Beam Cafe

A new Beam Café, serving to bring cheer and delicious food has recently opened in Muswell Hill, North London, being the fourth location of London’s most beloved Mediterranean breakfast and brunch chain. Whilst designing this, Ola Jachymiak Studio transformed an area of Muswell Hill into a place that instils community joy by introducing a mid-century vibe embraced in natural shades and materials, to bring a sense of harmony.

This Muswell Hill location is created from two connected locals that induce a warm and relaxed interior, inviting the customers to keep returning for a delicious meal and casual atmosphere. Ola Jachymiak would describe this project as a comfortable, playful mid-century interior, blended with the fusion of retro and modern influences. The entire premises are divided into functional zones: the bar, the entrance area swept by the warm light of hanging lamps, and the back area framed by the Japanese wooden ceiling.

Main task for Ola Jachymiak Studio was to create a neutral space with the bar as a central focus point, visible from every corner. This custom-made piece is reminiscent of an oak-wood jigsaw puzzle, while the Carrara marble top serves as a beautiful and durable display for Beam Cafe’s pastries and Marzocco coffee machine. Emphasised by half arches on the ceiling and covered with texture paint, the bar reconnects both areas to restore continuity.

The neutrality of the space is broken up with strong, contrasting details such as deep terracotta shade used on certain floors and walls, which covers the staff area and restrooms. Besides, designer proposed a meticulous selection of timeless mid-century modern accessories, such as the red chairs spatially striking against the neutral shades of the cafe. "When designing, we are always careful about keeping the layout uncluttered, as we believe that tidiness and seamlessness of the space is crucial.”

Inspired by the Mediterranean architecture, the designers used soft shapes, such as arches and ovals, to create a tranquil sanctuary in a soft colour palette. This motif can also be found in rounded custom-made benches and mirrors which bind all elements together and help to create a coherent peaceful whole. Ola Jachymiak Studio started to design Beam Cafe from the custom made but typical window shop, behind which we hanged organic shaped George Nelson pendant lamps, catching the gaze for potential food lovers. By introducing the semi rounded shapes, the interior designer wanted to repeat that motif through the alcoves as they are a new relaxed ethos spot that constitutes a natural continuation of the rounded theme. Surrounded by natural Moroccan terracotta tiles installed irregularly, they emphasise their natural structure and reflect the light in unusual ways. Inside the alcoves custom-designed benches have been installed, this time upholstered in a greenish teddy fabric from Pierre Fray.

This embodies an effortless architectural feel. The designers decided to create floating brick shelves, where the irrational play with gravity gives the area a sense of lightness and peace. How weird would it be if Ola Jachymiak Studio didn’t show her love for the past? She fulfils the entire area with mid-century vintage elements that help to achieve a timeless interior whilst ironically losing the distinction of time. Noteworthy is a combination of different types of wood used by the designers: the oak shade repeated on the table tops plays with the wenge shade on the custom-designed semi-circular bench base and the pendant lamps from Schneider studio above the tables. Serving to bring cheer, the iconic bespoke table tops are repeating the jigsaw puzzle shape of the bar with different hues of wood and distinguished shades of laminate.

Additionally in the back, the restrooms are surrounded by the authentic terracotta tiles, which cocoon the space horizontally and vertically. This colour, along with the rawness of the materials, allowed to achieve a great combination with a more romantic, rounder forms of custom-designed basin stands topped with sleek and almost brutal metal sinks. The beam cafe in Muswell hill offers a glimpse of the homey aesthetic, but it is also functional for all invited customers.

Ola Jachymiak Studio