By Vanessa Cavasinni, editor Australian Hotelier
One of Sydney’s most renowned pubs, The Oaks, has had its upper level overhauled with an art deco redesign.
The Thomas family, who have owned the pub since 1975, decided it was time for the upstairs rooms to have a refresh. The ground floor and pavilion areas of the pub underwent a $4 million revamp in 2013.
Sibella Court and her team at The Society Inc took care of the redesign of the upstairs interiors, which has colourful art deco and art nouveaux influences, in homage to the Furlong family who owned the hotel from 1918 to 1975.
One of the most eye-catching features of the new design are the murals on the walls of the pool room, which evoke 1930s artists, such as Sonia Delaunay and Clarice Cliff. Elsewhere, the upstairs spaces are full of brightly painted walls, dark timber panelling and glass panes.
Andrew Thomas is very pleased with the renovations, that have occurred in time for an important milestone in The Oaks' year.
"We’re very proud of The Oaks’ heritage – we’ve been a local institution for over a hundred years. We wanted to do something that celebrated the history of the hotel and Sibella’s designs are a fun, quirky link to the 1930’s.
"The relaunch of the upstairs comes just ahead of our celebrations for the oak tree’s birthday in November. The tree was planted in 1938 and has become an iconic symbol for the pub, so the new interiors are a homage in a way to a defining moment for the hotel."
While all patrons can enjoy the revamped spaces, several functions spaces have been included in the redesign that cater to large and small groups for everything from business meetings to parties. The three event spaces are The Terrace & Spare Room, The Licensee’s Flat and The Dining Room. These spaces can hold events from anywhere between 20 and 60 people individually.