London's trendy Notting Hill neighborhood has been enriched with a new edition of the iconic BEAM Café, the design of which is the responsibility of Ola Jachymiak Studio. The cozy atmosphere here is mixed with strong elements of midcentury modern style, top-shelf design and - not forgetting the cuisine - you'll also find what are said to be the best brunches in town.
not an easy space
BEAM Café at 103 Westbourne Grove is the third location of the award-winning establishment, with the latest installment slated for 2019-2020. The premise of the team at Ola Jachymiak, creative director of her original studio, was to create a unique, warm place that would attract with stylish yet cozy interiors. The layout of the space here is very precise, as the principals wanted the premises to comfortably accommodate 95 guests, so the beginning of the work was to design the perfect spatial shot.
View at the entrance to BEAM Café
© Ola Jachymiak Studio
This was not an easy task, as the premises is long, narrow and has limited access to daylight. The idea to solve this problem was to divide the café into three parts - front, center and back, taking into account all the positive and negative elements of each.
The front part of BEAM Café
© Ola Jachymiak Studio
simplicity and elegance
In the bright front part with access to sunlight, Jachymiak used the midcentury modern style, making the entrance a stylish showpiece of the premises. What is characteristic of this mid-twentieth century style is refined elegance and simplicity, outstanding design, open spaces, light and organic shapes. Thus, in the front part of BEAM Café we find arched recesses in one of the walls, mustard-colored chairs inspired by Pierre Jeanneret 's designs, and a custom-created sofa with a rounded shape.
Royal shelving system in BEAM Café
© Ola Jachymiak Studio
As for the sophisticated design, here we have, for example, the original Bubble lamp, designed by George Nelson, emphasizing the midcentury modern aesthetic, which is further enhanced by the fact that it is reflected in a large round mirror placed on the side wall, thus illuminating the space. Anyway, there are more mirrors, as they stretch the entire length of the center wall, optically enlarging the interior.
Arched alcoves and tables in BEAM Café
© Ola Jachymiak Studio
Slightly further away, but still visible from the street, is a large bar covered with stained oak slats and topped with a massive white Calacatta marble top. This is the focal point of BEAM Café, which is not only convenient for the staff, but also works well as a spot for ordering take-out coffee. On the opposite side of the bar is the royal shelving system, which provides additional seating for guests in addition to displaying carefully selected albums and decorations.
View of the BEAM Café bar
© Ola Jachymiak Studio
light and neutral colors
Designing the area behind the bar was a challenge for the Jachymiak team, due to the lack of natural light. In order to brighten up this space, a custom light installation was made, using New Works lamps. Hanging at different heights, they significantly illuminate the space and create a light composition, visible from every corner of the café, while the glossy paint on the ceiling further reflects the light, enhancing the desired effect.
Bar details and Bubble lamp at BEAM Café
© Ola Jachymiak Studio
In this part of BEAM Café, the juxtaposition of the original raw brick wall with white curtain dividers dividing the space softens the character of the interior and gives the impression of intimacy. Jachymiak used just such delicate, neutral colors in the premises, i.e. white and shades of terracotta, as well as interesting textures such as the aforementioned brick and structural plaster.
The back part of BEAM Café
© Ola Jachymiak Studio
vintage in the details
The culmination of this modernist interior in a thoughtful, contemporary way is the largely custom-made furniture, which, after all, corresponds to the midcentury modern aesthetic, which advocated a return to craftsmanship, as well as carefully selected vintage accessories, such as, for example, decorative stained glass or abstract graphics.
