Pantry

Typology : Restaurant + Cafe

Completed : December 2015

Inspired by the notion of the ‘pantry,’ this former laundromat turned restaurant/cafe helmed by a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef was envisioned to be a large cabinet of curiosities. With a  penchant for found objects, the owner chef wanted to display his rich collection of objects and antiques. The design of the space revolves around the pairing of old and new, with doors sourced from a village in Yangon, Myanmar and copper chandeliers reclaimed from an abandoned bungalow in downtown KL.

These pre-loved elements are set against contemporary elements such as a large lightbox print by Malaysian photographer Nadirah Zakariya who took a macroscopic shot of her washing a piece of saree, a homage to the former glory of the space. Due to space constraints, plants were introduced at the entrance rather than the inside through a suspended planter box, also serving as a backdrop for its neon signage.