Cornish interior design firm Boex worked with ‘Nauti But Ice’ to turn the bike shop next door to their Porthleven ice-cream parlour into ‘Go Nauti,’ a take-away café.
The 60-square-metre reclaimed timber-clad space features breakfast bars, shared tables and both high and low seating to accommodate lone diners as well as large groups. “The idea was also to create a space that an individual could quite comfortably come in a grab a pizza by themselves, but where a large group would be equally at home,” co-founder Sam Boex told coadg.
“The client asked us to design and create a takeaway that would link with the look and feel of Nauti but Ice, yet have its own separate identity,” says Sam. “It needed to be clearly branded so it could seen from across the harbour, and intuitively communicate that it was somewhere you could get food to go or sit down for a quick bite – an approachable family-friendly take-away.”
Having created a three-dimensional render using computer aided design (CAD) software Rhino3D, the team sat down with the client to discuss alternative layouts for the space. It was quickly decided that they would open up the area, removing a wall to enable customers to see directly into the kitchen that also serves Nauti But Ice next door.
The interior finishes include reclaimed timber-cladding, also used successfully in the ice-cream parlour, dark green ‘Metro’ tiles, and concrete render. “The reclaimed timber was used soften the space, and give a warm and unpolished look to the interiors,” says Sam. “While the handmade green tiles were included to provide a contrast to the timber.”
The next stage was to provide seating and think about traffic flow to keep those customers eating in separate from those queuing for takeaway.
The furniture combines high and low seating, breakfast bars and communal tables to communicate the idea of a “quick bite” and includes custom-fabricated pieces, iconic seating like the Alvar Aalto E60 stool and the Jean Prouvé Standard chair, and Boex’s own Turn Timber Stool, which pairs a hand-turned solid sycamore seat with brightly coloured, powder-coated, steel-framed legs, and is entirely designed and made in Cornwall. “The Turn Timber Stool is a playful furniture design statement,” says Sam. “Each timber seat varies subtly in shape – inspired by the idea that handcrafted objects are never ‘one and the same,’ the collection highlights the beauty found in human imprecision.”
It looks fantastic, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating, so how has it fared since it opened in the spring? “Nauti had a really busy summer, and the client feedback is that this new space has really complemented the existing business of Nauti But Ice,” confirms Sam.
