Cafe Carpet

Brisbane’s only 24-hour restaurant, Cafe 21, has been transformed into a modern, stylish eatery that caters for a wide range of tastes. The $1m refurbishment is a perfect example of how a heritage-listed building can be adapted to suit modern requirements without spoiling the original ambience. The dramatic red and black décor, white Laminex tables and stark white marble walls are softened by a stunning, yet subtle, black-and-grey carpet. Creating an intimate dining experience with broad appeal while also being sympathetic to the heritage fabric of the building was the challenging brief provided to the DBI team of Queensland when refurbishing Cafe 21. Interpreting the DBI design and brief, Deb Ryan of Brintons Melbourne  design studio transformed a striking custom design into carpet, creating an overall signature appearance to the space, with heritage patterns, scale and colour, ensuring a simple yet surprisingly contemporary feel.