TUSCAN COFFEE ROOM
Tuscan Coffee Room is a proposal for a contemporary coffee space within a historic Tuscan villa, conceived as a dialogue between modern design and enduring architectural heritage. The project seeks to create a meditative environment where the ritual of coffee preparation becomes the centerpiece of the spatial experience.
At the heart of the room sits a custom-designed espresso machine, a sculptural object whose polished metal body and tactile orange handles transform a utilitarian appliance into a piece of functional art. Its placement on the circular coffee bar frames the preparation of coffee as a performance, drawing attention to the sensory choreography of steam, aroma, and movement.
The architecture amplifies this experience through contrast and harmony. Heavy stone arches and textured masonry form a protective envelope, while soft lighting, muted colors, and curved furnishings introduce a sense of modern intimacy. Integrated shelving and suspended pendant lights add rhythm and depth, turning the space into both a stage and a retreat.
By embedding contemporary elements into the villa’s historic framework, the Tuscan Coffee Room reframes the act of gathering over coffee as a timeless ritual. Here, the dialogue between past and present is not just aesthetic—it is experiential, where architecture, object design, and daily ritual converge in quiet celebration.
Role - Architectural Designer/ FURNITURE DESIGNER
PERSONAL PROJECT | 2023
TECHNICAL SYSTEMS + CONSTRUCTION
The INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE MERGES HISTORIC MASONRY CRAFT WITH A CONTEMPORARY MATERIAL PALETTE AND PRECISION-FABRICATED DETAILS. THE DESIGN TRANSFORMS A VAULTED MASONRY ENVELOPE INTO A FUNCTIONAL YET THEATRICAL COFFEE ENVIRONMENT, WHERE STRUCTURE, LIGHT, AND OBJECT DESIGN INTERSECT.
THE EXISTING SHELL IS REINFORCED AND FINISHED WITH LIME-BASED PLASTER, ALLOWING THE SPACE TO RETAIN ITS NATURAL VAPOR PERMEABILITY AND MICROCLIMATE CONTROL. BARREL-VAULTED CEILINGS AND ARCHWAYS ARE CONSTRUCTED IN REINFORCED LOAD-BEARING MASONRY, WITH CUSTOM STEEL-FRAMED ARCHED WINDOWS FITTED WITH LOW-IRON DOUBLE GLAZING TO MAXIMIZE CLARITY.
THE FLOORING IS EXECUTED IN A CUSTOM TERRAZZO MOSAIC WITH MARBLE AND LIMESTONE AGGREGATE, BRASS DIVIDERS, AND A SEMI-HONED FINISH TO BALANCE SLIP RESISTANCE WITH A SOFT SHEEN. THIS IS LAID OVER A LIME-SAND SCREED SUBSTRATE TO MAINTAIN COMPATIBILITY WITH THE MASONRY STRUCTURE.
THE FEATURE BACK WALL IS FABRICATED FROM CNC-MILLED SOLID WOOD PANELS IN A WAVY PROFILE, FINISHED WITH A LOW-VOC CLEAR MATTE SEALER TO PRESERVE THE NATURAL GRAIN. THE CENTRAL CIRCULAR TABLE IS CONSTRUCTED FROM BRUSHED METAL, PROVIDING A COOL, REFLECTIVE COUNTERPOINT TO THE WARMTH OF THE WOOD AND MASONRY ELEMENTS. BOTH THE FRONT SERVICE COUNTERTOP AND THE BACK BAR COUNTERTOP WHERE THE COFFEE MACHINE IS LOCATED ARE SOLID WOOD WITH A SATIN FINISH, BRINGING TACTILITY AND VISUAL WARMTH TO THE BAR AREA. THE COFFEE MACHINE ITSELF IS STAINLESS STEEL, PROVIDING A CRISP CONTRAST AGAINST THE WOOD SURFACE.
BUILT-IN MILLWORK IS FABRICATED FROM BIRCH PLYWOOD CARCASSES WITH LOW-VOC MATTE LACQUER FINISHES. FLOATING SHELVES ARE POWDER-COATED STEEL WITH CONCEALED BRACKET FIXING, INTEGRATED INTO THE WALL ASSEMBLY FOR A MONOLITHIC APPEARANCE.
LIGHTING IS PROVIDED BY CUSTOM HAND-THROWN CERAMIC PENDANTS WITH INTERNAL WHITE ENAMEL REFLECTORS, FITTED WITH WARM LED SOURCES (2700K) AND FULLY DIMMABLE DRIVERS. ALL ELECTRICAL CONDUITS AND FIXING PLATES ARE CONCEALED WITHIN THE VAULTED CEILING ASSEMBLY OR MILLWORK CAVITIES.
TO ACHIEVE OPTIMAL ACOUSTIC CONTROL WITHIN THE HARD-SURFACE ENVIRONMENT, MICRO-PERFORATED PLASTER PANELS ARE INTEGRATED INTO SELECTED ZONES OF THE VAULT INTERIOR, REDUCING REVERBERATION WITHOUT VISUAL INTERRUPTION.
THE RESULT IS A SPACE WHERE CRAFTED MATERIALITY, PRECISION DETAILING, AND FUNCTIONAL PERFORMANCE CONVERGE, CREATING A COFFEE ENVIRONMENT THAT IS BOTH TIMELESS AND HIGHLY ENGINEERED.
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