Too Chi /  Award-winning restaurant and bar interior design project by AZAR, a Sydney-based studio for commercial and hospitality interiors.

Too Chi is an award-winning restaurant and bar interior design project by AZAR, created for a compact and technically challenging semi-basement space with a rare river view.
 

The interior had to work with limited natural light, low windows and a complex existing layout. The original front door was the only element preserved from the previous interior. It was restored and finished with satin polyurethane paint, adding a refined detail inspired by the varnished entrance doors of Parisian houses.
 

Although the restaurant had a beautiful view over the water, the existing windows were narrow and low, almost like castle loopholes. To open the space visually, the window reveals were widened and the tables were moved away from the windows. This decision shaped the circular movement through the restaurant and created a more natural customer flow.
 

The main design challenge was to combine privacy with a sense of openness. AZAR developed the interior around semi-transparent metal mesh partitions, arched openings and decorative wall niches. These elements divide the restaurant into intimate dining areas while keeping the space visually connected and airy.
 

The material palette is calm and restrained, balanced by expressive details and tropical accents. Bog oak tables, polished steel tableware, white marble steps, graphite shale floors, carmine armchairs and hairline stainless steel walls create a layered, tactile interior.
 

Lighting plays a central role in the atmosphere of the restaurant. Warm LED clouds scattered across the dark ink ceiling create a soft, almost cinematic mood, while origami-inspired lamps and illuminated columns with banana palms add sculptural rhythm and quiet drama.
 

The result is a distinctive hospitality interior where privacy, movement, lighting and material contrast work together to create a memorable restaurant and bar experience.