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Client: Club Musgrave Bowls Club
Project Type: Café and Bathroom upgrade
Status: Completed(2025)
Location: Southport, QLD
Builder: Open Projects Group
Photographer: Studio Blackardt
Brief
Club Musgrave engaged Design Intent Studio alongside the Builder, Open Projects Group to undertake a complete design upgrade to its Venue. The aim is to create a modern warm and welcoming club, consiitent across the full venue The café and Bathroom upgrade forms as Stage 1 to the project.
Design Intent
The new café and upgraded bathrooms at Club Musgrave are designed to elevate the guest experience, providing a modern, comfortable, and user-friendly environment that encourages repeat visitation. The café introduces a new revenue stream, attracting members, families, and new patrons across peak and off-peak times. Thoughtful layouts, upgraded fixtures, and efficient spatial planning streamline operations, reduce wait times, and support staff workflow. The contemporary design establishes a refreshed brand image that positions the club competitively within the local hospitality market, while Stage 1 creates a cohesive framework for future upgrades that are cost-effective and visually consistent.
Project Background & Objectives
The key objective of Stage 1 is to design and deliver a new café offering that serves as an additional revenue-generating outlet for Club Musgrave. This new café will enhance the club’s food and beverage offering, attract a broader demographic, and improve the overall guest experience. Alongside the café, upgraded bathroom facilities will support increased patronage and contribute to a cohesive modern design direction that will carry through future stages of the venue’s full redevelopment.
Design Intent Studio provided full documentation across all stages, from initial design brief through to final construction drawings.
Key Design Features & Material Strategy
Acoustic Ceiling Battens
Lightweight acoustic battens are suspended from the ceiling to reduce noise and improve overall acoustic comfort within the café. Their clean, linear form adds architectural interest while helping to manage reverberation in busy dining periods.
Laminate and Joinery
Warm timber-look joinery is used throughout the café to introduce texture and warmth. The finish creates a welcoming, contemporary atmosphere and is carried consistently across the venue to establish visual cohesion.
Solid Surface Benchtops
Seamless solid-surface benchtops provide a crisp, stone-like appearance with excellent durability. Designed for high-use hospitality settings, they offer stain resistance, easy maintenance and a clean, refined aesthetic.
Feature Tile Back Bar
Glossy square feature tiles in a soft green tone form a standout backdrop to the back counter. The colour introduces freshness and subtle contrast, while the small-scale format adds texture and a handcrafted feel.
Feature Wallpaper
Textured wallcoverings in a warm ivory tone bring softness and depth to the interior, adding visual interest without overpowering the space.
Lighting
Sleek pendant and wall lighting with warm, dimmable illumination creates an inviting atmosphere throughout the café. Carefully positioned to highlight counters and feature walls, the lighting enhances both functionality and the contemporary design language.
Challenges & Solutions
Budget Constraints
Balancing desired design outcomes with practical cost considerations will be essential, especially as the café and bathrooms set the standard for future venue stages.
Integration With Future Stages
Design decisions made now must anticipate the long-term master plan, requiring clear coordination to ensure seamless alignment as additional areas are upgraded.
Existing Building Limitations
Working within an older structure may present constraints related to layout, services capacity, compliance, and required upgrades, which may impact design flexibility or cost.
