American studio Warkentin Associates has aimed to capture the “spirit of ’90s coffee shop culture” inside this cafe and lounge in Marina del Rey, Los Angeles.
NOUN is an all-day spot on Glencoe Avenue that serves espresso-based drinks in the morning and natural wines in the evening.
The NOUN coffee shop includes a custom blue table for laptop work
New York and LA-based Warkentin Associates channelled the “spirit of ’90s coffee shop culture” in the 1,500-square-foot (140-square-foot) interior, creating a relaxed environment in which patrons can work, meet and feel at home.
“Our process always draws upon a diverse array of references and influences,” said studio founder Nathan Warkentin. “With NOUN, we loved the idea of celebrating the beauty of the mismatched, and were inspired by the warmth of ’90s coffee shops, the irreverence of postmodernism, and the personal charm of an artist’s living room.”
The cafe is designed to encourage customers to stop and linger, rather than grab and go
Different zones within the cafe facilitate various functions, beginning with the two seating areas that greet guests just beyond the entrance.
Set up like living rooms, a collection of vintage and classic design pieces is arranged on large area rugs – one in wool by Nordic Knots and another in natural sisal from Curran.
Comfortable lounge areas feature a mixture of vintage furniture
Beyond, a custom blue-lacquered communal table that sits below a spherical Isamu Noguchi pendant lamp is intended for laptop users and casual meetings.
Wooden two-top tables “create private settings for tete-Ã -tetes or personal meetings”, said the team, and additional seating outside is surrounded by tropical flora.
Window coverings are fashioned from painters’ drop cloth
The cafe’s main counter is faced with straight-stack red bricks and accompanied by small stainless steel stools that match the countertops.
There’s no espresso machine – instead, NOUN serves bottled espresso and pour-over drinks made with co-fermented coffee beans.
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“For coffee enthusiasts and amateurs alike, this ensures that the beverages served will be dialed-in, controlled, and consistent,” said the team.
“Bottled espresso also reduces the amount of waste typically produced by the standard coffee shop.”
Wooden two-top tables create spots for one-on-one chats
Warketin sourced a 1970s smoked glass and chrome coffee table by Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina and vintage Italian postmodern chairs from the 1990s.
To achieve a “juxtaposition between high and low”, these are paired side tables built using concrete pavers and window coverings fashioned from painters’ drop cloth.
Bathrooms feature striped walls and ceilings influenced by Mario Botta
Two-tone decor in the bathrooms switches between striped walls and ceilings influenced by Italian architect Mario Botta, and checkerboard tiles across the fronts of stainless steel “portals” that house basins, mirrors and vertical lighting.
Other new cafes around the world with distinctive interiors include a Hamburg coffee shop housing a cork-clad DJ booth, a specialty space in Santander featuring art deco design motifs, and a London spot filled with warm hues and “milky” surfaces.
The photography is by Anna Arnet.