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Project Overview

With a Scandinavian feel to the interior, Cobb Lane squeezes into a tiny retail space. The café melds traditional front of house with the working bakery through a pallet of materiality and colour that reflects the vibrancy of both the street and the culinary flair of renowned pastry chef Matt Forbes.

Project Commissioner

Cobb Lane Bakery

Project Creator

Ewert Leaf Pty Ltd

Team

The main design team was Ewert Leaf - Toby Ewert (Director and project Architect), Will Leaf (Director), and Jin Xiu Tee (architect). The interiors was done by Ewert Leaf.
Builder: MK2 Projects

Project Brief

The brief was to fit a commercial kitchen capable of producing high end desserts into a tiny former clothing retail store in Yarraville. Being devoid of services and commercial infrastructure coupled with a tight budget meant precise attention to layout and understanding of hospitality practicalities was paramount in the design. Restricted for space, the distinction between back of house and front of house was blurred through the use of a feature handmade tile on the walls which not only achieved health and safety requirements, but also became the pivotal colour in the design. The existing brick party walls were painted white to brighten a small space with only one natural light source, whilst also bringing out the colour of the tiles and timber against the contrasting dark timber floor and ceiling. Tasmanian Oak timber was used for all counters, benches, wall shelving and feature joinery to give warmth to the space, whilst the feature Kezu pendant lights over the counter mirrored the colour of the wall tiles. Hanging plants and highbar oak benches along the front façade reinvigorated the shopfront into the streetscape, whilst the powdercoated black shelving and furniture frames allow a stark contrast to the lighter palette.

Project Innovation/Need

Successful hospitality venues hinge completely on service, product, and aesthetics of the space for the customer. Venue operators are often scared off by tenancies that are deemed unusable, whereas we believe Cobb Lane is a great example of getting the most out of a space without compromising design intent or spatial functionality. Integrating working kitchens into front of house may not be a new concept, but rarely do bakeries gravitate toward this idea. Clear vision of how the client creates his amazing produce is supported by designing the aesthetic of the interior around the workings of the kitchen and complimenting the colours and the street movement outside. In an industry that is constantly becoming more and more competitive, unusual spaces are becoming increasingly viable. Cobb Lane Bakery is testament to seeing the creative opportunity in a difficult and restrictive site.

Design Challenge

Most cafes are able to hide the back of house kitchen side of the operation and focus on the front of house design. Cobb Lane does not have that luxury due the size of the space. Challenging the idea that equipment and health and safety practicalities need to be plain and hidden out of sight, we have embraced the customer into the workings of the pastry process – making the once hidden kitchen a feature of the space without crowding the relaxed feel of the café. Clear understanding of the commercial workings of hospitality spaces was integral in making this hybrid functionality a success. The colour palette slips seamlessly between display and working space without compromising the business operation or the customer’s experience. The narrow footpath of Anderson Street forces pedestrians to engage with the space, which is further enhanced by the use of highbar timber bench seating and hanging greenery against the shop front. The colour palette reflects the creative touches Matt brings to his food, and we worked with the branding company to ensure the branding collateral blended in with the colour scheme and feel of the space to ensure seamless continuity to Cobb Lane’s intent.

Sustainability

Retaining as much of the existing space was important in keeping the feel of the streetscape and character of the area as well as maximizing the potential of the café. Existing brick walls were exposed and painted white, the timber floor was retained and the exiting ceiling was repainted. We used hand made tiles as the feature colour, and used natural timers to all joinery, and the front façade was retained as is to maintain the heritage features of the street.

Interior Design - Hospitality

This award celebrates innovative and creative building interiors, with consideration given to space creation and planning, furnishings, finishes, aesthetic presentation and functionality. Consideration also given to space allocation, traffic flow, building services, lighting, fixtures, flooring, colours, furnishings and surface finishes.  

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