Coming from the kitchens of celebrated and internationally renowned kitchens, our clients wanted to create a space that spoke to the contemporary and gentle nature of their vision.
A baker and a pastry chef paired up to create the amazing little Mari Bakeshop, and tasked us to come up with a solution for the creation of their space with an ultimate budget efficiency in mind. Starting with an empty commercial shell, Mari was born out of exploration into material texture and delicacy. Our aim was to ensure that the space embraced the detailed nature of the craft happening behind the scenes, and provided a contemporary cafe setting for visitors to the newly developed East Village centre. An effective but reductive material palette was utilized to set the ambience for a light and cheerful interior that challenges the norm of Calgary's more masculine and dark eateries and cafés.
Natural timber slats and white tile delinate a rather simple space while patterened paint and customized floor tile create a bold statement for the front of house; complete with a custom oversized pegboard to celebrate and display the beauty of freshly baked loaves, pretzels, and baguettes.
Completed with a very limited budget, Mari speaks to what is possible under the contraint of both a difficult space and with limited resources.
