A moodier welcome to Elizabeth Street.
Midori Japanese Kitchen had been a North Hobart fixture for years, but the existing fitout no longer reflected the quality of what was coming out of the kitchen. The owners wanted something moodier, warmer and more distinctly Japanese - a space where 30 patrons could sit back, relax and enjoy a glass of wine, whether dropping in from the walkway during the day or settling in for dinner.
Our interior design stripped back the existing fitout to reveal the heritage bones of the 1903 Palfreyman Building. Non-original joinery, internal windows and fittings were removed, and the original shopfront facade was restored - paint stripped back to bare timber and finished in clear polyurethane. A new operable frameless sliding window in the front facade opens the restaurant to the street during the day, connecting the dining room to the life of one of Hobart's busiest strips.
Dark green and a warm glow.
The material palette sets the mood. Dark timbers, velvet fabric, upholstered seating and deep green tones create an intimate, layered interior that feels distinctly Japanese without being literal. Bench seats line the walls, timber tables are paired with stone tops, and glass lanterns cast a warm, inviting glow across the room. New wall linings in timber replace the previous white panels, and a carefully selected wallpaper adds texture and depth to the rear wall.
The new fitout is lightweight and reversible - nothing we introduced damages the heritage fabric of the building, and everything could be removed by a future tenant without a trace. But for now, it belongs entirely to Midori.
