Catherine, the genius behind Starta, had outgrown the kitchen they shared with the Whitebait restaurant and wanted a combination retail and kitchen space. She had found a strange unused space in the darkest spaces of Left Bank Arcade in Wellington, New Zealand where the only access was via an old loading dock.

We could see the potential to put a really unique and contemporary storefront design into this environment for them - custom interior fit out, custom menu boards, and beautiful price displays to proffer all of their goods.

The space was a strange cross between industrial and office commercial. We knew we needed to do something to capture the attention of people passing by, so we installed large glass doors and used them as framing for what people would see inside - we wanted them to stop in awe at the kitchen’s interior design.

With this in mind we made sure a statement counter of solid marble was at the forefront of the space, we then warmed the space with natural cedar on the feature wall behind. Starta makes the most wonderful sourdough bread and Catherine is meticulous in her process but didn't want to feel on show when preparing bread during shop hours.

So we carefully integrated a custom shelving unit to divide the space between the front of house and kitchen, delivering glimpses of the process but not complete exposure. Part of this shelving was custom cooling racks for the bread incorporating the Starta branding.

Above this bread rack we installed our proffer custom menu board cut to fit perfectly between the cedar studs. These are suspended on brass hooks allowing Catherine to easily dismount the panel to update the menu. These black and white letter boards show off the incredible offerings they have and, in our opinion, are what bring together the interior design focal point of this beautiful place.

In the marble counter we needed an elegant way to communicate the daily sweet treats and sandwiches and like the final bit of the puzzle we were able to introduce our brass menu holders. These to accent their marble counter and provide clear and easily changeable counter price stands for all of their delicious goods.

It was a pleasure to work with Cathrine to create a space worthy of their amazing food. If you would like to work on a custom kitchen interior design project with us, or could see those menu boards or menu holders bringing your restaurant, bakery or cafe to life, then get in touch with us at info@proffer.co.nz.