Kelly Wearstler Designs Intimate Fusion Restaurant at Austin Proper

Designer Kelly Wearstler has created a deeply atmospheric dining experience for Kappo Kappo, a French-Japanese fusion restaurant located within the Austin Proper Hotel, where charred timber, low lighting and handcrafted details encourage diners to feel “completely present”.

GALLERY

Conceived as an intimate 25-seat venue, Kappo Kappo centres around the Japanese dining philosophy of “kappo”, meaning “to cut and cook”, where chefs prepare and serve each course directly in front of guests.

The open kitchen and counter seating arrangement dissolve the traditional separation between diner and chef, transforming the act of dining into an immersive and participatory experience.

“Intimacy was non-negotiable,” said Wearstler, whose interiors define much of the Austin Proper Hotel. To achieve this, the Los Angeles-based designer wrapped the restaurant in floor-to-ceiling slats of charred cypress timber treated using shou sugi ban, the traditional Japanese method of timber preservation through controlled charring.

Produced locally in Austin, the cypress was stained a deep green tone, introducing what Wearstler described as an “unexpected twist” to the material palette. The result balances warmth and texture with a restrained sense of drama, drawing from Japanese design sensibilities without directly replicating them.

Custom gridded millwork screens line the compact dining room, softly illuminated to display glassware and handmade ceramic plates while concealing functional storage. The screens subtly reinterpret traditional shoji dividers, introducing rhythm and transparency into the otherwise cocoon-like interior.

Wearstler also layered the restaurant with vintage furniture and collectible objects to create a more lived-in atmosphere. Among the curated elements are a sculptural ceramic lamp from the 1970s and a painting by American artist Ever Baldwin, displayed within a hand-carved charred timber frame.

“Those vintage touches add depth, history, personality,” Wearstler explained. “They make the space feel layered and collected, not just designed.”

The restrained lighting, tactile materials and close physical proximity between guests and chefs work together to heighten sensory awareness throughout the dining experience. Rather than focusing on spectacle alone, Kappo Kappo demonstrates how hospitality design can cultivate presence, intimacy and emotional connection through carefully considered spatial decisions.

Images by Giulio Girardi via Dezeen