Melrose Coffee

California Dreamin’

Melrose Coffee is a Los Angeles-themed cafe located in Soho, the destination for trendy eateries and bars. Serving nourishing green bowls and American-style pancakes, Melrose Coffee’s Californian breakfast items recall the sunny romance and nostalgia of 1970’s L.A. From the signature gradients on their collaterals to the half-mooned wall scones and curved facade, Melrose Coffee invokes the city’s infamous sunsets at every turn.

House of Forme worked with the client on their brand concept, visual identity, collateral development, interior design and FF&E design.

Sunset Cruising Down Melrose Avenue

Carved from the classic shapes of mid-century signages and vintage postcards, the various logotypes for Melrose Coffee invoke a contemporary twist on Old Hollywood glamor, modernised by its application and vivid palette. Paired with primary typefaces made of classic serif fonts, the brand’s identity is executed across its custom-cut and embossed collaterals, infused with warm gradients of romantic pinks, sunset yellows, and sandy beiges. Melrose Coffee delivers a glamorous, yet free-spirited L.A. lifestyle to the streets of Hong Kong.

Inspired by All-American Diners

The brand identity of Melrose Coffee was extended across its interior design, with specific reference to Californian beach culture and classic American diners. Given the high yet narrow structure of the shop, we installed tilted mirrors for an illusion of depth and a false ceiling of light boxes that arch overhead, giving the space its sunny California glow. The bar was made with customised terrazzo and outdoor tiling meant for rocky exteriors, with striped details inspired by retro diner tables.

Our bespoke designs delivered both functionality and aesthetic in playful detail across the checkered quartz stone flooring, rounded dowel walls, and poolside benches that invite a stunning entrance into the coffee and brunch culture of the City of Angels.