Ironside Fish & Oyster, San Diego

A new seafood bar in San Diego uses the local heritage for a unique and eclectic experience. 

Ironside Fish & Oyster, designed by Basile Studio, injects industrial chic into a traditional nautical scheme for a thoroughly modern interior.

Exposed and stylised brick and wood add a range of textures to the design, calling back to the building’s industrial past. The frosted lightbulbs fixed to the metal rafters are wonderfully reminiscent of tentacles, relating to the wooden octopus dominating the bar.

Of course, no industrial-themed scheme would be complete without variations on metal, and the furniture in this project is really enhanced by them. The copper-top tables with cast-iron bases help to anchor the room, with plenty of ‘seafoam green’ giving them a touch of lightness.

Along with the octopus, two thousand fake piranha skulls installed on the south wall contribute to the nautical theme, while the red lighting installation adds a hint of funfair decadence.

This scheme is a brilliant example of mixing materials and inspirations – see it in more detail here.