Commercial · concept
CULT Coffee Shop — boutique hospitality concept
An interior study for a neighborhood cafe with a strong identity
Bucharest · May 2026
Brief
A concept developed for an urban coffee shop with a strong identity — CULT — where three-dimensional branding, natural materiality and warm light come together to make a place where guests linger long past their lunchtime espresso. The proposal explores how a small cafe can work simultaneously as a breakfast bistro, an informal library and a daytime work space. [INFERRED — Carmen confirms]
Design intent
The study begins from the idea that a specialty coffee shop must be recognizable before it is tasted. The CULT logo, modeled in volume, becomes the compositional anchor — on the bar, on the entrance wall, in the vitrine — while the rest of the room recedes into a tactile palette of pale horizontal-grain wood, cream microcement, natural textiles and woven rattan pendants. [INFERRED — Carmen confirms]
Key features
- CULT logo modeled in volume, repeated as a signature on the bar, entrance wall and vitrine [INFERRED — Carmen confirms]
- Curved bar in microcement finish with pale wood shelving for bottles and books [INFERRED — Carmen confirms]
- Modular ceiling of stepped volumes that visually separates the reception zone from the service zone [INFERRED — Carmen confirms]
- Solid-wood seating with woven detailing paired with rattan pendant lighting [INFERRED — Carmen confirms]
- Restroom treated as a sculptural object — central oval wood element with backlit niches [INFERRED — Carmen confirms]
Gallery