A fun hotel name is now defined by the interior theme
We took inspiration from the hotel name to bring to life a lobby that creates the atmosphere of a Dutch cafe, using antique coffee grinders, hanging cups and mix-matched furniture. The concrete walls and the light colours give the hotel reception a bright yet intimate feel.
A quirky mix of vintage pieces & artefacts
Our task was to redesign the lobby within a very tight budget. That was the brief and everything else was up to us! The hotel was already called ‘Espresso’ and the previous theme was obviously brown coffee! So we decided to firstly bring colour into the space and bring in the coffee theme with a collection of old Dutch coffee grinders that we found on ebay for surprisingly little cost! We also hunted around Amsterdam for one-off chairs and tables and re-upholstered them in up to date local fabrics.
Creating a new trendy vibe with stylish details
It is amazing how much an interior can transform with a few small touches and changes. On the rear feature wall and wall behind reception and the breakfast area we chose a light grey concrete paint finish. The reception desk we re-covered in a pale green subway tile that was previously a dark heavy wood finish. The banquette seating frames were made in an oak veneer set beautifully with the soft colour palette we chose for the seating fabrics.
The spirit of Dutch Coffee
Just some background on Dutch coffee!! Dutch Coffee is a brewing method that originated from the golden ages. Contrary to commonly known brewing techniques Dutch coffee is brewed using cold water instead of hot water! Although brewing Dutch Coffee takes somewhere between 3-6 hours, the use of cold water has quite a few benefits that compensate the longer brewing time. Dutch Coffee barely oxidises making it extremely easy to taste the subtlest of fruity flavours in the used coffee.
Dramatic & geometric ceiling feature
We love spaces with atriums or very high ceilings! It really allows us to play with volumes and lighting. Espresso had the benefit of the entrance having a high ceiling but they didn’t make the most of it in the original interior. We proposed covering the ceiling in layers of wood strips, which also have the practical effect of hiding the services above. We painted the ceiling black to give an emphasis to the warm wood colour then we then chose key spots from which to hang the pendant lighting. We mixed expensive with super-budget light fitting to balance out the budget! Overall the interior was totally transformed using some simple and creative tricks! Our client and the guests were very happy too. Another successful pocket-sized project by FIG!
