D’Espresso uses shelves of books as its ceiling and floor as well as its walls—a design
inspired by the nearby Bryant Park Library and executed by nemaworkshop.
Combine a well-conceived image with sensible design principles for a winning interior.
BY MAURA KELLER A
nurag Nema may be on to something. She is among the increasing number of interior design and architectural
professionals using innovative design methodologies for coff ee shop interiors. And Nema is not alone. More and more specialty coff ee retailers and subsequent design professionals recognize the important role interior design plays in coff eehouses— namely a unique interior, including furnishings, lighting, and accessories—will diff erentiate you from an ordinary coff ee shop and increase customer loyalty. According to Bob Welty, executive director, design and
brand at WD Partners in Dublin, Ohio, all good store design is about brand strategy. “Th e store is a critical piece of brand communication. Everything in the store, including all the furniture, lighting, and graphics, support a bigger brand
20 | June 2011 • www.specialty-coffee.com
statement,” Welty says. “It should address the store’s and its brand’s key competitive diff erence.” For example, Anurag Nema, owner of nemaworkshop,
embarked on the interior design of D’Espresso, on Madison Avenue in New York City, where the espresso bar conceptually and literally turns a normal room sideways. Inspired by the nearby Bryant Park Library, nemaworkshop designed a store that is straightforward in a simple yet twisted way—take a library and turn it sideways. Th e book-lined shelves become the floor and ceilings, and wood floor ends up on the walls. Meanwhile, the pendants protrude sideways from the wall. Nema and her team strived to create a design that was bold and fresh in both colors and materials. “Th e goal was to give an identity to the emerging brand,”
