A Canberra café embodying the warmth and ritual of a cup of coffee

Dancing with delightful aromas, the interior of Lava café in Canberra’s leafy suburb of Kingston can be fittingly compared to a cup of coffee; a beverage often eloquently described by its texture and body. 

To craft an interior space that exudes the same warmth and sense of ritual was the design brief for McShane Studio.

Specialising in creating holistic and personalised spatial experiences across residential and commercial spaces, McShane Studio worked with the owners of Lava, Kingston to reimagine the café experience.

A beautiful blend of warm neutral tones, the materiality of the space is tactile – carefully selected by Bridget McShane, designer and creative director of McShane Studio, to make visitors feel welcome. 

“They wanted to create a coffee shop that customers would enjoy; a place where people can meet and enjoy a cup of coffee,” shares Bridget. 

“When you enter Lava Kingston, the mood is warm and inviting. The colour story is quite robust and restrained – it was all about texture and creating a really warm aesthetic. Canberra has such a cold climate; we get a lot of cold days here, so it was important to create this cosy environment that can be enjoyed throughout the entire year.” 

The materials were selected based on durability, with careful consideration as to where each material would be used in the commercial space – such as polished concrete floors that withstand the high foot traffic.

Complementary in tone, Venetian plaster, with a custom matte texture, coats the walls – its handcrafted surface creating an intriguing shadow play. Dark concrete anchors the counter area. 

Stunning Victorian ash timber brings contrast and an alluring warmth, used for the bench seating, a partition between the kitchen, and for the ceiling beams. 

“It’s a timeless aesthetic due to the fact that these beautiful materials will wear really nicely,” says Bridget. “The Victorian ash is a bit more of a softer material that’s not as durable, however, it’s important to balance out really hard materials with softer materials.”

The careful blend of natural materials and wood accents is reminiscent of Japandi design, a concept that balances Scandinavian and Japanese design characteristics: earthy and tactile elements, craftsmanship and refined simplicity.  

“It was all about creating this depth with the materials in a refined way. The texture really creates an oasis – anyone can just sit down and enjoy a cuppa, or sit down with their laptop.”

The challenge involved in achieving this type of environment is one that all cafés battle with, says Bridget: “With a lot of coffee shops, you go in and find that they’re actually quite loud. The difference between this coffee shop is that we installed acoustic panelling above the kitchen area to dampen the acoustic vibrations.”  

It’s also ensured that everyone can easily move through the space and can enjoy the atmosphere without disturbing each other. 

“It was important to create a flow from the entry to the serving section, and then a flow out. This layout accommodates a clean flow of traffic because the last thing you want is a line of customers right next to people sitting, so the flow of the traffic in the café was organised and articulated in the design – if it wasn’t, it wouldn't work as well.”

A collaborative effort between McShane Studio and the clients, Lava Kingston is certainly an ode to the robust quality of coffee and the ritual attached with enjoying a daily cup. 

“One of my favourite things was working with my clients,” says Bridget. “They had a very strong vision and we worked collaboratively together – it was so enjoyable because they were so passionate about the project and we wanted to create the best opportunity for them and their business.”

“Bridget created a space that was everything we always wanted but could have never imagined ourselves. The space is functional and beautiful. The ambience is calm and complements the experience of sharing amazing coffee with others,” says Lincoln Fairleigh, owner of Lava Kingston.

Learn more about working with McShane Studio and explore more projects.