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Collection by Diana Budds

Coffee Break: Stockholm's Cafe Foam

Located in the Östermalm neighborhood of Stockholm, Cafe Foam channels "Spanish temperament with Scandinavian cool," according to its designers, local firm Note. Indeed, the interior features the prototypical Scandinavian blonde wood and spare detailing with splashes of magenta that evoke a more fiery feeling—an unexpected mashup as the latitudes (not to mention the design sensibilities) of Spain and Sweden are about as far flung as one can get in Europe. On a blustery day this past February, I popped in to catch a glimpse of how the city does design cafes (and to escape the intermittent snow flurries). The space was chic, filled with equally fashionable customers (Östermalm is the city's design district), and the baristas serve up a latte that would've tasted equally as good in more modest surroundings. Let's have a look inside the space…

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Here's a view of the interior. Though this photo was shot in the evening, I arrived just as the lunch crowd was settling in. "We allowed the Spanish temperament to meet Scandinavian coolness to create a vivid place that…enhances the eating experience. A place for everybody to be," says Note Design Studio. Clearly their aim to create a place for "everyone to be" worked. Nearly every barstool was occupied and the place was humming with conversation.
Here's a view of the interior. Though this photo was shot in the evening, I arrived just as the lunch crowd was settling in. "We allowed the Spanish temperament to meet Scandinavian coolness to create a vivid place that…enhances the eating experience. A place for everybody to be," says Note Design Studio. Clearly their aim to create a place for "everyone to be" worked. Nearly every barstool was occupied and the place was humming with conversation.
Here's the counter filled with sandwiches and pastries.
Here's the counter filled with sandwiches and pastries.
As you can see from the bright accents of powder blue and Barbie pink, the interior is meant to elicit a strong response. According to Note, owner Michael Toutoungi said that he wanted a space that "people either love or hate and that nobody is indifferent to." The aesthetic is definitely stronger and more playful than most cafe's I've visited.
As you can see from the bright accents of powder blue and Barbie pink, the interior is meant to elicit a strong response. According to Note, owner Michael Toutoungi said that he wanted a space that "people either love or hate and that nobody is indifferent to." The aesthetic is definitely stronger and more playful than most cafe's I've visited.
The hanging lights are hand blown by local company Kosta Boda, the oldest operating glasswork company in Sweden. They've been creating wares since 1792.
The hanging lights are hand blown by local company Kosta Boda, the oldest operating glasswork company in Sweden. They've been creating wares since 1792.
Natural light floods the interior. I loved the contrast of the polished concrete floors with the plush barstools and the wooden tables. Just past the bookshelf is a more private section of the cafe.
Natural light floods the interior. I loved the contrast of the polished concrete floors with the plush barstools and the wooden tables. Just past the bookshelf is a more private section of the cafe.
Here's a detail of the bookshelf.
Here's a detail of the bookshelf.
The side room swathed in red fabric leans more toward the Spanish influence (and it looks a lot swankier that the rest of the cafe). Says Note Design: "We began searching for extremes, where passion and hate were equally present. Our entrance to the project became the complexity around bull fighting as a phenomenon. We were fascinated by the bull and bullfighter´s mutual movements [as they] battle. This struggle along with the materials and colors of the stadium were the inspiration [behind] Café Foam." Cafe Foam is located at Karlavägen 75 just a hop away from many of the city's upscale design galleries. If you're in the area, it's well worth a trip. Visit cafefoam.com for more information.
The side room swathed in red fabric leans more toward the Spanish influence (and it looks a lot swankier that the rest of the cafe). Says Note Design: "We began searching for extremes, where passion and hate were equally present. Our entrance to the project became the complexity around bull fighting as a phenomenon. We were fascinated by the bull and bullfighter´s mutual movements [as they] battle. This struggle along with the materials and colors of the stadium were the inspiration [behind] Café Foam." Cafe Foam is located at Karlavägen 75 just a hop away from many of the city's upscale design galleries. If you're in the area, it's well worth a trip. Visit cafefoam.com for more information.