Image Credit : Michael Gazzola
Project Overview
Sibling Spice is a coffee hot spot by day and a moody and inviting restaurant by night.
Drawing on nostalgic childhood references, Sibling Spice offers a contemporary take on childhood memory by bringing iconic elements from the schoolyard to life.
Extracting key motifs like the canteen, classroom, sporting field and mesh fence, we recreated them in an appealing setting that’s delighting visitors of all ages. The wide shopfront features an enticing takeaway nook that adds to the street appeal of the business and is a busy hub of its own.
Executing the schoolyard scheme was a delicate balance as we wanted to avoid gimmicks. In incorporating playful elements, it was crucial that the overall design was cohesive and avoided kitsch. We added refinement with a palette of soft greens, dappled light and warm, light timbers.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Yaron Kanor, Director
Sophie Metcalfe, Interior Designer
Project Brief
Our clients came to us with an interior style in mind and we responded with a solid concept.
The initial brief called for a fresh, contemporary and inviting design with wide appeal as the space was to serve three purposes; a coffee hotspot by day and a moody and inviting restaurant by night. It was also imperative that we made the most of the wide shopfront with a takeaway nook to create a strong street presence,
Branding company, Pop and Pac, came up with the concept of siblings inspired by the clients’ own children. We took the concept of the good and bad sibling further by introducing them to the school environment.
Extracting key schoolyard motifs like the canteen, classroom, sporting field and mesh fence, we recreated them in an appealing setting that’s delighting visitors of all ages. The wide shopfront features an enticing takeaway nook that certainly adds to the street appeal of the business and is a busy hub of its own.
We divided the large space into sections. The more intimate café section mimics the classroom while as you move towards the rear it gets more communal and suggests the communality of the basketball court, school oval and the more social areas of school life.
The fans are contemporary interpretations of the old demountable classrooms, while the perforated panels work acoustically and are often found in late 90s school interiors.
Project Innovation/Need
Blurring the lines between retail and hospitality, we often see the new coffee culture pave the way to sell a product so we have to make this space multi-functional eg. café, restaurant and takeaway window. We had to separate the café from the kitchen because we needed a takeaway coffee window and we also needed the space to breathe at different times of the day.
At night the external shutter door comes down and the coffee window is closed so you walk straight into the restaurant.
We also needed to keep in mind that with the emergence of Uber Eats and Deliveroo easy access for delivery drivers was necessary.
Design Challenge
This space was a heavily dilapidated, rundown ex-post office with no services, plumbing issues and no electricals or gas. We had to screed into the concrete a lot to get the necessary services to the main area.
The ceiling needed to be completely fire rated due to zoning which proved extremely difficult. Pairing that with the intricate aesthetic design of the ceiling, rigorous investigation and problem solving needed to be employed.
Sustainability
All upholsteries were green star rated and have a high percentage of natural ingredients (leather and wool) with very little plastics.
We also used Victorian Ash which was sourced from local timber suppliers.
Interior Design - Hospitality - Casual
This award celebrates innovative and creative building interiors where people eat and drink - this includes bars, restaurants, cafes and clubs. Judging consideration is 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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