Everyday someone asks about the design for Espresso Cielo. It began out of a love for café life, design, color, and the sounds of everyday life. The clink of our blue porcelain cups on marble has become the voice of Espresso Cielo. The espresso and coffee, the blue porcelain cups, music, and friendship have become our signature style.
The design elements chosen for Espresso Cielo are from European and Traditional design, in essence, because they are timeless. The French 19th Century clock is our reminder that in a café time stands still. Cafes have a timeless and enduring nature to them. They become our home away from home, where we all feel a sense of community and belonging.
It was important that the end result be from the heart and felt by everyone. In our search for the artisans to participate we found some very special people with a passion for history.
Most of the elements and applications used in the creation of Espresso Cielo have their roots in antiquity. The carrara marble, black milk paint, the antique style gold leaf rosettes, the reverse painted glass technique, European patterns, the antique clock and colors were chosen for their long and enduring history.
Our friend and artist, Richard Davis, who specializes in restoration and antiquities, carried out our goal to bring authenticity to Espresso Cielo. His knowledge of authentic design and skill as an artisan is substantial. One only has to look at the outside windows of Espresso Cielo to see his reverse painted glass emblems to know that he understood our goal for authenticity.
Carrara marble, described as a cultural symbol of tradition and refined taste, was first used in Ancient Rome, is found on our counters and tables. Damask, first seen thousands of years ago, is found in the patterns in the tiles and wall art.
The ornamental rosettes found on the front panels were created by J.P. Weaver Company, founded in London, 1780. In 1914 J.P. Weaver opened in Glendale, California. These architectural rosettes are made from a formula first used in the 16th century and are applied with the same technique used for hundreds of years.
The black milk paint used in the cafe, was first used thousands of years ago in ancient artwork found on cave walls. It has been used for centuries because of its durability. Today it is still considered a natural, biodegradable product.
Espresso Cielo’s wall paint, a product from Farrow and Ball, founded in 1940, was selected because of their interest in restoration and historic color. Farrow and Ball paints are still made by traditional methods. Our colors, Chinese Blue and Skylight have given Espresso Cielo its ambiance and charm.
Espresso Cielo was imagined to be warm and inviting. It was felt that to create this, authenticity was necessary. We hope you find us to be just that, authentic, warm, and inviting, serving fresh and delicious coffee taken to the level of culinary art and served in a blue porcelain cup.
