Basics Coffee is a Czech cafe concept that we developed from scratch together with a team of graphic designers. The idea was simple: serve excellent coffee in a space that feels pleasant to spend time in. Good light, calm acoustics and comfortable seating were treated as part of the coffee experience, just as important as the beans and the machine.
The plans are built around a compact working core. The bar, the kitchen and the storage are grouped tightly together, so baristas have everything within a few steps and service stays fast even at the busiest hour. The seating wraps around this core in different types: a long upholstered bench along the wall with small tables in front of it, a shared high table in the middle, deep armchairs for slower visits, and a few tables outside for warm days. Guests can pick a quick espresso at the counter or settle in for an hour with a laptop, and the layout makes room for both.
From the start, one rule guided the whole project. Every material had to be used in its pure form, without layering and without decoration. The front of the coffee bar is clad in a rough natural stone, left with its porous, uneven surface fully visible. It sits under a thin, smooth top, and the contrast between the two makes both feel stronger. Stacks of white plates and the polished espresso machine stand on the counter, and the stone gives the whole bar a solid, grounded presence.
Above the bar, the basics coffee name is spelled out in large white letters, lit from within. Behind the counter, a light shelving system of white steel and oak holds the menu boards, coffee packs, cups and bottles, so the products become part of the interior. Glass cases with cakes and sandwiches sit at the end of the counter, at eye level for guests in the queue. Red and white pendants hang over the seating, and the raw concrete ceiling with its exposed pipes and ducts is left open above it all.
The building's structure stays honest too. A large round concrete column rises at an angle through the cafe, and we left it exactly as it was, with its board marks and grey patina. It has become one of the most recognizable features of the space. The floor is a light stone with a fine grain, and the walls are smooth white plaster. A line of hidden light runs where the walls meet the lowered ceiling, which softens the room and lets the materials read clearly without harsh shadows.
Warmth comes from wood and clay. Oak panels line the lower part of the walls, and above them a wall of textured terracotta tiles glows in the light of a strip hidden along its base. The tiles have fine vertical ridges and slight differences in color, so the wall changes as the light moves across it. In front of it, armchairs in a deep orange fabric with pale oak frames gather around round oak tables. Along the opposite wall, a long grey bench pairs with oak chairs that have soft grey seats. The colors are few, and each one has a clear role.
Graphics play a major part in the concept. Working with the graphic designers, we wanted to show in an artistic way what draws us to coffee. Large hand drawn murals in grey and blue cover the white walls behind the benches. The word grow is woven through drawings of coffee plants, mountain landscapes, arched doorways and cups, telling the story of coffee from the farm to the table. The same spirit carries onto the cups, which are printed with the brand name and the line grow, grind, blend.
Basics Coffee is a place without unnecessary layers. Stone, concrete, oak and terracotta are shown as they are, and the graphics add a story to the walls. The result is a cafe that feels calm and warm, where the coffee comes first and the space quietly helps you enjoy it.
Project Information
Client: Basics Coffee
Type: Cafe interior
Place: Prague, Czech Republic
Realization: 2021 to 2022
Photography: Tomáš Dittrich
