Between Hyde Park and the River Thames, the Mediterranean sun has an unlikely home in the Pimlico neighbourhood. After half a year of building permit negotiations, Omar’s Place has soaked the walls of a Victorian heritage building with a rich, earthy glow. Polished peach-coloured terracotta serves as a backdrop for a layering of materials and details inspired by the sun. Design studio Sella Concept uses the solar motif as the primary informant for the interior design elements: in collaboration with architecture consultancy Wilson Holloway, every corner has been considerately curved.

Reference to the sun is not limited to aesthetic interpretations of its form but also its nature, as every material included in the design is transformative – responding to light differently throughout the day. Even on the greyest London day, Omar’s Place is a narrative landscape of the Mediterranean coast. The flush of warm peach is deepened by rust-hued suede banquettes while end-cut natural wood flooring primes the space from below. The playful terrazzo bar snakes through the interior like a coastline and responds to the deep jewel tones of the teal armchairs. The energetic materiality of brass is the red thread throughout the space, as pendant light fixtures orbit the bar and a brass door frame reflects a golden glow.

Responding to the diversity of the Mediterranean coastline, Omar’s Place plucks design elements from the vernacular architecture that exists there. Referencing the rich cultural aesthetics and the sun-drenched landscape, the restaurant is transformed into an inviting space in honour of the sun.

Designed by

Sella Concept

Photography by Nicholas Worley