Blue Bottle and wrk-shp architect's Melrose studio is steeped in the sensorial, elevating various expressions of coffee beyond taste.

Hiding in plain site within the nondescript commercial husk of a former Melrose dry cleaner can be found Blue Bottle Studio. The coffee brand’s first residency in the United States, the intimate Los Angeles space hosts a mere eight seats, each awaiting to serve a thoughtfully composed and choreographed exploration of the beloved beverage spanning brewed leaves and flowers, to fermented berries, and across numerous surprising expressions of roasted coffee all surrounded by surfaces, sounds, and aromas curated to elevate all of the senses.
Photo: Gregory Han
Designed with longtime Blue Bottle collaborators Airi Isoda and Ryan Upton of architecture firm wrk-shp, with the support of Capsule Manufacturing, Blue Bottle Coffee?s founder, James Freeman, Global Head of Innovation, Benjamin Brewer, alongside Global Head of Cafe Design, Cary Cheng conspired to impart every detail of their coffee bar with omotenashi, the deeply-rooted Japanese value of hospitality transcending expectations of guests. The intention inhabits every corner of the interior layout, with each piece of serving ware, ceramic pendant, all the way down to the hyphen-shaped brass chopstick stands used to gently elevate each card presented across the 8-course menu serving a sense of serenity. “The Studio is our answer to this question: How hard can we work to rev...