Theatrical curtains drape around Dame bar by Bergman & Co

A “rather fabulous” fictitious muse influenced the design of this richly decorated bar and restaurant in Melbourne by local interiors studio Bergman & Co.

Dame recently opened in the IM Pei-designed Collins Place, a mixed-use complex in the East End of the city.

The concrete development was completed in 1981, so Bergman & Co looked to this decade for inspiration when devising a concept for the bar’s interior.

“The narrative of Dame is centred around a fictitious 1980s muse; a powerful, well connected and rather fabulous woman,” said the team, led by director Wendy Bergman.

The fictional character’s power and femininity are reflected in elements like the curved bar counter, made from blush-toned marble.

Her portrait, painted by local Melbourne artist Stacey Rees, hangs behind the bar to tie the concept together.

Pale pink curtains divide the space from the building lobby and are draped dramatically to create an entryway.

Diners are presented with multiple seating options around the restaurant’s glazed periphery.

Communal tables feature dark wooden tops and glass block supports, nodding to the gridded architecture of the setting.

Above, pendant lights created in collaboration with Melbourne design studio Please Please Please are delicately suspended like pieces of jewellery.

Banquette seating wrapped in dark textured fabric creates cosy booths, while more casual round tables are paired with wicker-backed chairs.

“A sumptuous banquette setting finished in rich, earthen tones creates a subtle sense of nostalgia, warming the building’s otherwise restrained palette of architectural finishes,” said Bergman & Co.

“Quilted upholstery and 1980s-inspired furniture complete the aesthetic tableau, offering an elevated, all-day dining space,” the studio added.

Glossy red table lamps and pendants are also scattered through the space, uniting a palette that feels rich and warm against the building’s grey terrazzo flooring.

Pink marble is similarly used at Melbourne’s Pentolina restaurant, designed by Biasol.

Other dining and drinking establishments with notable interiors around Australia’s second-largest city include Studio Esteta’s Via Porta and Three Blue Ducks by Pattern.

The photography is by Eve Wilson.

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