Corbeaux Bakehouse
When the team at Sarah Ward Interiors began working on Corbeaux, the French influence was paramount to the concept, not just in the food and style that we were aiming to achieve, but in the philosophy and experience that Corbeaux was intent on delivering. The joie de vivre, as the French would say. We wanted to create this beautiful, welcoming space that would support a variety of experiences but not be too dictatorial about it. There’s a wonderful freeness about designing a room that way, and we think it has created a sociable and spontaneous atmosphere in the space.
The design is a contrast between the feminine motifs of art nouveaux and the masculinity of modernism while taking inspiration from the most classic of french bakeries. The space aims to create a convivial atmosphere welcoming all from the local community, drawing you in from the street with an impressive pastry and bread display at the entry and sharing the passion and craft of time honoured baking techniques with an open bakery space so patrons can watch the kitchen in action and smell the freshly baked bread. The interior utilizes stylish elements such as whimsical floor tiles, distressed mirrors, streamlined wood work, and a concentrated use of colour to create an eclectic, and spontaneous space.
“We all did a lot of research, and I thought a lot about the aesthetic identity that I wanted to create”, said Sarah Ward, Principal Designer at Sarah Ward Interiors. “The design became a study of contrasts: feminine and masculine, hard and soft, dark and light. We selected the Art Nouveaux inspired floor tile very early on, and I contrasted that with inspiration from Moderne design, the glossy grids of black tile, the arcing bench lights, and the pastry kitchen enclosure with its brass inlays. The space wasn’t easy to work in, and I also took a lot of risks with the design so it’s really incredibly rewarding to see how delightfully it came together.”
Completed December 2014, Calgary, Alberta | Clients: Russ & Chris Prefontaine | www.corbeaux.com
