A little urban coolness in the middle of Balwyn, Snow Pony brings a fresh approach to cafe dining.

Snow Pony is an eclectic space made up with white washed walls, terrazzo floors, beautiful old leather banquettes, industrial communial tables and lights, and an impressive photo as the feature of the main cafe.

In the back room there are little French tables mingle with white linen while outside the decking is lined with wisteria and old industrial church pews.

“The idea behind Snow Pony is to re-invent village life,” said Jason McLaren Jones, part-owner and designer of Snow Pony. “Coming from the country, I grew up with no commercial shopping centres, eat streets, franchises etc… and I believe it is important to bring a sense of community into the burbs.  The area was desperately lacking a café with a strong focus on a produce and seasonal driven menu, and to create a café not out of the “box” – to make a space that feels as though it has founds its feet instantly and could have been there for fifteen years already.”

Jason drew his inspiration from many of Melbourne’s eclectic mix of commercial hole in the wall style retail and hospitality venues.  He has a love of collecting things from industrial to worn leather wingback chairs, a style he likes to call European industrial chic!

“All my life I have collected art, interesting objects and pieces of furniture,” he said. “I am constantly

inspired by the style of Melbourne’s commercial developments, and it is always done on a tiny budget. I try to create a space and energy that I feel people will warm to and make it a part of their everyday lives.”

Snow Pony is a simple open space at the front, not over cluttered, with beautiful clean lines. The use of an uncomplicated colour palate creates a blank canvas in which to show off the food that is presented with artistic flair.

“There are white washed wet plaster walls that allow ever-changing art work to hang, classic bentwood chais, parquetry tables, and ‘molar’  yellow stools around a 150 year old French oak communal table,” continued Jason. “We have old French factory lights with cages hanging on loops of black electrical cord, terrazzo floor, tan leather banquettes and a beautiful photo of a friends little brother as the whole backdrop to the café. Through a little room with wood paneled walls, nudes and original 1950’s lino red, white and green squared floor to the side patio with is undercover and features beautiful 4.8 metre church pews originally from Tasmania.”

Jason sourced his fixtures and furnishings from a wide variety of places including Mark Tuckey in Fitzroy, Andrew Gourlay from French Style in Armadale, Le Parquetuer in Richmond, Thonet in Fitzroy, and ebay a lot too!