STUMPTOWN COFFEE: INFINITI CAFE
DESIGNING A JAPANDI-STYLE ‘LOVE LETTER’ TO PORTLAND
CAFE DESIGN | BRAND MOMENTS | CONSUMER EXPERIENCE
Stumptown Coffee Roasters is a well-loved boutique coffee roaster with cafes in markets as far flung as New York City and Kyoto, Japan. Known for producing some of the “best coffee out there,” their specialty beans are widely available across the US, and brewed on all Alaska Airlines flights.
When the Portland, Oregon-based roaster was looking to open their first new hometown cafe location in almost two decades, they approached us to spearhead the design, and oversee build, for a ‘love letter’ to a city we adore.
The corner space windows allow plenty of natural light into the inviting Japandi interior.
A custom ceiling fixture referencing bento boxes hangs over the main seating area with fan inspired plaster wall installation behind.
THE HARMONIOUS EFFECT OF THE JAPANDI STYLE WAS ACHIEVED WITH A SIMPLE, YET CAREFULLY CHOSEN SET OF MATERIALS, COLORS AND FORMS
Each of Stumptown’s cafes are designed to a unique theme, but with a common DNA—their recently opened location in Pasadena is ‘vinyl forward’ for instance. For the new Portland location, our brief was to outfit the compact, first generation concrete shell in the Japandi style. an aesthetic that melds the coziness, warmth, and hygge of Scandinavian design, with the simplicity, attention to detail, and Wabi-Sabi mindset of Japanese spaces.
The harmonious effect was achieved with a simple, yet carefully chosen set of materials, colors and forms. Natural oak with a matte finish was utilized for the floors, wall cladding, and many of the clean-lined furnishings to bring warmth into the interior. A deep green, textured tile wraps the service counter, and is echoed with a green-painted ceiling intended to reduce the visual clutter of exposed ductwork, conduit, and other elements in the raw space.
A large custom ceiling fixture with reference to bento boxes was designed to hang over the main seating area opposite the coffee counter, providing diffused lighting for cafe guests. A swooping backlit installation with a hand-formed plaster fan motif rises behind the simple wood banquette in the same area.
Natural oak with a matte finish used for the floor, cladding, and furniture brings warmth into the cafe.
The heart of every coffee shop, the espresso machine, is specced with a custom finish inspired by the concentric curves of a Japanese zen garden. Small illustrations referencing Stumptown and coffee culture serve as Easter eggs on the machine, as well as in other unexpected corners of the space to delight and reward close observation.
Complementing the unique design of each space, every Stumptown location features an individual take on the logo, and for this location a fan shape is used to reference the Japanese aspects of the design and reference the statement wall in the interior.
THE KINTSUGI PORTLAND MAP SYMBOLIZES THE JAPANESE ART OF MENDING BROKEN OBJECTS, CELEBRATING IMPERFECTIONS, RATHER THAN CONCEALING THEM.
The kintsugi art piece resembling a simplified map of Portland.
Small hidden illustrations delight and reward close observation from guests.
To highlight Stumptown's special commitment to its hometown, we designed an art piece created in the style of kintsugi as a centerpiece to the space. Kintsugi is the Japanese art of mending broken objects with gold, celebrating the imperfection rather than concealing it. The ceramic disc features gold lines arranged to resemble a simplified map of Portland, symbolizing the city’s tough recent past as something beautiful, and a sign of resilience.
Located in a new high rise mixed use building, and directly adjacent to an iconic local mural called Capax Infinity, the new cafe has garnered a steady flow of customers and a warm reception since opening. As the first, new Portland location in twenty years, this “love letter to the city” was highly anticipated, and received broad media coverage from outlets including Eater, Willamette Week, and others.
The custom finish of the espresso machine features concentric curves inspired by zen gardens.
AT-A-GLANCE
CLIENT: Stumptown Coffee Roasters
TYPE: Cafe Design, Consumer Experience
LOCATION: Portland, Oregon
ACTUALIZATION: Space design and build oversight for a first generation coffee shop + cafe.
PARTNERS: Green Rabbit / High Order / Erin McKenna, Architect LLC
OUR ROLE:
Consumer Experience + Journey
Graphic Design
Space Design + Concepts
Brand Moments + Art Installations
Materials Palettes + Design Direction
Floor Plans + Elevations
Conceptual Sketches + 3D Renderings
Custom FF+E Design
Production + Build Management
Fabrication Oversight
Installation Oversight
PROJECT GALLERY
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