Working with Adriano Zumbo on his new project – a high tea cocktail lounge, bakery and café – was the chance for us to let our imagination go wild, with the only stipulation that the response had to include his signature pink. Fancy Nance is named after Adriano’s Mum, a perennially glamorous woman who loves dressing up and opulent décor.
Our design concept follows the story of Nancy the fancy flamingo – all spaces work to a consistent geometry that reference the distinctive form and proportions of a flamingo’s body and the patterns of their feathers. Just like these elegant creatures, what’s happening above and below is important. From overhead shelving and custom-made teacup lights by artist Suzie Stanford, to the plush blue velvet banquette seating below, the form and colour stimulate the senses. Metallic and reflective cladding to the existing bar front recall Nancy’s love of shiny things – accents of mirror and brass can be found throughout the space.
For the spatial layout, we created a ‘kit of parts’ that would demarcate the different programmatic functions and give intimacy to the expansive, unembellished space. Housed in the former Mama Baba restaurant tenancy, the industrial feel of the site presented many design challenges given the ‘Fancy Nance’ design concept. Given the budget constraints we embraced Adriano’s desire for more is more. We chose to focus the dollars on the new ‘kit of parts’ ultimately creating a layering effect by contrasting the site’s existing raw shapes and textures with the new soft paint finishes and lush banquette.
The equipment required for the gelati and bakery operation, impacted the planning. We created separate entrances for the ‘day-time’ café and the ‘evening’ high-tea and cocktail lounge. A large graffiti-covered wall, a collaboration with artist Dan Wenn, helps physically divide the areas.
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