#gingham floor

In 2013, Sugar Mama's Bakeshop reached out to us to design their second shop located in East Austin. They're best known for their beautiful custom cakes, delicious cupcakes and other sweet treats (along with winning Cupcake Wars!), but their Eastside shop also offers cheeseboards, wine, cocktails, and beer on tap. Although this project was largely budget-driven, we think the final result turned out super sweet.

Several tricks were used to keep this project budget-friendly. While VCT tiles don't always have the best reputation in the design world, they can be a good low-cost option when used creatively. This gingham pattern is a throwback to 1950s retro diner-style and the checkerboard floors of the original Sugar Mama's. It’s also super low maintenance which is a huge bonus for this family friendly establishment. Another economical source we love for lighting is Schoolhouse Electric Co. We used their "Tangled Chandelier" for the back space to add a little pop of their signature cherry red color as a focal point at the back of the space. The colorful wall sconces on the side wall were also an affordable option from another favorite lighting source, One Forty Three. All lighting is LED and compact fluorescent to keep everything nice an energy efficient— City of Austin requires it these days!

The best part of this shell interior was the transom window located near the back of the space. The desired layout almost required omitting it, but we were determined to keep it in. After pushing and pulling the layout to fit all of Sugar Mama’s needs, we were able to keep this light well feature that draws you into the space. We highlighted the wall with a creative re-use of a door casing profile and added a pop of custom wallpaper and voila! The cutest littlebakeshop was born.

The owners also did a bit of design-sourcing themselves. They hired local graphic designers Robb Harskamp and Craig Crutchfield to design a custom wallpaper and neon exterior sign, and a local furniture fabricator to make the cute turned wood tables. We sourced the Vienna chairs from Crate & Barrel, which is a great, attractive option for budget-driven dining spaces.

If you live in Austin, be sure to stop by Sugar Mama's East for one of their beautiful and delectable desserts and drinks; they're open until 10pm almost every day. Many thanks to Mario Carlin Management for helping us make their new little bakery beautiful!