Creating a Harmonious Blend of Nature and Coffee Culture for Bluestone Lane Café

In our design practice, we hold a deep conviction in the capacity of design to act as a catalyst for transformation, both within the human experience and the spaces they occupy. We often find our muse in nature's textures and movements, crafting captivating and contemplative designs that encourage the observer to pause and reflect. By seamlessly blending natural elements into our designs, we strive to create spaces that not only captivate the senses but also foster a deeper connection to the environment and enhance the user experience. It is this harmonious integration of nature and design, acting as a driving force for personal growth and well-being, that lies at the heart of our work. For this blog post, we wanted to outline how we used our affinity for nature to create something new for an innovative coffee shop brand, Bluestone Lane.

In early 2023, Bluestone Lane owner, Nick Stone, had his Design Director reach out to us about working together on a project for his latest café location in Rice Village, Texas. Bluestone Lane is an Australian-inspired coffee shop that offers a genuine daily escape for all. Focused on providing exceptional coffee, healthy food and an unwavering commitment to customer service, Bluestone Lane Café creates a sense of connection and belonging for its patrons.

For their stylish café setting, we were tasked with developing bespoke wallcoverings that would coalesce the various elements within the café, such as seating areas, display spaces and service counters, with designs that foster a sense of relaxation and elevate the overall ambiance. Specifically, the team at Bluestone had a desire for us to come up with some nature-inspired motifs reminiscent of his native homeland, Australia.

At first, we presented our REEF pattern as a perfect match for the brief, as it was initially inspired by the undulating colors of underwater plants. The vision we had, however, was slightly different as time went on as we sought to evoke images of coffee beans growing within blue mountainous landscapes. Merging these two influences, we skillfully customized the Reef pattern with a soft blue palette, creating a new, re-adapted version that harmoniously blended the essence of the ocean with the allure of coffee cultivation, perfectly complementing Bluestone Lane Café's existing finishes, artwork and internal branded color schemes. The blue gradient, with white grain lines, created a sense of ocean tides advancing and receding while the pattern’s overlapping gestural forms evoked this feeling of natural elevation. These custom patterns were then encased within wooden frames, adorning the walls above the booths and spanning the length of multiple smaller tables.

As with many of our projects, we faced a tight deadline, and ensuring the success of a custom color within this timeframe was not without its risks. It was also a novel concept for us since we had never utilized our patterns in a framed context for a commercial project before. However, our team's dedication and expertise made it possible to deliver the desired result, and we are really happy with the way our two brands’ ethos were able to coexist harmoniously for this space.

What we love about this project is the unique approach of framing wallcoverings as artwork. This innovative solution, paired with the dramatic oversized frames and the softness of the pattern and palette, resulted in an elegant and captivating environment for the café's patrons. We invite designers, architects and visionaries seeking to create similar projects to reach out to us via our Trade portal. Our passion for crafting unique and memorable designs extends far beyond traditional wallcoverings, as demonstrated by our collaboration with Bluestone Lane Café. If you are considering incorporating our patterns in framed artworks or exploring other innovative design solutions, our team is willing to work with you in bringing your ideas to life. Together, we can create spaces that resonate with your brand's identity, evoke a sense of contemplation and provide a truly immersive and unforgettable experience for your clients and patrons.