Interior Design Inspiration: Ma’velous Cafe

Do you savor coffee or wine and want to immerse yourself in an authentic environment? Then Ma’velous, located in the heart of San Francisco awaits you as a true interior design inspiration! This 19th century building is well known for the fermentation of exceptional tasting coffee and wine in respect to its modern interior. Ma’velous brews up a special recipe when it comes to its decor and its key ingredient is originality. Claudia Juestel, an interior designer in San Francisco took full advantage of creating a space fit for coffee and wine lovers to be satisfied in. The owner of the cafe wanted to depict fruit in different stages ranging from semi-ripe to ripe and then converting into the beverage it was made for. Claudia beautifully interpreted that through art and transformed the ceiling into an espresso colored oval shaped dome, which also helped camouflage the exposed sprinkler pipes.

The art piece beneath the ceiling is another interior design favorite! Its 50 feet long, 4 feet high created by a graffiti artist named Eddie Colla. His craft helped define the ambiance of the cafe and gave it a street feel in respect to its contemporary surroundings. The cafe’s private atmosphere is influenced by secret getaway passages created for customers who enjoy their solitude. Although coffee areas tend to be a bit more spacious, the involvement of wine completely changes the setting, by giving the cafe a more intimate vibe. Since Ma’velous is located near the opera, symphony, and art related entertainment, it was a must to integrate material in the shop related to the fine arts. Books and magazines of various genres such as dance, photography, and art poke out from the dividers eager to be read and devoured.

Between each partition is beautifully designed acrylic glass created by a local SF artist. These are laser cut out and upon looking through, casts an imprint of the pattern, so that its even seen on the floor. The custom made acrylic glass is also used to fence the espresso machine which is protected and rests upon strips of wood from a California Walnut Tree. The owner was glued to his vision of originality and even had the table tops made from the tree which had fallen in its territory and was made use of. Most of the interior set in the cafe is made up of reclaimed material and the back of the cafe and countertops have remained untouched till this day. The wooden tiles on the floor are made up of 60% recycled material which the SF chronicle designed themselves.

Kevin, a local SF artist did an incredible job incorporating lights in the cafe. He threaded wires through bamboo sticks and covered them with reclaimed hand blown glass as a final touch. That’s quite unique and creative! The owner found three torn up chairs outside a barber shop and fabricated/stuffed them to be of use for customers who want to sit and enjoy their drink. The patterns consists of crocodile designs which vary from green, gold, and red which also play off the color of fruits in their assorted stages.

Ma’velous definitely brings back the essence of the 19th century with its genuine space and delivers quality coffee sent to them by four different roasters and wine produced by various wineries. The owners ability to sustain the cafe is what sets it apart from others and it is definitely worth visiting if you’re looking to have a marvelous time or just some Bay area interior design inspiration!

Photography Credit: Crystal Waye Photo Design

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