An 80-something-year-old bakery in Kiryu, northwest of Tokyo, recently received a remarkable facelift courtesy of Sunao Koase, the principal at Snark, a young, up-and-coming Japanese firm that has its hand in everything from architecture to furniture and event design. Koase's solution for Style Bakery was to create a clean, light-filled shop with a modern edge using a palette of grays paired with white walls and pale oak. It's a combination worth applying at home.
Photography by Ippei Shinzawa.
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Above: Large floor-to-ceiling windows were introduced to allow light into the bakery and maximize the height of the space.
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Above: Light gray subway tiles with dark gray grout are used as facing on the counters and on a central wall where the bakery's sign in metal lettering serves as a focal point.
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Above: A trio of white pendant lights showcases the bread on display, and echos the smaller trio of white lights over the counter.
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Above: A metal-and-wood rack lined with various types of pan (the Japanese word for bread, derived from the French pain). Bread was first introduced by missionaries, but it only really gained ground with the country's postwar Westernization.
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Above: In addition to the pendants, a square of neon strips introduces more lighting.
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Above: Solid oak is used for shelving and countertops. Read about affordable wood counters in our post Remodeling 101: Butcher Block Countertops.
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Above: In the window, a vintage wooden table displays the goods for sampling—with a toaster oven for shoppers to help themselves.
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Above: Books and baked goods fill the oak shelves.
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Above: Industrial caged lighting in the entrance.
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Above: The gray floor harmonizes with the tiles and grout. Curious about concrete? Read our Remodeling 101 posts on Polished Concrete Floors and Concrete Countertops.
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Above: A neon sign welcomes shoppers. To see more, go to Snark.
For another notable Japanese bakery design, check out our post on Panscape. Close to home, our own favorite bakery (with bread worth waiting for) is The Mill, in San Francisco, and on the East Coast, it would have to be Vergennes Laundry, in Vermont.
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