Club Rose Bay

Bar with a vinyl record collection wall, a microphone with a white shade, and four chairs arranged in front of the bar. Club Rose Bay Photography

A look inside Club Rose Bay, photographed on 35mm film.

The long-standing Rose Bay institution has been given a new life by Justin Hemmes and Merivale, with Akin Atelier behind the architecture and interiors. Rather than losing the character of the original club, the new spaces lean into it; warm timber, textured glass, bold carpet, vintage details and plenty of references to another era.

Mr Pop is the standout. Inspired by a 1950s airport lounge and Rose Bay’s aviation history, the record bar is filled with vinyl, custom speakers, low lighting and deep timber tones. It feels nostalgic without feeling like a set.

Elsewhere, Notti’s brings the food into the story. Led by Mike Eggert, the restaurant is a more relaxed spin on Totti’s, with pizza, pasta and Italian-inspired dishes served across the club’s sun-filled dining spaces.

I shot the series entirely on 35mm film, focusing less on perfectly documenting every corner and more on the details that caught my eye, afternoon light, colour, food, texture and the atmosphere of the spaces.

Photography Joey Bailey
Merivale Justin Hemmes
Architecture & Interiors Akin Atelier
Styling Merivale Design Studio
Venue Club Rose Bay
Restaurant Notti’s
Location Rose Bay, Sydney

Interior of a café or diner with red booth seating, small circular tables with black stools, and a large window showing trees and cars outside. Club Rose Bay Photography
A vintage hotel lobby or lounge with a wood-paneled wall, a black and white photograph of a man using a film camera, and a curved beige sofa. There are round upholstered stools with metal frames, a small black table, and a wall vent.
Interior of a retro-style restaurant with orange leather booths, black tables, a yellow tiled column, and a patterned carpet. Sydney interior photography
A wooden shelf filled with vinyl records, with album covers visible, including Diana Ross and the Supremes Plus, Don McLean, and Bee Gees. Sydney interior photography
  • View of an interior bar area through wooden sliding doors with textured glass panels. The bar has a variety of liquor bottles on shelves, a row of bar stools, and a back wall with vinyl records and framed photos. Club Rose Bay Photography

  • Sailboats and small motorboats on a harbor with a hillside residential area in the background under a partly cloudy sky. Club Rose Bay Photography

  • A long wooden dining table set for a meal, with striped upholstered bench seats along one side and wooden chairs on the other, holding white plates, silverware, and drinking glasses. Club Rose Bay Photography

  • A pizza with toppings including cheese, tomato sauce, and herbs on a round baking pan, placed on a black surface with a pink and orange-colored cloth nearby. Club Rose Bay Photography

  • A pizza with pepperoni, green peppers, and cheese on a wooden table. Club Rose Bay Photography