Monroe Café, Richmond VIC banner

More than just a name, the brief for Monroe called for a design that captured her spirit: confident, seductive, sophisticated and intelligent.

As the founders of highly successful cafes Morris and Heath and Miss Frank, the Moussi sisters saw an opportunity to expand their impressive portfolio on Bridge Road, Richmond. Their proposal was to create a new Melbourne cafe a simple mix of elements: innovative food, high quality coffee and excellent customer service. Named after the most seductive of Hollywood stars, Monroe was born. More than just a name, the brief for Monroe called for a design that captured her spirit: confident, seductive, sophisticated and intelligent. DKO’s café design is a timeless design with a dynamic palette of tones, textures and materials. Heavily grained natural stone, classic warm timber and polished concrete floors introduce the confident and intelligent, while blush salmon joinery, rose gold feature pendants and playful terrazzo tiling, answer the desire for seductive sophistication. The dining area features a perfectly polished concrete slab that stretches the depth of the space. The use of matte black, selectively makes elements overhead disappear, while adding elegance and simplicity to loose furniture. This is balanced by facetted panels of peach, soft grey and clear mirror, that bounce light deep into the interior. Eschewing the hipster aesthetic of subway tiles and industrial fixtures, Monroe’s design combines four inspirational personality traits into a singular solution, befitting such an iconic name. As Marylin once said ‘Give a girl the right pair of shoes and she’ll conquer the world.’ This is the Moussi sister’s perfect pair of shoes.

YEAR

2017

STATUS

Complete

CLIENT

Moussi Sisters

LOCATION

Richmond, AUS

SCALE

139m2

DISCIPLINE

Hospitality

EXPERTISE

Interior Design

Photographer: Tom Blachford

Monroe Café, Richmond VIC
Monroe Café, Richmond VIC
Monroe Café, Richmond VIC
Monroe Café, Richmond VIC
Monroe Café, Richmond VIC

Professionals used in
Monroe Café, Richmond VIC

About the
Professional

DKO is a multi-disciplinary, award-winning design practice centred on creating ingenious spaces that are driven by the needs of the user, site opportunities and the dynamic process of translating design intent into built outcomes. Founded in 2000 by Principal Koos de Keijzer, its operations have expanded from Melbourne to studios in Sydney, Perth, Auckland, Ho Chi Minh City, and Brisbane. DKO has remained committed to the same underlying principles since day one. Its multiple teams spread across the Asia-Pacific region are solidly united behind the same grounded and humble approach taken to each project, big or small. 

Keeping minds open to any possibility, DKO always focuses on finding the best idea, regardless of where it came from. By encouraging the personal growth of each individual within the organisation, DKO plans to become a globally oriented entity, consistently forging ahead in both business and creative objectives. DKO embraces the role of architecture in shaping a more sustainable future. As a practice, it never loses sight of the most fundamental quality that connects all great design – people. Through human understanding and nurture, DKO seeks to continually maximise its potential and deliver architecture at its utmost excellence.