World-renowned coffee house chain EL&N (Eat, Live and Nourish), known for its OTT pink and floral decor, has opened its doors at the Mall of Africa in Joburg – and is already gaining traction for its Insta-worthy decor.

The fusion of a contemporary and innovative menu combined with a pinker-than-pink decor theme has made the new spot a must-visit for socialites and guests seeking an all-around visual and literal feast. The design of the space was a collaboration between their appointed architects and the EL&N in-house marketing team. “The architects paint a beautiful landscape in terms of direction and layout and our in-house Marketing team applies all the key ‘Instagrammable’ moments that you see across the store, from the pink blossom booth feature to the artwork and iconic neon slogans that dress the walls of the café,” explains Alexandra Miller, Founder of EL&N London. “We’ve been working with the same architects since the conception of EL&N so we are very fortunate that we have an extremely creative, collaborative relationship when it comes to store design and creating unique interior design moments.”

Every cafe designed around the world is created with a different brief, to make each experience new for globetrotters and international visitors. The stand-out feature of the Mall of Africa store is the “Tree of Light” bar feature. It’s the first thing that catches your attention as you enter the store, designed to create an impact. The entrance, dressed with pretty pink florals is intended for visitors to photograph. “The locals of South Africa are loving the touch of pink we have brought to Mall of Africa! Not forgetting to mention our very first pizza bar which allows for that element of theatre whilst dining in the café,” Alexandra elaborates.

The menu has been curated with South African palates in mind, with offerings such as steaks and grills alongside the brand’s first-ever pizza bar, which will offer a range of wood-fired pizzas.

Marketed as “The most Instagrammable café in the world” this theme translates through from the decor to the food. Every dish, drink and cake at EL&N is carefully curated to ensure that it’s not only packed with flavour but that it looks picture-perfect on the plate. As an example, most dishes and drinks with edible flowers, translate back to the florals used across the interiors of the cafés, making for an unforgettable experience from surroundings to menu consumption.

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From a stylish new café in London and a new locally-designed chair to a spring-inspired homeware collection and intricate illustrations on musical instruments, these are the top VISI picks of the week series – week 299.

1. Chucs Café in London

London- and LA-based interior architecture and design firm Fettle is behind the look of the stylish Chucs Café in London’s Chelsea. The interiors feature pastel pink leather bar stools, patterned marble floors and oak panelled walls inspired by 1950s Italian glamour.

Image credit: Helen Cathcart

2. Leonardo Frigo’s Illustrated Instruments

Inspired by history, literature and music, London-based artist Leonardo Frigo, who was recently featured on Instagram, creates intricate ink illustrations by hand on string instruments like violins and cellos.

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Images via @leonardo_frigo_ on Instagram

3. Ori Dining Chair by Louw Roets

Louw Roets has launched a new Ori Dining Chair, made using traditional joinery techniques in oak, ash, walnut or iroko, with woven cord in red, yellow, black, nude or blue. The lightweight chair features a wide backrest for maximum comfort.

Images via louwroets.co.za

4. theMAAK Designs Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation Testing Clinic

In partnership with the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation (DTHF), social architects theMAAK have designed a new 500 m² clinic in Masiphumalele in Cape Town. “The building appropriately addresses both the ambition and prestige of the internationally acclaimed research of DTHF, as well as the sensitive human nature of their work,” say lead architects Ashleigh Killa and Max Melvill.

Image credit: Anton Scholtz, courtesy of theMAAK

5. Love Milo’s Spring Blossom Collection

Cape Town-based homeware brand Love Milo, headed up by designer Nicki Ellis, has launched its Spring Blossom collection. The new range includes cushions, tote bags and storage baskets in French Lilac and pistachio fabric that’s covered with blossoms, peaches and butterflies.

Images courtesy of Love Milo

Browse more like VISI picks of the week series – week 299 on picks of the week 326.

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From a pink pizza spot in London and a new 10-storey mural in Cape Town to locally woven serviettes and fun ceramics, these are top VISI picks of the week series – week 289.

1. Humble Pizza by Child Studio

Child Studio transformed the interiors of Humble, a plant-based pizza eatery, into a wall-to-wall pink café in London’s Chelsea, inspired by London’s Formica cafés of the 1950s. Mosaic tiled flooring, cherry wood detailing and neon signs were also used within the space.

