11/06/2026
Frosty Dog was designed as an instantly engaging experience that feels bright, intuitive and slightly theatrical. Customers are drawn into a world of colour, rhythm and playful abundance, with every operational detail resolved behind the scenes for clarity and ease.
When asked to design Frosty Dog at Salty Dog Kingston, the focus was on immediate user experience, instinctive flow within a compact footprint, and a space that feels instantly inviting and full of playful energy.
The ceiling mirrors the customer floor area below, defining the customer zone without separation. Concealed LED lighting and cut outs create a uniform glow, removing the need for visible fittings.
Arches introduce a playful rhythm, referencing Palm Springs in the 1950s and 60s, while connecting back to the wider Salty Dog language through the pool rail motif. They become the defining visual cue.
All finishes heighten energy and brightness. Gloss surfaces and tiled forms with defined nosing amplify reflection and curvature, creating a lacquered, almost liquid quality.
From a user experience point of view, everything is effortless. The customer zone is fully open, while all service functions are hidden. Yoghurt machines and toppings stations are fully integrated, intuitive for customers, and supported by a separate back of house system for efficiency, hygiene and speed of service. The coffee machine, in powder blue, references the coastal and beachfront setting.
Ultimately, Frosty Dog is shaped by clarity, rhythm and delight, designed to feel instinctive, energetic and just good plain fun. Bring it on.
Client / The Salty Dog Hotel
Interior Design / Valentine interiors + design
Architecture / Field Labs
Build / Soda Projects Tasmania
Brand / Demelza Rafferty
Photography / Adam Gibson