Freelance writers and journalists can work for as long as they want without being pestered by waiting staff at this black and white Parisian cafe by local design studio POOL.
Designed for professionals who don't have a permanent office, Cafe Craft lets customers use the internet and power points while they work but doesn't force them to continually order food and drink for the privilege.
"We chose black and white for the walls to highlight the architectural lines, staying mostly neutral so not to disturb the studious atmosphere," designers Léa Padovani and Sébastien Kieffer told Dezeen. "We added yellow and brass details to blur the border between cosy cafe and workshop."
Different floor materials denote the three areas of the cafe: speckled terrazzo is laid in the entrance, the serving area is surrounded by chequerboard tiles and herringbone parquet is used in the workspace area at the rear of the cafe.
Most of the furniture was designed or customised specifically for the cafe and is arranged to create a variety of working environments, such as the twelve-seat table in the middle of the workspace for collaborative work.
Noticeboards and shelves hang from a wall-mounted wire trellis, which also functions as a screen to separate seating areas.
The cafe is situated close to the Canal Saint-Martin, in an area with a large population of freelance writers, journalists and creative professionals.
Photography is by Samuel Kirszenbaum.
See all our stories about cafes »
See all our stories about Paris »
Here is some more information from Pool:
Design by POOL
POOL realized the graphic identity, interior design and most of the furniture of Craft. This is the first 360-degree project for the young studio founded in 2010 by Lea Padovani and Sebastien Kieffer. Dominated by the contrast of black and white, their project graphically highlights the architectural lines and plays on alternating floors to signify the various spaces, without hurting the depth of vision. Between diversion and refinement, noble and industrial materials, apparent mounting and precious finish, POOL expresses its dual style and writes a usage scenario faithfulto the spirit of the café.
Markings
Craft combines the visual codes of a coffee shop, an office and an apartment to give the space the shape of an ideal library. To materialize this ubiquity without betraying the unity of the place, POOL imagined three distinct floor areas and combined three materials rarely associated with each other.
Terrazzo
The place opens on a white-flecked black Terrazzo floor, a material often used in the mass catering universe. This is one of many winks sown by POOL as references to the imaginary of craft or industrial worlds. To complete the design, POOL added to the entrance a supported suspension light, which hangs over a conventional arrangement of tables.
Black and white tiles
Is the diamond shape POOL’s signature? Their first objects and projects were indeed giving hints in that direction, this project is confirming it. In a very subtle way, diamonds are present in the chevron-shaped junction between the terrazzo and the black-andwhite-checkered floor, which is a key feature in the imaginary of Parisian cafés. So is the alternating tiles motif on the baseboard around the counter, the second core area. Around it, apparently-pinned wooden stools are ennobled with a large brushed-brass handle to move them around easily. Thus, as it is often the case in furniture designed by POOL, the functional element becomes ornament; and so is the switch of the Vulcan lights, aligned on the large work table.
Herringbone parquet
Another chevron-shaped transition marks the junction between the checkered-tiles floor and the herringbone parquet, an implicit reference to the Haussmann-styled Parisian apartments. This area is split between the large coworking table and a lounge separated from the rest of the space by a metal trellis. Behind it, deep wooden benches covered with three-colored fabrics, mismatched coffee tables and a few ferns create a versatile environment suited both for focused meetings or total relaxation..
Community Table
At the heart of the concept, the large worktable embodies Craft’s identity. It provides clients with 12 comfortable workstations, from which they can freely use power outlets and Ethernet cables. The wooden apparent mounting of the base winks at the workshop while its composite material top surface refers to mass catering. Although from rustic inspiration, its details unveil unexpected sophistication, a duality that runs throughout the project and which characterizes the style POOL
Weft
Altogether separation element and wall decoration, the trellis frames echo the tile floor and offer a wide surface of expression. Halfway between a notebook page and a Facebook profile, it can bring together pictures, magazines, ads, menus and all sorts of information that calls to and stimulate the imagination of Craft’s regulars.