Images courtesy of Alexey Kostikov and Chieh Huang / childstudio.co

2. Mungo’s New Selvedge Serviette Range

Local textile brand Mungo has released a new pure linen serviette range, each one of which has been individually woven on restored shuttle looms at the Mungo Mill in Plettenberg Bay. The design was actually inspired by a family holiday, where doing laundry was not at the top of anyone’s minds and serviettes were reused in the evenings. “By giving each family member their colour for the week, no confusion could arise over which serviette belonged to whom,” explains the team.

Images courtesy of Mungo

3. New Lighthouse Mural

A 10-storey mural can now be viewed on the facade of a building in Strand Street, Cape Town. The mural, commissioned by Boxwood Property Fund in association with local NPO Baz-Art, was created by Ukrainian street artist Aleksandr Nikituik. It took six days to complete.

Images: Melissa Cucci / Baz-Art

4. Rami Kim’s Whimsical Ceramics

Los Angeles-based Rami Kim, an artist and award-winning animator, has made a range of functional ceramic objects featuring little 3D faces. She hopes to eventually create a series of short animated films featuring the characters she creates.

Images via thisiscolossal.com

5. HIVE booth

Angelshack’s semi-enclosed HIVE booth offers noise reduction solutions and a degree of privacy for those looking for a place to take a breather in open-plan workspaces.

Images courtesy of angelshack.co.za

Browse more like VISI picks of the week series – week 289 on picks of the week 52.

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Montreal eatery Pastel Rita, designed by Appareil Architecture, is home to a café, artist workshop and a boutique showcase area.

The multifunctional space, located on St Laurent Boulevard in the Mile End district, features large street-facing windows, giving passers-by a peek into the carefully curated interior.

Each section within Pastel Rita is demarcated through the use of colour blocking in gold, pink or green, with the terrazzo-effect linoleum flooring creating cohesion between each area.

In the café part of the space, the focal point is a large central bar that serves as the hub of the building. The glossy green bar was custom built and is complemented by Appareil Atelier’s FLOW chairs. Further back, extra seating is provided in a plethora of pink.

The boutique was designed with exhibiting in mind, and the architectural elements lend to this concept. The use of white and wood in the workshop stands in strong contrast to the rest of the space.

See more projects by Appareil Architecture at appareilarchitecture.com. See more cool spaces, here.

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We just love an Instagrammable space! Café Yeonnam-dong 239-20 in Seoul takes this concept to the next level, creating a cartoon-like world to satiate your creative appetite.

Inspired by the Korean TV show W-Two Worlds, the decor aims to transport you into a world of pen, paper and drawings, with a 2D feel.

The 20-seater café, which is named after its location, is comprised of both indoor and outdoor seating areas, both of which feature the black-and-white designs – perfect for an optical illusion snap.

Expect a variety of pretty foods on the menu, including green tea lattes, choco choco lattes, vanilla café lattes, sandwiches, smoothies and lemonades.

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Follow the café on Instagram.

(h/t) boredpanda.com

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Fritz and Chanelle Schoon recently opened the new SCHOON Bright Street Café in Somerset West outside Cape Town.

“We’ve always had an incredibly loyal following in Somerset West, so we really wanted to honour them and have a small presence there to serve them,” says Chanelle and Fritz. “It was actually with the help of the local clientele that we figured out that Bright Street would be the right fit. The timing was truly perfect.”

The SCHOON Bright Street Café is a cosy neighbourhood hub with a focus on artisanal pastries and breads, and café-style meals. Designed by Chanelle herself in collaboration with Nina du Plessis of Studio N, the Bright Street Café features crockery designed by Cape Town-based ceramic artist Mervyn Gers, chairs from Sandalene Dale-Roberts and custom-designed tables by Nina, manufactured by Johan Basson of Bespoke Joinery.

“We’ve translated this message of purity, honesty, integrity, commitment and authenticity into cleaner lines and uncluttered simplicity, while still maintaining an essence of homeliness through the use of the wooden components,” says the duo about SCHOON’s rebranded look.

The beautiful hand-made leather menus, manufactured by Freedom of Movement, highlight the list of delicious dishes developed by Chanelle.

