A Trip to Italy: Enoteca Boccaccio by Mim Design.

Mim Design transports us to Italy with Enoteca Boccaccio, a multi-generational family owned and run Italian wine bar in the Melbourne suburb of Balwyn. The D’Anna family came to Mim Design with a vision for a traditional wine bar to live above their store, Boccaccio Cellars, a concept accumulating in 60 years of passion, good food and wine.

While the cellar presents at street level, Enoteca Boccaccio is discreetly accessed through a narrow side entrance via a flight of stairs reminiscent of Italy’s charming side alleys. Corsica Rosa del Garda Tiles, alongside textured rendered walls and warm brass detailing lead up to the unexpected hidden gem on the first floor.

Within the compact 120 square metre footprint, a cheese maturing room sits opposite the walls of custom wine fridges with stacked wines, all pivoting around the central bar and countertop made from carrara marble and domino granite. “The bar is undoubtedly the hero of the space, presenting concept where the seamless combination of wine, meat, and cheese in a traditional enoteca setting is truly unique in Melbourne,” says Emma Mahlook, Creative Director of Mim Design.

La Lune in East Fremantle by Rezen Studio.

Inspired by the neighbourhood bistros of Paris’ Saint Germain, New York’s Nolita, and historic railway stations, this bar draws on an eclectic design language and decorative touches...

Brass details are continued throughout the bar design, while the flooring is laid with Artorato Cotton handmade Italian clay tiles. Like a classic Nebbiolo, hues of burgundy provide accents throughout the design—from the cabinetry, shelving and partition drapes, to the slabs of rosso levanto marble in a honed finish featured across the dining areas and bathrooms.

Echoing the warmth of a quaint Italian wine bar, Mim Design embraced the intimate space neatly composed of tables of two and high-top seating by Grazia and Co, offering a capacity of 50 patrons. While solid walnut-topped stools skirt the bar top, IVA dining chairs are paired with Carrara marble tables that sit lightly in contrast to the darked back wall framed by American walnut timber.

As is central to the studio’s approach, creating a space that enhances everyone’s experience, from the patrons to the staff, was equally important. To ensure efficient back-of-house operations, the spatial planning accurately aligned clear vistas of the entire dining area, while seamlessly connecting to the service zones. The studio also purpose built a large temperature-controlled wine display and a stainless steel commercial kitchen that provides the ideal backdrop for the D’Anna family to bring to life their recipes made from the carefully sourced ingredients.

Hunter & Co Deli in Elsternwick, Melbourne by Mim Design.

The large rose-coloured curved concrete counter at this deli has been designed to resemble the fleshy pink hue of cured meat—specifically sliced salami...

[Images courtesy of Mim Design. Photography by Peter Clarke.]