Scent of a Golden Age Coffee Shop

A double-height retail interior unfolds before you, characterized primarily by a remarkable installation of traditional paper parasols suspended from the ceiling. Scanning from top to bottom, the upper third of this vertical space features approximately ten cream-colored paper umbrellas arranged in an overlapping constellation, their bamboo ribs radiating outward like sunbursts, creating warm ivory tones reminiscent of aged parchment or vanilla. Behind these floating elements, a deep teal wall provides cool contrast, its surface suggesting the patina of oxidized metal. Moving to the middle register, an elegant spiral staircase winds upward from right of center, its brass-toned railings warm as honey, leading to a mezzanine level with simple metal railings. The staircase treads appear covered in cream-colored material with decorative pattern. To the left, horizontal wooden louvers in warm sienna tones filter natural daylight streaming through floor-to-ceiling windows, beyond which green foliage suggests outdoor plantings. The left foreground contains dark shelving displaying bottles and products, with a floral arrangement adding organic warmth. Center foreground presents cylindrical pedestals in weathered gray stone texture, cool and rough to imagine, supporting display items. To the right, wooden cabinetry in rich chocolate brown features circular openings displaying curated objects. A retail counter area with coffee equipment occupies the right side. The flooring throughout appears as smooth polished concrete in neutral gray. Lighting combines soft natural daylight from windows with warm artificial spotlights creating pools of illumination. The overall atmosphere feels warm, inviting, and culturally rich, suggesting the gentle warmth of afternoon light in a space where traditional craft meets contemporary refinement.

The design team began with the imagery of the "good old days" and took cues from the Showa era to build a flagship store that is worthy of its brand. This renovation of a sixty-year-old two-story shophouse into a modern coffee shop in the Chihkan District of Tainan. The steel frame and iron cladding of the old house are transformed into a place with a refined essence of time. The reinterpretation of an old Japanese house through new imagination. The traces of begone days and the smell of coffee together makes the space into a warm one.