INTERIOR DESIGN + ART DIRECTION + CREATIVE DIRECTION

As the Design Director of Workshop Cafe, opening our second location was no small feat. We had our eyes on designing something unlike any other cafe on the market - unlike any other workspace on the market.

Through exhaustive research, ideation, and correspondence with our architects, we found a combination of colors, materials, and a design language that truly spoke to the business’ culture and vibe.

Project scope included, but not limited to:

• Providing creative direction to architects

• Designing and hand-making custom furniture pieces

• Researching and hiring local artists

• Ideating and hand-painting murals

• Schedule creation and maintenance

• Budget management

• Account management

• Project management

Shots of the final space

The Art

At Workshop Cafe, art is a crucial part of its identity. I exclusively sought out local talent to provide the energy Workshop Cafe prides itself in, and decided on Erik Otto, whose dynamic forms and vibrant color palette was perfect for our bold outlook. Furthermore, it helped contrast the concrete jungle that is the San Francisco Financial District.

The second piece was designed and hand-painted by my team and myself. We wanted to speak to Workshop’s inherent DIY nature, and incorporated different textures and paints, even including gaffer’s tape in the final piece (black stripes). 

Interior Design

A significant part of this project was coming up with the right combination of textures and colors that spoke to Workshop’s seemingly disparate aesthetic; modern with a splash of DIY.

I ensured that every brainstorming session and every piece I designed met all the standards of a clean, contemporary space, but always paid homage to the material’s more humble beginnings. Corrugated metal, raw maple, exposed concrete were all key stylistic choices to bolster Workshop’s pride in not being afraid of get its hands dirty.

Furniture

I personally chose every single piece of furniture in the store, and have designed and physically built some of the larger pieces.

The atrium partitions (black pyramidal pieces) are painted a simple matte black, but grooves have been cut into the wood to showcase the beauty of simple materials, staying true to Workshop’s modern-DIY aesthetic.