Commercial · concept

CULT Coffee Shop — boutique hospitality concept

An interior study for a neighborhood cafe with a strong identity

Bucharest · May 2026

CULT Coffee Shop — boutique hospitality concept

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

Evening facade with the backlit CULT logo in the vitrine
Daytime facade with signage legible from the street
Alternate angle on the bar showing the curved counter and shelving wall
Wide interior view with dining tables, rattan pendants and a modular ceiling
Lounge-and-dining transition zone with sofa, low tables and a wood-slat wall
Covered outdoor terrace with timber beams and rattan pendants
Restroom detail treated as a sculptural object with backlit niches
Wardrobe niche showing material continuity with the rest of the space