When you think of a “home away from home” what place do you think of? A cottage in the woods, a dear friend’s house, a beach house, a coffee shop? Very few people will probably agree that a coffee shop is their “home away from home,” yet so many of us spend countless hours a week studying, planning, meeting, and blogging at these establishments. Wherever your “second home” may be, you want it to look and feel like you are actually at home, or at least feel comfortable and relaxed, right? Many factors can contribute to changing one’s mood, but right now we’ll focus on color schemes and decorations, and how the two work together to make you feel at home.
Different colors evoke different emotions, and corporations spend hundreds of thousands of dollars trying to get you to “feel” a certain way. One of the best examples of this is Starbucks’ green & white color scheme. The prominent green color in the Starbucks brand draws people in to a place that evokes atmosphere of uniqueness, creativity, and a place of serenity. This is why so many Hipsters and business men alike gather for coffee dates at Starbucks. But are those the only feelings we should have when we need a Caramel Macchiato? Let’s look at a different example.
Espresso Elevado is a coffee shop right down the street from a local Starbucks. The branding of this small shop is well thought out, and it shows through in it’s decor, design, colors, and overall atmosphere. The yellow and brown colors are a far cry away from the green and white colors of other coffee shops. So the first question is, why so much yellow? Recently I spoke with Founder Teresa Pilarz to see what the thought was behind Espresso Elevado’s branding. The building, she says, “screamed out at you yellow.” She admitted that the matching brown in the building was almost going to be green, and if she repainted it from it’s original color it would only be to a slightly lighter shade of yellow. The brown of the cabinetry and decor also provide a counter, more earthy color against the bright yellow. Brown also matches the coffee beans and shelves that line the walls of the building.
Beyond just the colors of the place, the arrangement is unusual from many other places like it. Right when you enter the coffee shop you are greeted by an angled counter facing right at you. You would think this would be overwhelming to instantly be asked to make an order, but the atmosphere is not one of pushiness and being in your face. The front facing counter welcomes you with open arms and is more so welcoming you home, then pushing you to move forward. Teresa says she likes the unusual angles of the place and it’s “boring if things are boxy.” The coffee bar wraps around both corners, which is good because from all areas in the building you are able to see the baristas at work.
With the coffee bar taking up a lot of area in the place you would think a lot of space would be wasted by such awkward angles, but somehow the atmosphere at Espresso Elevado makes the small seem large. Teresa believes the space is used wisely, and that the wrapped around espresso bar is part of the charm. With the espresso bar right in front of everybody, because of its placement, it gives the place a more personal feel. It’s “building community, getting people connected.”
When asked about her opinion on how the shop has come along in terms of design and decor, Teresa responded saying, “it’s definitely cheery and homey, but yet we’re doing cutting edge, innovative coffee. A lot of places have an urban, warehouse, industrial vibe.” She continues, “sometimes I wish it was more modern, but I feel it has achieved what we want the place to. I don’t think I want people to feel overwhelmed (intimidated). The feel makes people feel more comfortable.”
So there it is. A little coffee shop in Downtown Plymouth with an atmosphere big enough to make all who walk in feel right at home. Espresso Elevado has it all; the cheery, homey feel we all want, with the cutting edge, innovative coffee we all love.
Espresso Elevado would love to serve you:
Mon-Fri, 7:00am – 6:00pm
Sat, 8:00am – 6:00pm
Sun, 8:00am – 5:00pm
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