Poacher & Hound, Melbourne, Australia

The latest addition to Mount Waverly’s burgeoning café scene is Poacher & Hound, from local dining entrepreneur John Scalzo. Characterised by a successful hybrid of rustic and contemporary styles, Poacher & Hound has pulled off the neat trick of successfully bridging natural components with fine graphic elements. This is in part thanks to the varied textures, curvilinear forms and bold shapes seamlessly brought together by Techne Architecture + Interior Design studio, whose student architect Brad Mitchell led this project. 

Smooth putty-hued concrete walls provide a muted backdrop to allow the café’s many rustic materials — such as rattan, terracotta and granite gravel —come to the fore. This is sharply, yet comfortably, contrasted by the café’s steel plate bar and bespoke modern furniture by local craftsmen, including tables by Jardan, and Melbourne Iron & Steel, and stools by Mark Tuckey and Dowel Jones. Amongst the brass accessories and integrated planters, diners are offered simple café fare, such as soups, sandwiches and cake; perhaps not the most exciting of offerings, but then who’s complaining in a space like this?