Kate Spade @ South Coast Plaza

Paulina Nguyen

 Walking into the new Kate Spade store at South Coast Plaza you get the sense that this store is styled after Kate’s older, more sophisticated sister. The interior embodies everything that I usually expect from Kate Spade– a quirky, fun, kitschy sense of humor, while also feeling like an upscale New York socialite would shop here.

Every piece of shelving glimmers with gold and glass; it’s almost blinding in the best way. The space within the store has a magical quality to it. While I was walking along I kept thinking that I would hit the end of the store but it kept going. It seemed never ending! The sheer size of the store wasn’t the only intriguing thing. Although it’s broken up into multiple rooms, I never felt like I was walking into a different store. Everything was cohesive and still felt like Kate Spade but also managed to be a variation on the theme. The bones of the space are achromatic with their high polished off white tiles, dark wood floors and glass fixtures, which truly allow the stars of the shop to shine– the colorful merchandise.

I have a confession to make; I was one of those kids that always kept their Crayola crayons obsessively color-coded. Naturally I gravitated towards the rainbow of books where the wallets and watch display is housed. I’m in love. Here the designer used unity by proximity and massing by gathering books to create a focal point. The seating areas next to the fitting rooms are themed to make you feel like you’re sitting in a cabana. I have to say; I’m very impressed by what Kate Spade has done with their new store. They definitely did their job well because I didn’t leave the store empty handed.

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CBRE Building in Newport Beach

By Trang Ly

The lobby in the CBRE Building in Newport Beach was renovated about 4-5 years ago by Gensler. As you first walk in, the lobby is open to the building’s 25’-30’ high ceiling. The use of columns and materials brings your eyes up to the skylight, which fills the lobby with lots of natural light. The entrance’s flooring material is a textured stone. We believe the material to be granite, with a flamed finish.

There are ramps alongside the windows and steps that lead to a seating area. As you move to the upper floor, the flooring transitions to a different pattern. Using the same granite, the pattern is arranged at different lengths and finishes: flamed, semi-glossy or matte, and glossy. The granite and finishes show a durable characteristic and scratch resistance, which makes this product excellent for the commercial space. It was also very easy to walk on and non-slippery.

[Entrance flooring]                          [Upper flooring]                       [Red-orangish granite]

Other products used in the building include a red-orangish marble on the rectangular columns, steel on circular columns, and wood on the panels of the lobby’s second floor facade. We don’t encounter many interiors that use marble and wood together like the CBRE lobby, so we speculate that the wooden panels replaced the previous material to update the building to a more modern style. These materials together bring a modern and formal environment.

One of the interesting things we noticed was the wall of the area leading to the elevator. The wall has glass tiles, from the previous design, which are hidden by chain mails after the renovation. It doesn’t look very heavy in visual texture to overwhelm the area. The chain went with the design yet stood out on its own.  It was an accent wall with LED wall washing the material. The chain mail has a hard touch, but it wasn’t stiff as a whole, which contrasted the other materials mentioned for an accent wall. It was a creative idea to cover the glass tiles rather than using a textile. It really adds to the sophisticated look brought throughout the lobby.

The lobby itself was an interesting case study and it had definitely brought on innovative ideas for us to possibly add into our designs. The project really helped us to think more of looking at the material, how it’s used and lasted, how to create zones in the space without using walls through transitioning, and how the materials are used together as a design material and esthetic. 

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Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop

Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop

234 E. 17th Street Costa Mesa CA

Emilie Martin

Green metal chairs, concrete floors and wood beams, subway tile; Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop in Costa Mesa off of 17th street is a clear expression of California Cool. The exterior mission style of the plaza blends nicely with the agricultural theme of the interior, which is fitting since they mainly serve fresh salads.

The large chalkboard at the register is colorful, easy to see and inviting. The reclaimed wood siding that wraps around the entire counter creates a nice horizontal line that moves the eye around the room.

In the main dining area, the huge wine bottle rack hangs from the ceiling creates a dramatic focal point. Beneath it sits a very long wooden bar height table surrounded by wood and metal shop stools.

