cafes Archives

Cafe interior with white oak tables, burnt orange seats and a wall mural

Paris-based lifestyle brand Kitsuné has opened a cafe next to its boutique in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, both with minimalist interiors featuring white oak and stainless steel.

The interiors of the new Cafe Kitsuné and the renovated Maison Kitsuné store were designed by co-founder Masaya Kuroki to reflect the brand’s French-Japanese culture as well as the West Coast setting.

Facing Sunset Boulevard on the east side of the city, this is the brand’s fourth cafe in North America – following locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Vancouver – and its first in LA.

“A sprawling city of diverse findings, from cutting-edge restaurants to pockets of art and architecture second to none, LA has lent design inspiration and a backdrop to several campaigns for the fashion house,” said the Kitsuné team.

White oak counter front with stainless steel panels behind — White oak tables and surfaces are set against stainless steel counters and panelling for a minimalist look

“Now, it’s the perfect setting for Café Kitsuné, a physical extension of the brand’s Franco-Japanese DNA, and reinvention of the classic Parisian cafe and wine bar experience with a Japanese twist,” they added.

The building’s red-tile exterior and poured concrete flooring were preserved, and hand-painted signage by Californian artist Jeffrey Sincich was added over the large street-facing windows.

Burnt orange dining chairs and upholstered benches highlight the colours of the mural

Inside the 700-square-foot (65-square-metre) cafe, white oak tables and brushed stainless-steel counters feature alongside burnt orange dining chairs and upholstered benches.

Another Sincich mural covers the full length of a wall, offering “a whimsical take on Café Kitsuné’s standard appearance” and presenting the space as an “old-school market”.

A speaker system by Japanese audio company Rotel was installed in the cafe “to provide a top-notch sound experience for customers”, according to Kitsuné.

Next door in the boutique, a similar material palette is used for elements including a built-in storage and display unit across the back wall.

Maison Kitsuné boutique with oak panelling and bright blue central table — The existing Maison Kitsuné boutique next door has also received a refresh

White oak forms the framing, shelves and doors that lead to the stock and fitting rooms, while ribbed stainless-steel sheets provide a backdrop for the items on show.

More oak was used for the minimalist service counter and panelling behind, and a bright blue table sits in the centre to add a pop of colour.

White oak built-in shelving display for clothing, with bent metal chair in front — White oak and stainless steel are repeated in this space to create a visual connection with the cafe

Kitsuné was founded by 2002 by Kuroki and Gildas Loaëc and encompasses the fashion brand, Maison Kitsuné; a music label, Kitsuné Musique; and its line of cafes, bars and restaurants.

Back in 2017, French designer Mathieu Lehanneur designed the Kitsuné store interior in New York’s Soho, adding snaking metal rails for displaying garments.

The photography is by David Kitz.

Reference

The exterior of a small, modern grocery store

Interior Design

Side Angle Side transforms Austin post office into restaurant

By Zarkon Group,19/01/2024

Texas architecture studio Side Angle Side has adapted a 1960s post office into a food market and restaurant in Austin.

Opened in October 2023 in the Hyde Park area, Tiny Grocer serves as a speciality market, bar and cafe while Bureau de Poste is a modern French bistro led by celebrity chef Jo Chan.

Austin-based commercial and residential architecture firm Side Angle Side renovated the 3,500-square foot (325-square metre) 1967 US Post Office building and added a 1,500-square foot (140-square metre) outdoor dining patio.

“The Hyde Park U.S. Post Office was an important neighborhood hub in the 1960s – so we were especially careful to keep the integrity and spirit of the mid-century-utilitarian design,” Arthur Furman, founding partner of Side Angle Side, told Dezeen.

A grocery market with green shelving — The team sought to preserve the building’s history as a community hub

“As the anchor tenant in the space, Tiny Grocer continues to be the centre of the community, a place to gather, shop, eat and drink.”

The shell of the white brick building was left intact, but the street-facing facade was previously used as a loading dock so the team transformed the back-of-house edge into a welcoming patio for the neighbourhood by removing the asphalt and adding two large live oak trees and a steel trellis and planters.

A bar in a grocery and market — The exterior of the building was kept intact

A cast-in-place concrete banquette holds the edge of the patio that is paved with antique red brick.

The steel planter forms a boundary between the parking area and the dining space, while the other edge is held by a light grey-coloured stucco restroom building. White metal furniture from Isimar and Portofino was used to furnish the patio.

“The patio and wine garden is the real heart of the project,” the team said, mentioning that it wasn’t within the original scope of the project but added later when its larger value was realized. “This is where all the care and thought of the interior spills to the outside, creating a lively environment.”

