In Profile: Luchetti Krelle

BY jesse

July 15th, 2011

They’ve created unique and intimate spaces across Sydney, including The Argyle and The Cut Bar & Grill in the Rocks and Lo-Fi and Bootleg Bar in the inner east – each with its own distinctive style and ambience.

Rachel Luchetti spoke to Indesignlive about designing for hospitality and the Luchetti Krelle approach.

How would you describe your design aesthetic?

Luchetti Krelle does not have what you’d call a signature style. We pride ourselves on our ability to work within varied eras, genres and design movements. The client’s response to images that we show them will often influence our design direction.

Bootleg

What would you say your signature hospitality project is – one that most encapsulates the Luchetti Krelle philosophy?

Our most well-known and recognised project would probably be Sake Restaurant, however we feel that projects like Kings Vault (the pop up bar we did for Tourism Victoria on a shoe string budget) equally encapsulates our design philosophy. In both of these projects we custom designed most things including some furniture and lighting.

By being clever about material choices and construction methods you can save the client money whilst creating something unique that you won’t see popping up at another restaurant or bar down the road.

How is the changing bar scene in Sydney influencing hospitality design and opportunities for designers?

The bar scene is so hard to keep up with these days. There are so many small bars popping up all over the place and it’s great to see them succeeding for the most part.

There are certainly more opportunities for young designers to get involved but there are also many bar owners doing the design themselves and doing a great job.

Lo-Fi

Do you see any key trends in Australian hospitality design at the moment? Are there future trends that you anticipate will hit our shores soon?

It has become apparent that the spaces that work the best aren’t necessarily the ones that have had the most expensive fit-outs. Warmth, comfort and visual interest wins hands down over modern minimalism these days and open kitchens with the celebrity chef on show have replaced the kitchen out the back.

As far as future trends go we think there will be more high tech gadgets for ordering and the chefs will step off the stage and take the show to your table. Design will need to accommodate this shift in service and the increase in theatrical cooking and presentation methods.