Demitasse | Liqui Group

Demitasse is another project where Liqui was responsible for both the restaurant interior design and the build, while our creative agency Crate47 took care of the branding. Working hand in hand like this means that clients receive a fully integrated service that results in the brand and interior working in unison to create a truly harmonious brand experience. It also means that with everything being handled in one place, there is a flow of ideas back and forth between all disciplines leading to a greater degree of continuity throughout the project as a whole. Added to this is the practical aspect of Liqui taking care of every part of the interior fit out. This holistic approach was very appealing to the couple behind Demitasse who, having the desire to create one of the best coffee shops in London, chose Liqui to collaborate with.

Demitasse is a restaurant interior design with speciality coffee at its core. This is exemplified by the coffee mod bar in prime position on the minimalistic front counter. There is a timeless, classic look to the interior design of this sophisticated coffee shop which is well suited to its location on Wimbledon High Street. It draws its influences from modern wine bars and the elegant tea rooms of high-end hotels as much as it does from coffee shop design itself. The clean lines of its minimalist aesthetic are enhanced by the use of high-quality materials matched with refined details; giving it an air of restrained luxury. Despite being a fairly deep interior, it has a light and airy feel; with pale marble flooring throughout and a large skylight above the dining area at the back. Here, the soothing green foliage of the indoor plants helps to create a cool, relaxed atmosphere; while large antiqued mirrors reflect the cloud-like textures of the Venetian plaster on the adjacent walls.

These wall finishes appear elsewhere in the restaurant interior design tying everything together. In addition, there is a run of backlit fluted oak panels interspersed with original artworks along the white wall that runs opposite to the bespoke front counter design where the fluting is replicated. The warm tones of the wood achieve a harmony with the muted hues of the custom furniture finishes; set off by brass highlights that appear in such things as the lights above the counter and the subtle brand marque on the wall behind. The coffee shop interior opens onto an outside seating area through oak framed bi-fold doors that can be concertinaed back in good weather enhancing the inside/outside feel echoed by the skylight at the rear.

Besides the restaurant design and fit out, Liqui created all of the distinctive modern furniture and lighting for the interior. In addition to custom finishes and colours to existing ranges, Liqui can also create completely bespoke furniture for individual interiors. In the case of Demitasse, this included semi-circular, high-backed banquette seating which features classic tuck and roll leather upholstery. The same grey leather has been carried through onto the new tub chairs which also appear in a subtle shade of green from our range of sustainable fabrics. Being able to create bespoke fixed pieces such as the banquettes and of course, the coffee bar design itself (with its different stations for serving, drink preparation, and food display) means that they can be fully integrated into the restaurant interior design as a whole – creating a continuity of style and an intelligent use of space.

For the luxury branding that Crate47 created for Demitasse, they developed a suite of brand elements. It was felt that the brand needed an air of heritage to compliment Liqui’s classic style interior design. A typographical logo of elegant letterforms was evolved with original details giving it a refined character. In addition to the logo design, they created a separate marque based on the capital ‘D’ placed in a roundel, as well as a botanical drawing in the style of an old engraving of a coffee plant. A muted colour palette completed the brand. Crate47 then undertook the graphic design for print items such as menus and business cards as well as coffee dusters and window branding. On top of that, they created the website which they host and maintain in addition to marketing, social media, and content creation – all elements of Demitasse’s visual identity.