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Engineered Timber’s Rustic Edge: Inside TAP Espresso & Salad Bar in Sydney

TAP Espresso & Salad Bar in Sydney pairs angled engineered European oak with polished concrete, raw brick, rust tile, brass and white gloss tile. Here is how the palette works, which products were named, why one is discontinued, and what a new café must verify before choosing a similar floor.

By ThatPainter Team 18 October 2026
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At TAP Espresso & Salad Bar in the foyer of 50 Martin Place, Sydney, designer Morris Selvatico used engineered European oak as one part of a deliberately mixed material palette. The brief was to add a rustic character while giving the familiar industrial café a fresher interpretation. Oak flooring laid on an angle supplies warmth and movement, while polished exposed-aggregate concrete, raw brick, rust-coloured tiles, brass signage and white gloss tiles keep the interior crisp and urban. The project is documented in Havwoods’ TAP Espresso & Salad Bar case study.

The project in brief

TAP Espresso & Salad Bar occupies the foyer of 50 Martin Place in Sydney, Australia. Morris Selvatico designed the café, working from a brief described as “injecting a rustic feel” while moving beyond the typical industrial café aesthetic. The result is not a timber-clad room. Instead, the floor is one warm component in a composition of hard, reflective and aged-looking finishes.

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  • Location: foyer of 50 Martin Place, Sydney.
  • Designer: Morris Selvatico.
  • Design objective: rustic character with a fresh take on industrial café design.
  • Timber specified: Oak Chalet White Midi and Oak Legacy White from the Europlank Collection.
  • Installation detail: the timber was laid on an angle.

The source is a supplier case study, so these are documented project and specification details rather than an independent performance assessment. No project-specific figures for cost, service life, wear, cleaning results or footfall were published.

Why the timber reads as rustic without making the café look old-fashioned

Warmth against a mineral shell

Exposed aggregate polished concrete and raw brick establish a cool, mineral envelope. Their texture and tonal variation provide the toughness associated with industrial interiors, but they can also make a room feel hard if every surface is equally grey or porous. The oak introduces a naturally warmer colour and a smoother finished surface, giving the eye a place to rest without erasing the concrete and brick.

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This is a relationship between finishes, not a claim that timber alone created the atmosphere. The documented palette puts the oak alongside concrete, brick, rust tiles, brass and gloss tiles. Its contribution is to temper those materials and connect them visually.

Aged notes with a clean finish

Rust-coloured tiles and brass signage supply references to patina and craft. Around the main bar, white gloss tile adds a bright, hygienic-looking counterpoint. The case study describes the European oak products as smooth and finished, so the rustic effect comes from contrast and colour rather than from deliberately rough or unfinished boards.

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Direction as a design device

Laying the planks on an angle introduces a diagonal across the floor. A straight installation would reinforce the orthogonal geometry of walls, counters and tile joints; the angled boards add a more energetic line and an “edgy” note to the composition. The diagonal can also lead a customer’s view toward the bar or entry, depending on the chosen setting-out point.

The engineered-oak products named in the case study

Selvatico selected two European oak products from Havwoods’ Europlank Collection: Oak Chalet White Midi and Oak Legacy White. The published description identifies them as smooth, finished engineered timber products. It does not provide board dimensions, wear-layer thickness, coating chemistry, grading, moisture limits or installation adhesive requirements, so those details should not be inferred from the names.

Product or reference What the case study establishes Availability or specification caveat
Oak Chalet White Midi (HW661) Named as one of the products used at TAP; European oak, smooth and finished; installed on an angle. The case study says HW661 Chalet White Midi is no longer stocked. Current technical data and samples must be checked with the supplier.
Oak Legacy White Named as the second Europlank product selected for the project. The source does not state a product code, dimensions, price or current stock status.
EP114 Waterford Suggested by Havwoods as a similar-look option to the discontinued HW661. A supplier-suggested alternative, not an exact replacement. Confirm colour, grading, construction and finish against current samples.
EP124 Hawthorn Also suggested by Havwoods for a similar look to HW661. Suitability, performance and visual equivalence are not established by the case study; obtain current specifications.

The recommendations for EP114 Waterford and EP124 Hawthorn address visual direction, not guaranteed interchangeability. A replacement can differ in plank width, thickness, edge detail, white-wash intensity, board length, finish sheen or installation method. Treat the discontinued HW661 as a design reference rather than a product that can still be ordered.

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How to recreate the design logic in another café

1. Write the material brief before choosing a floor

Define the balance you need: rustic warmth, industrial toughness, a bright service counter, or a combination. TAP’s documented brief paired rustic character with a fresh industrial interpretation. That distinction matters because a heavily distressed floor would move the room toward vintage or farmhouse styling, while a smooth pale oak can provide warmth without visual clutter.

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2. Build a full-size sample board

Place the proposed oak sample beside the actual concrete aggregate, brick, rust-coloured tile, brass and white gloss tile. Small chips can hide undertones that become obvious across a large floor. Check the palette in both daylight and the café’s artificial lighting; white finishes and brass can shift noticeably between the two.

3. Confirm the engineered construction and technical limits

Ask the manufacturer or distributor for current data covering the exact product and finish. At minimum, request the wear layer, overall thickness, moisture guidance, subfloor tolerances, adhesive or floating-installation instructions, slip-resistance information where applicable, fire documentation for the jurisdiction, cleaning guidance and warranty conditions. The TAP case study does not publish these values.

