4Space has recently completed the Kava & Chai project at Mall of the Emirates. It’s a homegrown speciality coffeehouse that projects Arab culture and traditions surrounding tea and coffee in a positive and intimate way. The client wanted to re-brand the interior design for their new locations but still keeping the identity and the soul of the brand.

With the given limited and tight space, the 4Space team considered parametric design for generating the overall concept. The focal point of the design are the tubes installation and globe lights. It has bold elements that creates a ceiling statement. The whole inspiration came from the Arabica tree and clusters of coffee beans. To add a layer of the graphic element, we laid a leaf pattern that promotes the branding identity. Creating this inviting space gives a clearer picture of colour palettes taking on a distinctly edgier tone. Teals are warming up spaces across the interior design industry especially in F&B. It provides depth and an alternative to white walls that have dominated trends in recent times. Together with the customised globe lights that emit a natural glow, the chosen materials create a mesmerising visual effect, improving the ambience of a small space.

On the table top, the modern Terrazzo is used with inlays of Kava & Chai icons which are coffee beans and tea leaf. Since the wheel of design is always turning, Terrazzo is suddenly the height of chic. It’s currently viewed as a bit of luxury finish but was actually created as a budget-friendly material.

Flooring work is executed using the Palladiana terrazzo— a type of mosaic finish incorporating the use of large marble slabs. The results were astonishing, the use of larger-sized aggregates helps to create a graphic-like effect.

For the chairs and seating pods, upholstery has come to the scene as the answer to a tight cafe seating area with a colour of the Pantone live coral. For the counter, 4Space used Oakwood and engraved icons for a more refined look.