Inspiration

Professional’s Corner | An Aussie Diner’s Before & After

The Juke Joint Diner, a 50s style cafe in Melbourne Australia, closed last year and underwent a major transformation. When the doors reopened, it was the new Laurie Dee’s serving up American burgers and frozen custard. Cobi Marsh of Cobi Retail Design Architects took the lead on the redesign of this cafe and one of her goals was to completely change the look and feel of the place.

“I wanted a raw, rustic, and organic feel with lots of timbers and polished concrete floors,” Cobi says. Gone were the black-and-white square tiles on the floor and the red-and-chrome seats at the counter. Cobi brought in lots of warm wood tones to the counter and to the booths which complement the dark polished concrete of the flooring. To shed some light on the new look, Cobi purchased a myriad of Barn Light Warehouse Pendants, choosing the 16″ galvanized shade to hang throughout the restaurant.

“The industrial look of the barn lights fits the design scope very well,” Cobi notes. The Warehouse Pendant is one of our most popular shades and is definitely an American made classic. It’s design has the same nostalgic appearance as the original pendants created back in the 1930s that hung in factories, warehouses, and over barn doors. Now this RLM inspired shade is riding the retro wave back into popularity all the way Down Under.

Cobi chose to use the black cord hung option for Laurie Dee’s fixtures, but we also offer a white cord, stem mount, or flush mount if your space requires it. More than four dozen finish options are available for the Warehouse Pendant, and if you want to add an even more rustic feel, consider the wire cage or cast guard option with your choice of glass color.

“I was happy with the finished project,” Cobi says of Laurie Dee’s transformation. “The tenancy looks great and really gave Laurie Dee’s a younger, fresher feel.”

Photos courtesy of Cobi Marsh