Wooden tables in front of a black framed window — The renovated building has exposed concrete floors from the original building

On the interior, Side Angle Side complemented the original ceiling and open web joists with metal decking and industrial warehouse pendants by AQ Lighting. The polished concrete floors expose the weathered imperfections and show the history of the building.

Upon entering, shoppers take in the colourful selection of curated products displayed on white oak mercantile shelving. Green millwork hugs one wall and the space widens to an open interior plan.

A patio with white metal seating and plants — A patio and wine garden is at the heart of the project

A central deli and coffee bar floats in the middle of the room and creates a transition from the market to the bistro. The bar is wrapped in Seneca terracotta tile and topped with grey and white quartz countertops. Wooden Soule barstools are tucked under the waterfall counter.

The back-of-house spaces hold a kitchen office, storage, and bar equipment.

“Working closely with the owner, design finishes hint at the building’s midcentury past,” the team said, referencing the custom, built-in leather banquette by Undercover Austin Upholstery that lines the bistro’s back wall.

Above the banquette and Second Chance Custom wooden dining tables hang black cone light pendants by All Modern.

A patio with white metal seating — The patio features brick flooring and white metal furniture

“The single biggest sustainable feature of this project is one that is often overlooked,” the team said, noting the adaptation of the structure. “The ‘loose fit, long life’ style of these old buildings leads to more reuse and far less waste.”

Recent adaptive reuse projects in Austin include a 1900s house converted to a luxury office by Michael Hsu and commercial units converted to an architecture studio by Baldridge Architects.

The photography is by Likeness Studio and Mackenzie Smith Kelly.

Project credits:

Structural engineer: Creative Engineering
MEP engineer: ATS Engineers
Builder: Archive Properties
Commercial interior design: Side Angle Side
Architects: Side Angle Side
Building shell: Thought Barn Studio
Landscape design: Side Angle Side & Wild Heart Dirt
Owner: Steph Steele

Reference

Interior Design

Commoncraft draws on “beauty in imperfection” for New York cafe

By Zarkon Group,06/01/2024

Distressed concrete, rowlock bricks and worn plasterwork create an intentionally unfinished appearance at this cafe in New York City’s East Village neighbourhood, designed by Brooklyn studio Commoncraft.

For its expansion into Manhattan, New Jersey-based Kuppi Coffee Company secured a 350-square-foot space on bustling St Marks Place – its second location.

The compact interior has just enough space for a customer area and the cafe counter, plus a prep area and a WC for staff at the back.

Commoncraft approached the front-of-house space with an ethos akin to wabi-sabi, the Japanese art of “flawed beauty”.

Cafe counter faced with rowlock-course bricks — Commoncraft chose materials for the space that appear purposefully rough and unfinished

“Employing a range of rough and raw materials, Commoncraft’s design of Kuppi Cafe seeks out the beauty in imperfection,” said the studio, which was founded by Zach Cohen and Tony-Saba Shiber.

Textured concrete plaster curves up from two perpendicular walls and over the ceiling, enveloping the room together with the concrete floor.

Concrete interior with small brick bench against a wall — The compact space features a small bench for customers awaiting their orders

Where these walls meet, a vertical element is wrapped in bluish plaster that’s peeling away to reveal a whitewash beneath.

The Kuppi logo is applied faintly at the top, and stainless-steel shelves for displaying merchandise are cut into part of the pillar’s corner.

Brick cafe counter facing a glass facade — The cafe counter is faced in bricks stacked on their sides to expose their “guts”

Zones for customer interaction – including the service counter and a small bench – are defined by terracotta bricks, which are stacked on their sides in rowlock courses “to expose their core and mortar ‘guts’.”

“Each terracotta volume is terminated by a course of cut bricks, further revealing the rough, imperfect cores,” Commoncraft said.

In such a compact space, the designers have ensured that their concept carries through each of the cafe’s elements.

“The material honesty of the space is further reinforced by a number of small details,” said Commoncraft.

A corner element is wrapped in bluish plaster that’s distressed to reveal a whitewash underneath

These include floating stainless steel shelves behind the counter, a freestanding glass splash guard for baked goods and spherical concrete pendant lights suspended at different heights above the bench.

The cafe is highly visible from the high-traffic street through its fully glazed facade.

A counter terminated by a course of cut bricks, with a glass enclosure for pastries on top — The counter is terminated by a course of cut bricks

New York City is home to thousands of cafes and coffee shops, including many independent establishments with unique interiors intended to entice customers inside.

Among them is another Commoncraft project: a Williamsburg eatery named Gertie designed as a playful tribute to the owner’s grandmother.

The photography is by Andrew Fu.