To complete the farm fresh feel, the restaurant is dotted with agricultural finds like pulley light fixtures, old water basins and large advertisements for vegetables painted on the floor and walls along the porch. No detail was overlooked in the finishing touches, even the salt and pepper shakers look like vintage spice cans.

Don’t let the the chalkboards, vintage farm accents and reclaimed wood mislead you that this place has a dirty atmosphere; the white subway tile, ample lighting and white walls keep this salad joint feeling fresh and clean. (Although a little pricey, get the salmon added to The Hollywood Bowl, it’s delicious!)

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A Market, Newport Beach

A Market, Newport Beach

3400 W Coast Highway

Newport Beach, CA 92663

By Donna Warwick

A cup of coffee, a great sandwich and the most amazing toffee brownies are always ready for the customers of this newly renovated, Newport Beach establishment.  Built in the shadow of the Coast Highway/Newport Boulevard bridge in 1925, this former service station has received new life as a neighborhood café.  The “A’” in the café’s name comes from the famous Arches Restaurant that shared the corner property and was the restaurant part of the service station/restaurant landmark.  The Arches closed in 2011 and a new restaurant called “A’s” opened with new owners.  The landmark restaurant is once again thriving with its new management.  These same owners simultaneously opened A Market in the gas station building next door to the restaurant as a more casual, café/market option to its more formal, steakhouse neighbor on the same property.

Without changing the original architectural details, the new finishes in this former gas station successfully brings the space into the 21^st century while retaining the charm from its previous life.   A fresh, farmhouse style compliments the simple, high quality food that customers enjoy.

An engineered, wood plank floor provides rustic texture and is a forgiving finish to the customer traffic and food preparation area behind the counter.  The hand-chiseled ceiling beams are stained a similar color to the floor, visually connecting the two surface treatments.  Black, polished, engineered counters contrast the white, semi-gloss walls and shaker cabinetry.  The reflective finishes of the serving stands, mercury glass pendants, large mirror, metal tabletops and chrome appliances help make the space feel clean and bright.

Distressed farm tables, French café chairs and newspapers strewn on tables invite customers to sit down and relax either inside or at the café tables outside.  The black from the chalkboard menus and chalkboard wall over the refrigerators connect with the black counters and other black accents creating balance and accentuating the classic black and white color scheme.  A brick wall provides more rustic character in the wine room while the black wine racks show off the colorful foil tops on the wine bottles.

 With its fresh, farmhouse feel and great food and drinks, A Market is always on my list of favorite places to go for coffee or lunch with a friend.

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The Ban Shan Café

By: Sia Lim

The Ban Shan Café is designed to demonstrate an experimental approach to texture and makes use of variety of eclectic materials that recall the imagery of its natural surroundings. Designers from Robot3 received a project from Beijing Owei Cultural Development, the owners of Ban Shan Café. It was to convert a solid office building at the foot of Fragrant Hills of Beijing. The Café is located at the BeijingJing Yuan Arts Centre. The project was to turn the first and second floor of the office building into a “free Café” where visitors can sit and communicate comfortably.

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 Because of limited budget, the team was only able to use common materials. Pine stick wall, cement, brick, wood, and paper board are main materials to the Café. The chosen materials satisfy the goals for the space: limited budget and replication of the experience of mountains.

  

Fresh breeze and warm sunlight come into the space directly, and the smell of wood and plants give relaxation to the visitors. Furniture and decorations to the space are arranged freely and asymmetrically. Therefore, the Ban Shan Café is designed perfectly for any local visitors to escape from the complex society.­

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Saint & Second

By: Luz Riley

Belmont Shore, 2^nd Street, restaurants on every corner and in between…so with that said, I chose Saint & Second, a trendy new hotspot that took over the building where Lucille’s Smokehouse used to sit.  At first when walking by and then going in to have dinner all I saw were modern, clean, crisp architectural lines; a far cry from the look of Lucille’s.  As I took a closer look, however, both the interior and exterior had a certain familiarity and my first thought was ‘wow, clever, smart and economical’.

