Boosa Café

Boosa, translating to ‘kiss’ in Arabic, is a Melbourne cafe with a touch of the Middle East. It’s a genuine, elegant, and timeless environment that celebrates a colourful life, where the food and interior compliment each other.

Kestie Lane Studio’s brief was Modern Middle Eastern meets Melbourne Minimal.

The design was to be thoughtful and honest, but not clichéd.

The interior was to form an elegant backdrop to the vibrant and colourful food designed and made by the chef and owners.

And the venue needed to accommodate a breakfast and lunch food offering.

Designers today are wary of indulging in thoughtless cultural appropriation.

This is of particular interest for hospitality designers where the cuisines of various global cultures drive and dictate the interior direction.

So the over-arching design challenge for this project was how to reference the Middle Eastern culture in the design without being themed or condescending.

The interior was to be authentic and timeless.

Kestie Lane Studio’s design for Boosa Café referenced Middle Eastern culture through the use of colour and a rich material palette.

Pink terrazzo, green accents, use of timber, and brass details added to the energy of the graphic space.

For balance, ‘quintessentially Melbourne’ café design element were incorporated; the white gloss tile, fresh greenery, polished concrete, and matt black fixtures and fittings.

Boosa Café perfectly mixed the atmospheres of the Modern Middle-East and local cultures.

Kestie Lane Studio’s design for Boosa Café had a heavy focus on custom made elements.

They almost always incorporate custom-crafted and bespoke design elements in every project they design.

The Boosa Café owners were very involved in the delivery of the project. They more or less constructed the cafe themselves, with help from a team of friends and family.

Key Products Used

Wall Cladding – Easycraft
Stone – Glux
Tiles – Artedomus / Academy Tiles
Leather & Fabric – Instyle
Mesh – Rimex
Fixture and Fittings – Reece / Zip Water
Lighting – Euroluce / Dowel Jones / Volker Haug
Furniture – Cafe Culture / PGR

Project Details

Project size – 120 m2
Completion date – 2017
Building levels – 1

Project Team

Interior Designers

Kestie Lane Studio

Kestie Lane, founder of Kestie Lane Studio strongly believes ‘what’s on the inside’ is a heart and soul which permeate her life and design.

Kestie has worked for over 20 years in the design world, first starting her career as a designer maker then as an interior designer. Her attention to detail and tactility is brought to life in her highly crafted design projects.

Design is innate to Kestie and a fundamental part of her life. Whether she is at home with the family, travelling, or in the design studio it inspires her and ignites her creative vision, which she injects into all of her projects.

Kestie’s projects have a calm, confident and inviting aesthetic, like the award-winning interior of The Kettle Black, which she created with her former design partner at Studio You Me, they are infused with warmth and soul.

www.kestielanestudio.com

Photography

Peter Clarke

Peter Clarke is an established photographer with over 20 years’ experience in his field. Over the years, Peter has gained extensive knowledge and experience documenting the built environment, as well as natural and man-made landscapes.

His collaborative approach and strong vision has seen his unique graphic style applied to a wide range of industries including architecture, construction, mining and aviation.

Peter works with a diverse range of clients including architects, design practices, government bodies, listed companies, and publishers.

www.peterclarke.com.au