Coffeebar is a contemporary space in the heart of Silicon Valley’s venture capital center, Menlo Park, California. The design teams collaborated with Coffeebar founder Greg Buchheister to reimagine a building that was once a nail salon and an Asian food market into a curated, modern café that would draw in commuters and residents alike. The exterior was transformed from a simple commodity building to a bespoke retail destination. A simple material palette of steel, cypress, and glass creates a contemporary ambiance while offering durability in a heavy traffic environment. Elliptically-shaped, exterior wooden louvers float in front of the oversized glass windows and doors to provide sun protection and soft natural light into the interior. The steel trim and blackened standing-seam metal panels convey a sophisticated, industrial quality that complements the interiors.

Taking inspiration from Italian coffee bars, the interior features terrazzo countertops and walls. A bicycle chain chandelier, bicycle enamel paint and an alcove partitioned with metal chain curtains pay homage to the biking culture of Silicon Valley. A live-edge walnut communal table, which is accented by striking butterfly joints in teal blue, anchors the space. Banquettes, hightop tables with terrazzo counters, and copper-top café tables edge the interior. A custom designed retail area supports the front counter with its high customer turnover. Interior details include a copper-paneled water station, copper wall panels with exposed riveting and ash walls. The floor is the original concrete that has been highly polished.

Project Team

Walker Warner Architects (Architecture)

NICOLEHOLLIS (Interior Design)

Cody|Brock (Contractor)

Photographer

Laure Joliet