Kestie Lane Studio completed Boosa Café as a genuine, elegant, and timeless environment that celebrated a colorful life, where the food and interior are able to compliment each other.

Boosa, translating to ‘kiss’ in Arabic, is a Melbourne cafe with a touch of the Middle East.

The brief was for 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 colorful food designed and made by the chef and owners. The venue needed to accommodate a breakfast and lunch food offering.

The key challenges were the cultural appropriation is a hugely important subject in modern society, as designers, we are not immune to the sensitivities of cultural traditions and their applications in the outside world. This is of a particular barb for hospitality designers, where the cuisines of various global cultures drive and dictate the interior direction.

The 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.

Boosa Café referenced the 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. To balance these are ‘quintessentially Melbourne’ café design elements; 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.

Boosa Café was a true labour of love with no cutting corners! With a heavy focus on custom made elements, the owners more or less constructed the cafe themselves with a team of friends and family. Kestie Lane Studio are committed to the custom-crafted and bespoke design elements on each project.

Design: Kestie Lane Studio Photography: Peter Clarke

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