Design studio I IN has used warm, golden hues to decorate the Pinocchio bakery in Yokohama, Japan, which displays bread and pastries on minimalist shelves.

Measuring at just 4.2 metres wide, Pinocchio sits in front of Oguchi train station and has been decorated to match the delicacies sold within.

The tiny bakery project, which I IN also calls Small Icon, has been shortlisted for Dezeen Awards 2020 in the small retail interior category.

"Though the space was extremely limited, the store asked to have a strong identity with the facade and interior," said I IN.

"Vivid gradient and soft textures that express the quality and colour of the bread are spread both inside and outside the store," added the studio.

"It expresses the soft charm of the bread itself and allows the customer to feel the world of bread with their entire body."

The interior and exterior walls are rendered in a textured material that has been painted with a golden hue, like the crust of a freshly baked loaf or a flaky croissant.

"A plasterer who works in the performing arts collaborated with us," said the studio. "Along with the vivid colour, the surface has a dense and bold texture."

Pinocchio is spelt out in a slim, sans serif font above the wide, square doorway. Glazed doors are set deep into the thick outer walls.

Inside, the ceilings have been painted to match the crust-coloured walls.

A corridor of wooden floorboards runs down the centre of the shop, flanked by corridors of flooring that have been delicately sponge-painted in bready colours.

The bakery has only 30 square metres of floor space, so the designers created an uncluttered interior that focuses on the products.

Two rows of minimal floating shelves made of wood run along both walls and around corners. Spotlights on the ceiling and under the topmost shelves bathe the baked goods in a soft glow.

Based in Tokyo, I IN is a design studio that was founded in 2018 by Yohei Terui and Hiromu Yuyama.

More bakeries with interiors that are good enough to eat include this sugar-pink bakery in Ukraine and an artisanal flour shop and bakery in Canada painted in shades of caramel.

Photography is by Tomooki Kengaku.

Project credits:

Client: Yokohama shokusan
Architect: I IN
Constructor: Legoretta
Lighting design: I IN