Comparing cities is always difficult because it is the differences which make each place unique. Fundamentally the major differences are in the topography - Melbourne is a planned flat city with a lineal grid and Sydney has developed more organically on the hills around the harbour.

The upshot being that up until recently, Melbourne has probably worked harder for longer to activate their streets while Sydney has always had its hilltop views and drama of the harbour to activate the city. Add into the mix that Melbourne has enjoyed small bar licenses for about 20 years while in Sydney they have only been around for the past couple of years.

At the moment, I think Sydney is taking a lot of their cues from what is happening in Melbourne, primarily because the fundamental drivers are the same in both cities.

 

(Below) Spiedo Restaurant & Bar in Sydney by SJB Interiors.

The main driver being that most of the small bars are run by smaller operators, the profit margins are tight and so are the construction budgets. On this basis, the industrial trend in both cities remains strong as the construction costs can be relatively low.

The building shells are often stripped back to their raw format and the spaces are styled with low cost vintage furniture. There is also a parallel trend which takes a more literal themed approach, such as Spanish or Mexican to create atmosphere.

There are however some great exceptions in both cities where the design is more polished and unique. Some examples of this are the bar at Vue de Monde in Melbourne and Tokonoma in Sydney.

I think that signage is where we are starting to see some more differentiation between the cities. In Melbourne, where the bars are often located in back streets and the operators want customers who are "in the know", the signage is subtle and sometimes non-existent.

In Sydney, however where the bars are scattered between regular streets and laneways, the approach to signage is probably a little more playful and we're starting to see a real trend toward brighter more adventurous signage like custom neon. In the long run, as the industry continues to mature in both cities, I think we'll start to see some more of this diversification continue to develop within the interior design also.

Read about 5 of Kirsten's Favourite Products here.