Capital Kitchen is an open-concept dining cafe, bar and retail store in Melbourne, Australia.  It is what you get when minimalist modern is fused with rustic country.  An urban farmhouse, a space and brand brought forth by Mim Design and Cornwell.

photo © Shannon McGrath for Capital Kitchen, source: Mim Design, Cornwell, found via Contemporist

creative concept of Capital Kitchen,

interior design by Mim Design,

and Urban Farmhouse corporate image by Cornwell.

Capital Kitchen is the brainchild of Bruce and Chyka Keebaugh, a husband and wife team behind The Big Group, one of Australia’s largest privately owned catering companies.  Miriam Fanning of Mim Design, with her team members Felicity Watts and Mark Trueman, designed the open-spaced interiors.  Cornwell, a design agency in Melbourne, handled branding and product packaging; with graphics by Jane Sinclair.

So what is it that captured my attention about this place?  Let’s just say, everything!

The interiors, well, can I say wide open yet cozy at the same time?  I love the combination of elements, the use of space and how the logo is painted on brick walls.   The fact that Capital Kitchen’s signage is everywhere you look, but in different forms and on different textures and yet not overwhelming.  The color combination of yellow and grey.  Their cute marketing slogan “everything but the kitchen sink”.  The juxtaposition of marble with wood floors.  The long tables on wheels and Marais chairs and stools evoking an industrial feel to the place.  And wait till you get a glimpse of the modern farmhouse sink.

photo source: The Big Group

From the designers ↓

The vision of Melbourne’s premier caterers The Big Group, Capital Kitchen is a new retail homewares and food concept store created to complement the new luxury wing of Chadstone Shopping Centre. The brand is positioned to represent the style and tone of the modern farmhouse. The illustrations mix a variety of nostalgic food items such as the classic Sixties milk bottle, egg cups and preserve jars. Representing a time in history when things were slower, quieter and less chaotic, the experience provides customers with a break from their busy city lives, transporting them to the warm comfort of the country farmhouse.

Additional photos of Capital Kitchen; more can be found here and here.

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