Coffee roaster and café, Au79, blends design, functionality and humble hospitality, at a space once home to a local auto repair garage in the Melbourne suburb of Abbottsford.
Mim Design have transformed the 600 m2 venue into a sprawling indoor botanical garden; filled with lush planting, earthy tones and vibrant greens that take their inspiration from the space’s former use, and the brand’s love for roasting coffee.
The design brief specified that the architecture and interiors need be ‘as good as gold’ (a nod to the periodic table, where Au79 represents the precious metal), something Mim Design have achieved with aplomb through the use of fundamental design principles, both past and present.
Natural light floods the building, which features a variety of welcoming spaces — soft blush tones and custom furnishings add a touch of femininity, and a hand-illustrated feature wall by Mim Design artist in residence Sammy Barry displays sketches of coffee plants and foliage on a colour palette of leafy greens and aqua blues.
The original garage door remains intact, and complements pink tables designed by Billiani, banquettes in the shape of curved tyres, and terrazzo flooring. Not just a place for great coffee and great food, this place is the real deal — and, as Mim Design told us: ‘authenticity is Gold, and that’s what Au79 stands for’.
Photography, Peter Clarke