The SCHOON duo has also opened a Croissant & Coffee Bar in the De Wet Centre in Stellenbosch. For more information, visit schoon.co.za.

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Walking into this newly opened crêperie on Buitenkant Street in Cape Town, it’s easy to feel like you’ve been transported straight to the café-lined streets of Paris.

Designed by Cape Town-based interior designer Haldane Martin, Swan Café brings together an elegant, French-inspired colour palette of blue, red and white with custom-designed furniture pieces and a strong graphic identity influenced by the grace and mythological significance of the swan, a creature owner Jessica Rushmere strongly identifies with.

A collection of copper birdcage pendant lights, dramatic blue-and-white wallpaper, bold custom-made blue-and-white tiled mosaic flooring and a ceramic tile counter in shades of blue all stand out at first glance. A closer look allows you to pick up the details: splashes of red in the bespoke furniture created by Haldane, marble-topped bistro-inspired tables with bright blue accents and trendy mesh shop fittings.

The focal wallpapers depict two versions of the mythological story of Leda and the Swan, one painted by Leonardo da Vinci and one by Jean-Léon Gérôme.

Apart from the delicious range of crêpes found on the menu, which include savoury galettes and classic sweet options, Swan Café also has a range of beautifully branded teas and trays for sale.

Simple Trout Galette: Franschhoek smoked trout ribbons, cream cheese, baby spinach, smashed avo, dill, caper berries and fresh lemon. Image credit: Peter Maltbie.

Lucky Luc Crêpe: Zesty orange sauce, fresh thyme, orange zest and toasted flaked almonds. Image credit: Peter Maltbie.

For more information and to view the menu, visit swancafe.co.za. To see more projects by Haldane Martin, visit haldanemartin.co.za.

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An espresso bar and pâtisserie in Johannesburg’s Bedfordview has been transformed into a characterful space by local husband-and-wife design duo, Daniel Ting Chong and Samantha Shan.

Daniel and Samantha were tasked to create a space that honoured the client’s mother – a space that felt homely, yet modern; a space that would be a metaphorical letter to Maria. “The conceptual focus was to ensure that the space is mature and rich in colour, modest and almost lived in,” explains the duo. “We paired this notion with the timeless but progressively modern appreciation of rough, truthful materials that expose raw craftsmanship.”

After asking Maria herself what her favourite colours were, Daniel and Samantha were able to develop a complementary colour palette for both the space itself and the café’s brand identity. “We developed the colour palette by staying true to the concept, which is to communicate Maria’s story in a respectful and beautiful manner.”

The interiors make use of reclaimed timber, something that was important for both designers. “The re-use of materials is becoming increasingly important for us from a moral and environmental perspective, and mutually beneficial to the creative industry. Every object or material has the potential to continuously begin another life cycle but possibly in a different shape and form. The idea of this potential challenges us creatively, which in turn brings exciting prospects for the continual transformation of ‘things’”.

Custom-made terrazzo countertops using the brand’s colour palette were also installed, with the help of shop fitter Ronnie Townsend. “We wanted to give the space a quality that would be a unique characteristic of the brand, and terrazzo afforded us the opportunity to achieve this through the selection of glass chips in the branding colours of green and orange. Terrazzo naturally has a magical quality, and the ability to incorporate the specific branding colours made it that much more exceptional.”

Visit Dear Maria at 59 Van Buuren Rd, Bedfordview, Germiston, Johannesburg.

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The interiors of this stylish café in Chengdu, China, were inspired by Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel.

Melbourne-based, multi-award-winning studio Biasol combined marble surfaces with dreamy pastel hues and sharp geometric angles with retro curves.

The café’s owners chose an Australian design studio to create an environment that would appeal to an international audience. Architect Jean-Pierre Biasol, looked to the “vivid and nostalgic colour palettes” seen in movies by American filmmaker Wes Anderson.

To achieve this aesthetic, the designers chose a powdery palette, light-grey marble and speckled multicoloured terrazzo, which complement the pastel greens and pinks of the walls and furniture.

“Like Anderson, we create imagination and evocative spaces,” said Jean-Pierre. “Our design for The Budapest Cafe has a relaxed and indulgent atmosphere; a whimsical and elegant aesthetic; and a hospitality experience infused with Melbourne’s café culture.”

(h/t) dezeen.com

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