This concept began on the road. Eli and I were driving back from Hayward this past Summer and pulled off at an antique/salvage yard. We were in the middle of nowhere but it was teeming with tourists passing through. There was a gal who had set up shop with a little coffee cart and a few mismatched tables and chairs. I started thinking about a little coffee shop built out of a shipping container. Not necessarily a place to sit and work for hours but rather a place for wanderers to pull off for a quick cuppa and a grab-n-go snack. While I’ve let go of the shipping container the coffee “shack” or “station” idea persisted.

The structure could be simple. Materials that make sense in the landscape and that could be salvaged to a certain extent. I keep thinking of the Great Lakes highways and our plethora of river roads. It seems to me that this station exists off a state highway in either northern Minnesota or western Wisconsin. Tucked off the road with a hand painted sign waving you in.

The tones are light and the atmosphere cozy - maybe even slightly feminine - but not fussy. There is something poetic about marrying Japanese with Americana or folk elements. Again, not many pieces or materials would be new but they are durable and need to be hearty in our midwestern elements. The space is rustic, worn-in and even wild in some ways. If something is new, they are sourced from artists and designers - not big box retailers. For example, I imagined any bar seating would be a mismatched array of stools. The steel stool below (#9) is by Willmar born designer, Sarah Burns.

1.Vintage Safari Chairs 2. Vintage Race Flag 3. Vintage Ceiling Light 4. Vintage Axel Einar Hjorth Sofa 5. Vintage Lino (install seen at estate sale) 6. Boro Fan Fabric 7. Source Unknown 8. Chen Chen & Kai Williams 9. Sarah Burns 10. Source Unknown 11. Minjae Kim 12. LGS Studio

Concept: Coffee Shack

Pickin’ and Musing: December