Project credits:

Client: Kuppi Coffee Company (Kevin and Vivian Kim)
Architecture and interior design: Commoncraft
Plumbing engineer: Alan R Schwartz
General contractor: LTI Construction Corp

Reference

Interior of Cafe Bao with wood-panelled mezzanine

Interior Design

BAO King’s Cross pays tribute to Asia’s Western-style cafes

By Zarkon Group,17/06/2021

The King’s Cross outpost of London restaurant BAO features a wood-panelled interior designed by Macaulay Sinclair based on the Western-style cafes of Taiwan and Japan.

Set within a mixed-use building in Pancras Square, the 188-square-metre space includes a restaurant and bar, a baked goods counter and a workshop as well as a management head office.

Its menu and interior was informed by Taiwan’s oldest Western-style cafe, Bolero, as well as Japanese kissatens, a type of tearooms that were popular in the middle of the 20th century.

Kissatens serve Yōshoku cuisine, an interpretation of western food seen through an Asian lens. Typical dishes include katsu sandwiches, omurice omelettes – made with fried rice and fried scrambled eggs – and hamburger steak.

Wood serving counter and glossy red floor in London restaurant by Macaulay Sinclair — A pastry counter next to the entrance extends into a bar

“It’s the type of place that is disappearing fast, similar to the pie and mash shops in London,” BAO founder and creative director Erchen Chang told Dezeen.

“But it’s a heritage that is growing a new wave of nostalgia. The restaurant, Bolero, was the first and now oldest Western-style cafe in Taiwan and it’s got such a history to it. It feels as though time has been frozen – in a good way. I love the decor, the old waiters and mostly the old menu.”

Wood counter with coffee machine in Cafe Bao — Bespoke timber and glazed screens provide views into the kitchen

Chang and the team at BAO worked with Nottingham-based Macaulay Sinclair to create an interior that evokes the “nostalgic domesticity” of traditional Taiwanese kitchens, houses and eateries.

“All our restaurants are interpretations of culture in Taiwan,” said Chang, who founded the restaurant chain alongside Shing Tat Chung and Wai Ting Chung.

“We like to use this as a starting point and point of reference for our restaurants and whilst our aim is to create that experience that transports you, it’s not to create a direct copy of the references we take.”

Wood serving counter with display cases in London restaurant by Macaulay Sinclair — Baked goods are displayed near the front of the space

When customers enter the restaurant, they are greeted by a baked goods counter showcasing a range of handmade pastries that they can take away or enjoy in the restaurant.

The counter extends into a bar and overlooks the dining area, which is set with simple square tables and dining chairs by Finnish brand Artek.

Light streams in through large floor-to-ceiling windows and a white-accented staircase takes diners upstairs to a mezzanine level overlooking the double-height restaurant.

On the upper level, guests can learn how to make the steamed buns that give the restaurant its name in classes led by BAO bakers.

Pastry chefs working at Cafe Bao — Diners can watch the chefs at work

The double-height space is wrapped in wood panelling, polished plaster surfaces and bespoke timber screens with glazed panelling.

On the ground floor behind the bar, the screens separate the kitchen from the restaurant, while on the mezzanine level they allow diners to peek into the workshop space.

Solid and veneered iroko wood is used throughout the restaurant, finished with a mix of timber stains and lacquer sheens, while the floor is finished with red epoxy paint in a gloss finish that BAO refers to as “Bauhaus red”.

Dining area with white staircase and paper lanterns at London restaurant by Macaulay Sinclair — Paper lanterns by Isamu Noguchi hang in the dining area

“The bespoke timber and glazed screens are intended to be a playful yet functional barrier between kitchen and restaurant trading space,” said Mike Sinclair, who founded Macaulay Sinclair alongside John Macaulay in 2003.

“Glazing provides considered sightlines into the theatre kitchen whilst flexible, openable apertures assist operational communication.”

Dining chairs against wood-panelled walls in Cafe Bao — The floor is finished in red epoxy paint

All joinery featured throughout the restaurant and workshop space is bespoke and the paper lanterns that hang above the dining area are by Japanese designer Isamu Noguchi.

A museum-style glass display area under the staircase showcases some of the restaurant’s bao buns and restaurant merchandise.

White staircase and wood-panelled walls in London restaurant by Macaulay Sinclair — A white-lacquered staircase leads up to the mezzanine

Macaulay Sinclair also worked on the nearby Dishoom restaurant in King’s Cross, which is located in a former railway transit shed and channels mid-20th-century Bombay.

Photography is by John Carey.

Reference

cafes

Cafe Kitsuné Los Angeles features Parisian interiors with “Japanese twist”

Side Angle Side transforms Austin post office into restaurant

Commoncraft draws on “beauty in imperfection” for New York cafe

BAO King’s Cross pays tribute to Asia’s Western-style cafes

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