St. Alma, Freshwater’s newest Mexican restaurant, opened in January 2022. Designed by Five Foot One, the interiors are a reflection of Co-Owners Jack Leary and Tim Christensen’s journey up to now.

The sister store to Alma on Avalon Beach, St. Alma captures the eye with its large burgundy doors at the entrance and a two metre display fridge which holds a vast array of fresh seafood. It was important Five Foot One’s design conveyed the perfect blend of minimal Mexican modernism inside the 100-cap venue while complementing their authentic cuisine and prime location.

“It’s uniquely St. Alma - I’d sum it up as fresh and chic yet casual and soulful with an edgy twist. You could say we love to juxtapose a fun and engaging service style with a sophisticated dining experience and fitout,” says Owner Jack Leary.

Five Foot One Director, Kat Thompson, says the entire process was organic, evolving from the initial demolition which uncovered some interesting and solid architecture from the original bank site.

“A number of original features were subsequently retained - exposed burgundy roof trusses along with rough sawn timber beams, even the original safe of the bank was incorporated and restyled into the new structure,” she says.

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“We discovered a wonderful ceiling with tremendous height running through the centre of the restaurant - we had to make the most of this! Now a woven fabric ceiling feature hangs within this void naturally moving with the ocean breeze.”

Thompson says the fresh tonal palette was inspired by the restaurant’s immediate locale.

“We channelled a fresh and light base palette as a response to the coastal setting and inserted vibrant colour blocking at key focal areas. For example, striking burgundy has been used to highlight the front entrance and bar area as a way to draw guests in. We offset the boldness of burgundy with soft earthy tones of terracotta, green and mustard accents elsewhere in the restaurant,” she says.

The display shelving of the curved bar area underlines Five Foot One’s attention to detail. It features a four-metre long geometric textured sculptural piece that sits in the centre of the restaurant. Beachy timbers and woven materials feature amongst the furniture installations.

The combination of different seating options was crucial to the restaurant’s operation. “We wanted diners to be able to have a more intimate dining experience with stools at the bar and kitchen,” says Leary.

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Images: Supplied

Jarrod Reedie

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