Design Meets Literature at Set of Six

New Singaporean cocktail parlour Set of Six was designed by Evgeniya Lazareva of Hot Design Folks to capture the sense of seafaring adventure in Joseph Conrad's namesake collection of short stories

Set of Six is a new cocktail and dining concept in Singapore’s Tanjong Pagar, inspired by and evoking Joseph Conrad's collection of travel tales. It took a whole year for interior designer Evgeniya Lazareva of Hot Design Folks and head chef Gonzalo Landin to conceptualise and harmonise the space and menu.

Conrad’s A Set of Six is a collection of stories set in six different countries, with the author depicting experiences at sea on the sailboat Vidar, which is captained by James Craig — the same captain whose name is given to Craig Road, where the cocktail lounge is now located. ‘I believe that every good design starts with an even better story,’ Lazareva says.

Throughout the space, unique decor items and antiques convey the aesthetic of the 1800s. Velvet curtains, traditional spice jars and a vintage apothecary cabinet dominate the front room that disguises the entrance to the lounge. Through a concealed door, cocktails and champagne can be ordered via a ‘Call For Champagne’ button in a hidden private room.

Blue-green hues reminiscent of ocean waves and lush palms inspire a tropical atmosphere as the design language captures elements of a ship, with circular mirrors hinting at porthole windows and rounded details like the curved bar and sinuous floor patterns evoke ships swollen with cargo. At the centre of the lounge is an antique map, a reproduction of the famed cartographer Jean-Baptiste Bourguignon d'Anville’s 18th-century original.

Hot Design Folks founder Evgeniya has woven all of these elements together into a single balanced concept, the stories and history coming alive with every detail, from the unique objets and textures to the colour palette and bespoke furniture and lighting.

Text / Carol Kraal
Images / Marcus Lim