An unassuming shopfront in Melbourne’s outer eastern suburbs plays host to this compact cafe with a sleek minimalist fitout. For our studio, it was an opportunity to work again with one of our previous clients, the team behind Lilydale’s Hutch & Co.

Inspired by the neighbourhood’s industrial character, we experimented with computational geometry and Delaunay triangulation to develop the interior concept and branding. The result is a complex array of tessellated panels that wrap up the walls and across the ceiling, their surprising angles and shapes giving the interior its own distinctive aesthetic. To ensure a seamless finish, we configured the tessellated pattern using digital modelling and then used CNC machining to produce the interlocking panels.

Materially, the fitout employs a finely resolved palette centred around the lime-washed birch panels. We paired the pale timber with a rich teal named ‘Uncharted’ from Dulux’s colour range. The contrasting colours and textures accentuate the complex geometry of the interior surfaces.

The centrepiece of the 110m² fitout is the L-shaped service counter. The front of the counter captures the same facets and angularity of the walls, its ridged surface kinking and bending along its length. Facing the door, a coffee machine in the same vivid teal takes centre stage. Up above, two long niches in the same tessellated design have been carved out of the wall, housing display shelving and pockets of greenery.

Opposite the counter, cosy dining pods have been inset into the walls. Minimalist tables, our own Tremezzo stools and banquette seating create a relaxing place to enjoy a coffee or lunch. We used a plush Kvadrat textile to upholster the seating and the backrest strips along the wall.

Underfoot a concrete resin floor was a practical and hardwearing solution. Overhead, pairs of Kayan pendants from Plumen pick up on the theme of experimental production – their perforated black sheaths are produced using a 3D printer, creating a very contemporary result.