Choosing the Coffee House Aesthetic for an Upcycling Project

For my Upcycling Project, I plan on adopting the coffee house aesthetic, and working with wood, cardboard, and other salvaged materials to create some sort of side or coffee table. Whilst the exact details of this piece aren’t finalized yet, the feelings the aesthetic evokes are certain to be replicated. 

This aesthetic piqued my interest as it was one I am extremely familiar with. Throughout my academic career, coffee houses have long been places of focus, and intent. Their color palette isn’t eye catching, but isn’t overly dull either. The greens and browns blend together to make the perfect cozy scenery, and when combined with the subtle jazz over the radio and the scent of coffee in the air, the productivity is unavoidable.

The coffee house aesthetic is one based around smaller breweries, featuring dark greens, browns, and blacks. Natural shades and cozy furniture are a primary component of the aesthetic too, made to make those within the space feel at home; relaxed and comfortable. The neutral tones of the coffeehouse space will work nicely with the materials I have selected, as I can emulate the characteristics of coffee houses fairly easily. 

My plan is to work with scrap wood and metals, and/or cardboard to recreate a small coffee table, roughly the size of a standard bedside table. The pieces will be salvaged from my roommate’s work, the machine shop, and the scrap areas around the engineering center. Paints will be bought from Home Depot and/or McGuckins, and the piece should be fabricated fairly soon. Should all go well, I will have a small table that perfectly emulates the feel and aesthetic of a small coffee house. 

Image Citations: 

“Aesthetic Coffee Shop for Any Events in Manhattan.” Giggster , Giggster , New York , 2023, https://giggster.com/listing/aesthetic-coffee-for-any-events-in-manhattan-. Accessed 6 Feb. 2023. 

“Milk and Pull Coffee House .” Cofeeloc , Coffeeloc , New York , 2018, https://coffeeloc.com/milk-amp-amp-pull-bed-stuy. Accessed 6 Feb. 2023.