Sibella Court's talent for creating 'rough luxe' interiors layered with exceptional craftsmanship, rustic details and a palpable sense of history plays out in her newest project, Sydney's Hotel Palisade. One of Sydney's oldest harbourside watering holes, it stood empty for several years until its recent reneweal and relaunch as the 'home of the revelry trade'. We asked Sibella about her approach to the project, its history and character.  



Your design harks back to the building’s long and colourful past as a seafarers' haunt. Did you see yourself as a channeler of history for this project?

My starting point for any design project is always the history of the building and/or its surrounds.

Hotel Palisade is seeped in a rich national & local history as our harbour was the hub & soul of the settling of Sydney. It sits proudly on top of the hill, a beacon shining its light.



I approached the building & its 5 floors as one design project with 3 parts. The recent addition of a 5th floor sparked my idea that the design journey would follow the journey of the building, from past to present, with the ground floor bar as the ‘past’ with a nod to the old trades, honest & humble (or not so humble): shipwrights, fishmongers, innkeepers, pedlars, merchants, farriers, chandlers, coopers & sailors.



What elements of the existing fabric did you decide to keep, and why?

Hotel Palisade was bare bones when I started on the project - some lovely simple features including the original picture rails & other timber details remained and I stuck to the original footprint of front bar, parlour & hotel access.

Everything had been painted what I call ‘rental cream’ & the clumsy central bar had had many additions over the years with little consideration.

My main objective was to recall the essence & past echoes of this building, both wicked & respectable.



Did the building hold any surprises for you? Did you uncover any treasure during the process?

In researching the history of the area & the building, many a great story was revealed & added to my design choices & motivations. The building, even with its new addition, has a footprint reminiscent of a lighthouse!



How did you refine the colour palette for the space?

The original internal wall tiles were the starting point for the colour palette; greens that are almost black, olive & vibrant greens - the moods of the harbour that it overlooks. The harbour was a natural reference point as it was the heart of this area, & supplied the community with work as well as a staple diet of seafood



The layers of detail are a testament to your work with a group of talented local craftspeople. What do you think these hand-made elements add to the finished space?

Everything I put into the space is handcrafted  (bar a couple of chairs): tinkered, smithed, hand-tooled. I choose finishes & materials that patina with age beautifully with tough love: tiles, salvaged woods, leather, steel, zinc, canvas.



What’s your favourite feature?

I have so many favourite features, as every detail was thoughtful & considered. The hardwood tables with steel brackets, the layers of ‘grim’ applied to the walls, the aged mirrors reading ‘tonic’ & ‘ale’ inset into old tiles, the Paul Ryan sea paintings, the sinks on steel frames behind the bar, the cocktail tap with badge & repurposed porcelain tap, the zinc top bar with rounded profile, the timber-clad, barrel inspired , beer fonts, the table numbers made from old tools and on & on.

Hotel Palisade is at 35 Bettington St Millers Point, Sydney.  Images by Chris Court

Find Sibella at The Society Inc, follow her @sibellacourt or see her on Restoration Australia, ABC TV from September 1.