Biasol Studio was engaged to design the unified brand and interior experience of Pine Nut Cycle Café, with the desire to create a strong sense of community underpinned by a yearning for adventure.

South Lake Tahoe in California is a magical world of natural wonders and outdoor adventure. With trail bike riding and hiking through forests, and paddle boarding on crystal clear waters, South Lake Tahoe is the ultimate vacation spot for those who love the great outdoors. This sublime setting provided the inspiration for Pine Nut Cycle Café, a health-focused café with bike rental that is truly setting a new benchmark in hospitality and service. Pine Nut Cycle Café is the new must-visit destination in South Lake Tahoe, serving up wellness, community engagement and a good dose of adventure.

The brief asked for an international studio to help create an international destination and to set a new standard in hospitality, design and lifestyle in the South Lake Tahoe area. We took a holistic approach to the design, integrating the experience with the natural surroundings, and developing materiality and branding inspired by the union of nature and craft.

Pine Nut Cycle Café combines a café, retail area and bike rental service, which we seamlessly integrated through an earthy, minimalist palette; considered, custom detailing; and the celebration of local timber and trade.

The palette encapsulates the essence of South Lake Tahoe, inspired by the changing seasons and local materiality. Soft greys and greens evoke the pine forest landscape, and timber joinery honours the local craftsmanship tradition, while steering clear of the conventional pine timber finishes that define the rustic style of local venues. We worked with local trades, and local and international suppliers to use honest materials with refined simplicity. Concrete café counter tiles are from Heath Ceramics in California, while the splashbacks and benchtops are from Fibonacci Stone in Australia. These materials have natural, understated colours and textures that evoke the surroundings and a sense of authenticity, and create a refreshing, modern and welcoming space.

We conceived the brand identity in union with the interior colour scheme and finishes, balancing the modern minimalism with the warmth of nature. Recycled paper stocks for packaging and menus, and fresh nature-inspired hues for coffee cups, stickers and merchandise complement the natural materials. We crafted the travel-inspired stamp graphic and organic pine-tree brand mark with a bespoke feel. The pine-tree iconography defines the internal wayfinding system, and features on illuminated menus and signage finished in black. The branding is also applied to takeaway menus, coffee cups, water bottles, juice labels, stickers and bicycles.

Pine Nut Cycle Café is the new hospitality, lifestyle and adventure destination in South Lake Tahoe, attracting visitors and tourists from near and far. Offering healthy food and beverages, and providing bicycle sales and rentals, Pine Nut Cycle Café is a welcoming one-of-a-kind destination that unites the alpine community and locality, and nourishes the soul with the spirit of wellness and adventure.

Design: Biasol Studio Photography: Codi Ann, Spencer Backman

7 Images | expand images for additional detail