4. Set the diagonal with a drawing, not by eye

An angled floor needs a planned origin, angle and perimeter strategy. Draw the room, counters, doorways and fixed equipment, then test the direction of the boards. Decide where partial boards will fall and how the diagonal will meet walls and thresholds. A centred setting-out line can look intentional; an unexplained sliver at the busiest entrance usually looks like an error.

5. Resolve transitions before installation

Commercial cafés often join timber to tile, polished concrete or metal thresholds. Confirm finished-floor heights, movement gaps, trims and access-panel locations before the installer starts. Keep the transition away from standing water and provide the details required by the selected flooring system rather than improvising a profile on site.

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6. Approve a mock-up

Lay a representative area that includes a wall edge, a transition and the intended diagonal. Review it from standing and seated eye levels. This catches unwanted board repetition, excessive white variation or a direction that fights the bar layout while changes are still inexpensive.

What the mixed palette contributes to customer experience

Concrete and brick: durable-looking structure

Polished exposed aggregate and raw brick make the building feel substantial and honest. They also carry visual irregularity: aggregate, mortar and brick faces vary from piece to piece. A smoother oak floor can keep that irregularity from becoming visual noise.

Rust tile and brass: controlled patina

Rust tiles bring a deeper, warmer note than the pale oak, while brass signage catches light at the point of service. Used together, they create small areas of colour and reflection rather than turning the entire room orange or metallic.

White gloss tile: brightness at the bar

The white gloss tile around the main bar establishes a clean focal zone. Against it, the oak can read warmer and more tactile. The contrast also helps separate the service area from the rougher brick and concrete background without requiring a separate wall colour.

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Commercial-flooring questions the case study does not answer

Havwoods states generally that many of its products are suited to demanding hospitality fit-outs and cites durability, ease of maintenance and range as reasons the hospitality industry selects them. Those are supplier-level comments. They are not measured results from TAP, and they do not establish how the named floor performed under that café’s traffic, spills, cleaning chemicals or furniture loads.

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Before specifying any engineered timber in a working café, obtain project-specific advice on:

  • Wear: expected traffic class, finish renewal options and the thickness of the usable wear layer.
  • Moisture: subfloor moisture limits, spill response and suitability near sinks, dishwashers and entrances.
  • Slip and safety: applicable slip-resistance and fire requirements for the building and local approvals.
  • Cleaning: approved detergents, drying procedures, frequency and restrictions on steam or standing water.
  • Repairs: whether individual boards can be replaced and how a future colour match will be managed.
  • Whole-life cost: purchase, preparation, installation, protection during fit-out, cleaning and eventual refinishing or replacement.

Do not use a product’s appearance in photographs as evidence that it meets any of these requirements. The specification, installation system and building conditions determine performance.

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Common mistakes when borrowing the TAP look

Using “rustic” as a synonym for distressed

The documented TAP products are described as smooth and finished. Adding wire-brushed, heavily knotted or artificially aged boards could produce a different aesthetic and compete with the brick and rust tile. Start with the level of variation the room can carry, then add texture selectively.

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Choosing a replacement by colour name alone

“White” does not identify undertone, sheen or the amount of visible grain. Compare full boards, not only catalogue swatches, and check the current batch. The supplier’s Waterford and Hawthorn suggestions may be useful starting points, but they are not stated to be exact matches for HW661.

Ignoring the diagonal at the perimeter

An angled pattern magnifies layout errors. Without a setting-out plan, narrow triangles can appear at walls, doors and equipment plinths. Coordinate the floor drawing with the joinery and tile grid before ordering material.

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Assuming an engineered board is maintenance-free

Engineered construction does not remove the need for spill control, entrance matting, felt protection and a compatible cleaning routine. Follow the selected manufacturer’s instructions and keep records for staff and contractors.

Letting the floor carry every design idea

TAP works because the oak is balanced by several other finishes. If a new project already has strong brick, patterned tile and prominent signage, a quieter oak may be the better choice. Use the floor to connect the palette, not to compete with it.

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A practical specification checklist

  1. Record the room’s dimensions, entrances, service areas, wet zones and fixed equipment.
  2. Photograph and sample the existing concrete, brick, tile and metal finishes under day and night lighting.
  3. Select two or three current engineered-oak samples and document their product codes and finish names.
  4. Request technical sheets, installation instructions, maintenance products, fire and slip documentation and warranty terms for the exact samples.
  5. Draw the angled setting-out pattern, transitions, movement gaps and perimeter cuts.
  6. Confirm subfloor preparation, moisture testing and installer qualifications in writing.
  7. Approve a mock-up that includes the busiest transition and the bar edge.
  8. Protect the finished floor during the remainder of the fit-out and issue the cleaning method to café staff.

What designers can take from TAP

The strongest lesson is compositional. Engineered timber supplies a warm, human-scale layer, but the rustic identity emerges from its conversation with polished aggregate, raw brick, rust tile, brass and white gloss tile. The angled installation adds movement without requiring a complicated motif. Smooth finished oak keeps the palette contemporary, allowing the room to feel welcoming rather than themed.

For a current project, begin with that relationship and then validate the practical specification. HW661 Chalet White Midi is identified as no longer stocked, while EP114 Waterford and EP124 Hawthorn are listed as supplier-suggested similar-look options. None should be ordered as a presumed equivalent without checking samples, availability and technical data for the intended café.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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