The Albion at the Boundary in Shoreditch used to be an old Victorian lighting factory. Now it's my favorite breakfast place in London. Designed by Terence Conran and his team, you expect it to be a looker and it is. If I owned a caff, this is how I would design it: natural light, open kitchen, bevelled tiles, pendulous factory lights, and modern British retro styling everywhere. My Deco site has a brilliant piece about how to recreate the look with key pieces from the high street, click here to see it. The styling is not wholly original with it's modern retro slant [think Canteen], but it's execution is flawless: Golden Syrup cutlery containers and knitted tea cosies on Brown Betty teapots are nostalgic and at the same time knowingly chic. Elements of the interior made me smile - the stools at the bar are made of tractor seats! And once I'd eaten my eggs I really didn't want to leave. The interior is split into shop [as you enter] and 'caff' with open kitchen at the rear. In the shop, the floor to ceiling shelves are piled high with veg, breads, cupcakes, cordials and golden syrup to take home in your Albion jute bag - exactly the cute, traditional welcome I was looking for.
No comments:
Post a Comment