The brief
The Smith's Coffee Bar needed its storefront to do most of the persuading on its own — the teal facade and open double doors had to read as an invitation from across the courtyard, not just a sign above an entrance. Symmetry mattered: matching outdoor tables on either side of the doorway, so the frame reads as balanced and welcoming from any angle.
Nostalgic charm was the brief's actual subject, more than any single material — exposed beams, patterned tiles and greenery all needed to feel collected over time, not specified from a single supplier catalogue.
Light and atmosphere
We let the patterned floor tile run visually from the outdoor seating straight through the open doors to the interior, so the two spaces read as one continuous place rather than an exterior shot and an interior shot stitched together. The teal joinery carries the same warm light on both sides of the threshold.
Inside, we let the patterned tiles and greenery sit close to camera in a few frames, the way a regular actually notices them, rather than only shooting the wide, everything-in-frame establishing shot.
