We’re taking notes on the rich, tactile details of this Belfast café for our own homes
The design by FADA marries industrial touches with a luxuriously warm palette of materials.
When café Nine Squared were opening a new Belfast location, they turned to designer Aoife Mulvenna, founder of FADA to help them create a unique space. The location itself provided a great starting point for design inspiration, Aoife explains.
“The client was drawn to the recently refurbished Printworks Building on Queen Street; an industrial, red brick warehouse dating back to 1895. The Printworks developers added a modern, angled addition to the historical building that backed onto a beautiful courtyard. When the client approached FADA, the space was made up of steel beams and a few breeze blocks, so we really were starting from scratch. It was an exciting prospect for any designer, a fresh palette to work from and a client who had complete trust in my design expertise.”
This industrial character of the café’s location, as well as its playful branding were important touchpoints for the shape of the design. “A stunning central counter adorned with rich walnut and concrete effect stone takes centre stage,” Aoife points out.
“Contemporary, whimsical tiling mirrors the dynamic textures of local graffiti, creating a striking backdrop for Nine Squared’s coffee offering. The scheme is complemented by warm, opal glazed orb and metallic pendants, plush upholstery, sleek walnut, barrel legged banquettes, a lime effect wall finish with aesthetic nuances inherent in plaster, a statement glass block window and a polished concrete floor with expressive aggregate.”
It all comes together to create a space that finds perfect balance in its contrasts: sleek yet tactile, refined yet moody. The design is full of details that although work perfectly here in a commercial setting, would also translate well to a home interior – who wouldn’t love that walnut and concrete combination for their kitchen? Or take inspiration from the irregular pattern of the tiles, adding a point of interest to what is often a material used in block colour. While smaller details such as the shelving and lighting are easy to incorporate into your own space – the chairs are Bruno Rey by Hay, while the pendant lights are New Works.
Aoife’s favourite aspects of the design include the tiles, from Dutch company Palet. “The company was extremely helpful during the sampling process and trialled lots of colour ways and patterns until we were happy with the final result,” she says. “I’m also delighted I got a glass block into the café. The original idea was to have 9×9 glass blocks (a little nod to the Nine Squared name) but an overhead steel beam squashed those dreams. Nevertheless, the glazed partition turned out beautifully, especially when illuminated from below.”
Overall though, she says the most enjoyable part was the process of working with the client. “All in all though, my favourite aspect of the design is just how collaborative the project was. My dream with FADA is to work with like minded, creative individuals so we can collectively take a holistic approach to projects, covering all areas of schemes. It really does take a village and the pay off is fantastic when it comes together!”
Photography: Elyse Kennedy
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