There are significant changes in the look and feel of the place but in reality minor structural changes were made.  The awnings are gone, the siding a thing of the past and now the façade is modern, with wood and gray brick finishes and dark iron window frames.  What was once a large picture window is now a bi-fold gallery that opens up like a garage door for those great summer nights in the shore.  The roof has a dark metal finish and what were once enclosed ‘screened in porch areas’ are now open air dining areas with wood finished railings.  The interior is open with an industrial feel and yet the floor plan was kept intact.  The magic in this transformation was done in the aesthetics with exposed brick and opening shelving for the bar’s backdrop. The copper tubing and flood lamps as well as the back lit bar all add to this modern industrial look.  Clean lines in both the seating and dining tables as well as the lounge areas also contribute to the industrial look and feel.  The illusion that you are in a newly constructed building is the result of a well thought out, and well re-designed interior and exterior that kept the integrity of the structure but brought it current with a ‘face-lift’.

BEFORE:

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Picture courtesy of:

http://lbpost.com/business/2000002652-lucille-s-bbq-in-belmont-shore-to-close

https://www.google.com/search?q=pictures+of+saint+%26+second&client=safari&hl=en-us&prmd=vsni&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&fir=hG6Omo7gC56OiM%253A%252CxIk0uzJOKKjr1M%252C_%253BjbERtYqv_LHrGM%253A%252CMUx6LdU2Baia_M%252C_%253B7iYuFkOWWR_buM%253A%252Ct2jUKy-Xm5_WSM%252C_%253BBGK5C5Zsd5hdnM%253A%252CczTZ2fWFQ1IdOM%252C_%253BDXU_sJGXr_INoM%253A%252Ct2jUKy-Xm5_WSM%252C_%253BBFHWRLT73hq59M%253A%252CcxhhPkY9WQoMEM%252C_%253BxQDFc-1dcIucpM%253A%252CMUx6LdU2Baia_M%252C_%253BljmSk9v58nwsLM%253A%252CczTZ2fWFQ1IdOM%252C_%253B1Nh6gmzKCBfLhM%253A%252ClaWbCVOHJy97BM%252C_%253ByWynU1JSqkCXLM%253A%252CjbX0rQWb-F-F3M%252C_%253BP8IbKkQXUokzdM%253A%252CcxhhPkY9WQoMEM%252C_%253Brm18ip4n2vKXMM%253A%252CMUx6LdU2Baia_M%252C_%253BByRcsX72s9qXuM%253A%252CWW57zDbjXCtJaM%252C_&usg=__c1Uny_S1Sc38stc3MNnWQZJNgfw%3D&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwivy_65qaPMAhUBhiYKHcpuAIsQ7AkIzAE&biw=768&bih=928#imgrc=42cEEixQeTSzEM%3A

http://offbeatstuff.tumblr.com/

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Starbucks South Coast Plaza

By: Eduard Golubiievskyi 

Close your eyes and imagine your morning without coffee. Indeed, that would be a very unusual morning. In my opinion, we need to thank “Starbucks” for this delicious addiction. We no longer need to drive several miles to get a desirable cup of coffee; nowadays, you can find the “Starbucks” store almost everywhere. Yet, we are going to skip a discussion about Latte and Cappuccino and instead talk about interior design of one of the most popular coffee shops in the world.

The new “Starbucks” store was opened in South Coast Plaza in September 2015. This is the second “Starbucks” in this particular mall, which only makes the life of coffee lovers easier, doesn’t it? The new store attracts a lot of customers: “We didn’t expect that many people; the store was literally packed” said a barista. In my opinion, designers did a great job. They organized the small space as an in-and-out type store. This helps a lot, especially during the busiest days. There is no seating area in the store; only outside which pushes you out from the shop. The entrance is darker and register area is well-lit. This leads you directly to make your order. There is a sign of where the line starts, which is close to the table that divides the room. So, satisfied customers can leave the store in a fast and easy manner. The only disadvantage is a narrow space between a dividing table and a register’s counter, which “sometimes creates traffic or makes it hard to pass it with a baby-carriage”, as barista pointed.

However, overall the whole design looks like a traditional “Starbucks” design. There is nothing special: black and white walls with wood counters and different cups and coffee bags. It looks so familiar and cozy but still very functional, yet may be it is time for some changes? You may think about it drinking your next cup of delicious coffee.   

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