to real serveware.
