Gilmartin's Bakery

Stylistically Scandinavian and with colours and decor inspired by the Grand Budapest Hotel and old-world European cafes, Gilmartin's was an exercise in converting a long-held vision to a reality. A former Bank of Scotland branch set in a Victorian building, I converted the unit to a cafe and bakery, installing three-phase power, sound-proof plasterboard and insulation and a full new electrical board. The unit was fully plastered, and the two existing toilets were reconfigured to form one new WC with an intervening ventilated space with baby changing. The staff tea room was reconfigured to create a small commercial kitchen fitted with stainless steel worktops and bakery appliances, and I commissioned a coffee bar to house our till, coffee machine and knock box, clad in Ca Pietra scalloped tiles. A window was replaced where a cash machine had previously been and traditional gilded signage was applied to the windows to reflect the age of the building. In late 2019, we expanded into the neighbouring unit, for which I commissioned upholstered bench seating for the large dining room towards the front of the cafe too.