Alma by NOMAD Styling

Staying up ‘til midnight and working through the night to research the technicalities of interior design became somewhat of a normal practice for Shonel Bryant.

The events and photoshoot stylist spent the past eight months conceptualising the vision for ALMA Restaurant – a newly opened dining experience in the heart of Geelong’s CBD – while simultaneously learning about the craft.

Having had very little experience within the interior design sphere prior to working on ALMA, the stylist felt a mix of emotions when approached to design the restaurant.

‘I was definitely surprised, but so honoured and humbled. What a huge amount of trust to have in someone with the vision of your brand and future business,’ she reflects.

While she was excited about the project, she does admit a cloud of self-doubt surfaced during the conceptualisation stage.

‘I questioned if I could do it. It felt like a huge weight and jump into the unknown’.

She quickly ‘snapped’ out of these thoughts and reminded herself that her eye for detail would far surpass any doubts, enabling her to create a sophisticated and progressive space.

The ex-visual merchandiser established her styling business in 2012 with the sole purpose of expressing her passion for design and detail.

Nomad Styling has since become a household name within the local creative community in Geelong as well as Melbourne, visualising and styling weddings and events.

It is Bryant’s creative eye for detail that radiates through the space at ALMA, exuding a refined sense of maturity that is present from the distinct textures on the walls, down to the intricacies of the menu design. Not one detail was spared and the space has a lot to be thankful for.

Creating the right mood for the space was crucial for Bryant. It was to be a place for people to dine and to do so without feeling as though they’re in Geelong.

‘There are a lot of great places to eat in Geelong, but not many places that you could walk away and describe what the venue looked like to someone when you got home,’ she explains.

This notion pushed her to create a space entirely unique to Geelong, memorable for its atmosphere while equally complementing the South American-influenced menu.

She instinctively gravitated towards greys and blacks, which were further enhanced with bold notes of teal and blush pink.

The main dining area is covered in a terrazzo-look tile, with a dark charcoal body tile used to frame and border the bench seating and surrounding areas.

‘The tiles were selected to complement the space rather than steal the focus from where I wanted it to be,’ which, she later revealed as the artwork.

Sydney artist Jess Cochrane travelled to Geelong to complete Bryant’s vision, stamping her artistic flair on the space.

Her signature work embodies the application of paint over photographic images, and was the perfect match for the concept Bryant had created for ALMA.

“She naturally uses a lot of pinks in her work which was exactly what I was looking for and I knew she was just perfect for it’.

Behind the Perspex desk at the front-of-house stands a floor to ceiling mural created by Cochrane, instantly evoking a lasting impression on diners.

Her artwork is sampled around the restaurant, and has diners constantly looking around, engaging with the space, leaving with that ‘talking point’ Bryant was so keen to achieve with the restaurant.

What Bryant has accomplished at ALMA is not only a feat for interior design, but also a personal achievement for someone with limited experience in the field.

The future for Bryant is optimistic as she takes on further interior design projects in Geelong.

All it takes is to have a vision and distinct eye for detail for an idea to conceptualise into a beautiful reality such as with ALMA.

The technical side can always follow on later.