Paul Papadopoulos established Sydney-based interior design firm DS17 in 1992 wanting to offer a fresh perspective to the world of design. Twenty-five years on, Paul’s goal and approach still remains, with DS17 serving up some of freshest hospitality spaces for local and international clients. “We have a ‘stop-and-shop’ mentality to design. It’s the same principle as seeing a pair of shoes or a nice dress in a store window. It needs to stop you in your tracks and encourage you to go into the store,” Paul says.

Paul has always had what he describes as, “a love of creating spaces that elevate the mind.” And certainly, the hospitality spaces DS17 creates don’t just elevate the mind, but are designed to heighten the senses. “Design must seduce, shape and more importantly evoke an emotional response,” Paul explains.

Well versed in the ever-changing culinary world, DS17 designs restaurants, bars and cafes for clients that range from individual operators to large-scale international groups, and its services extend from designing interiors, furnishings and lighting to the sound, crockery, cutlery, uniforms, menus and even the brand.

While all the spaces DS17 design are distinctively different, what they do have in common is their modern and eclectic style. Certainly modern and old-world glamour collide at the Greek-inspired Beta Bar in Sydney’s Hellenic Club where raw brickwork and original Victorian arches are exposed while spaces are furnished with sorbet-hued seating, mint-coloured rugs and metallic accents.

At Nour on Crown Street in Surry Hills, light (‘nour’ in Arabic) served as the overarching design concept, and the space has a glass street frontage that floods the restaurant with natural light during the day, and offers a view of the restaurant’s golden glow by night. Paul then looked to the landscapes and architecture of the Middle East for inspiration and used dusty pink tones and earthy and airy shades, which complement the lush greenery seen through the restaurant’s rear glass windows.

The use of rich natural materials also plays an important role in any DS17 design. Bel & Brio, in The Streets of Barangaroo, is a venue inspired by European emporiums with eating, drinking and shopping all in one. With elegant timbers, brass, copper, polished concrete and marble, the sophisticated space will seduce any passer-by.