Designed for Coffee: Cafés With Standout Interiors, Los Angeles Edition

Looking for interior design inspiration? Look no further than these three L.A. coffee shops.

BY MONICA MANANSALA
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE

Featured photo by Cedric Letsch

What to know:

• Coffee shops in Los Angeles are embracing a blend of retro and modern design, and foregoing minimalist “white wall” decor for splashes of color, chrome, and intentional accent pieces
• Three coffee shops with standout design in L.A.: Noun Coffee, Archives of Us, and File Systems of Coffee

More often than not, people going out for a cup of coffee aren’t just looking for a caffeine hit—they’re in search of a third place, where they can immerse themselves in an environment that reflects their inner world. In that way, interior design at cafés isn’t just about how a space looks; it’s about how a space feels, and how that shapes the way that people interact within it.

Designed for Coffee is an article series where we highlight coffee shops with standout interiors. In this installment, we visited three cafés in Los Angeles, California. From spacious, art gallery-like layouts to retro-tech spaces with splashes of nature, color, and chrome, each shop shows a different approach to creating the perfect third place.

Noun Coffee (Marina del Rey)

One of the newest additions to the west side’s specialty-coffee scene, Noun stands out for its thoughtful, clean, and cozy interior. While the space certainly feels airy—marked by natural textures and subtle pops of color—the café moves away from being too minimalist or industrial, and instead leans into a warmer, more lived-in atmosphere reminiscent of a creative studio or living room.

Inside, the space is divided into different seating zones with vintage furniture, stacks of books, communal tables, and soft lighting that make it feel calming yet inspiring. The mix of postmodern details, plant life, and comfortable seating also reflects the shop’s day-to-night concept, helping the shop easily transition from a daytime coffee spot into an evening wine bar without an abrupt shift in mood.

Archives of Us (Downtown/Chinatown)

Tucked away on the second floor of an apartment building near Chinatown, Archives Of Us feels like a portal into another world. With its cinematic clean lines, muted tones, and touches of silver chrome, the interior, which was designed by L.A. interior designer Jialun Xiong, reflects the city’s shift toward spaces that feel more spacious, futuristic, and streamlined.

Concrete floors, dark wood, brushed metal, and cream-colored seating with metal details create a minimalist look without feeling cold, while custom furniture and shelves of handmade pottery add to the café’s artful quality. The layout at Archives of Us is intentionally spacious, with lounge seating and a large patio that encourages people to stay awhile while taking in view of the Los Angeles skyline.

Small details in the beverages themselves—from presentation of drinks on metal trays to the matte sourcing cards that they come with—reinforce the café’s slow, design-focused approach to coffee service.

File Systems of Coffee (Hollywood)

On a busy corner of Melrose Ave., File Systems of Coffee describes itself as a space where “nature and technology are in harmony.” Here, playful details like vintage computers and plastic filing cabinets give the café an eclectic, artful feel—where guests can feel more inspired and at ease than at the more work-centered coffee shops that one tends to find in L.A.

And the design of the coffee shop goes beyond aesthetics: It serves as an immersive space where customers are led to ponder technology and their connection to it—and how technology influences the world around them.

“File Systems of Coffee represents a compelling contrast in aesthetic ethos—one looking toward the future, the other preserving the past,” the coffee shop writes on their Instagram. “Files aims to unify both with its retrofuturistic language and vision of a future where nature and technology, artistry and engineering are in harmonious balance.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Monica Manansala is a coffee and matcha enthusiast living in Los Angeles. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her cat.

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