In a poetic homecoming for Crosby Studios, the acclaimed interior design and architecture practice has unveiled Café Nuances on the storied rue des Francs-Bourgeois in Paris. This project marks not only their second collaboration with the client but also a deeply resonant return to the very street where their Parisian journey began years prior with the design of Dover Street Market’s café. Founder Harry Nuriev describes the location as imbued with an almost “spiritual” significance.
Moving beyond conventional palettes, Crosby Studios employed inox (stainless steel) as a signature material, using its reflective properties in a radical way. Here, light itself becomes the primary “colour”. The sleek counter top and bespoke furniture are crafted from inox, designed to dynamically capture and reflect the changing ambient light throughout the day, creating an ever-shifting, luminous atmosphere within the compact Paris café.
The studio embraced an aesthetic of transformism, drawing direct inspiration from the late French artist Cesar and his famed compression works. This concept manifests dramatically through custom inox coffee cups that have been intentionally crushed. These unique pieces function simultaneously as art installations – striking sculptural focal points – and as functional objects, playfully challenging the boundary between utility and artistry within the interior design.
A defining feature of Café Nuances is its deliberate engagement with the city. The space transcends a purely internal experience. A bespoke light installation integrated into the façade ensures the café actively participates in the streetscape. This intervention transforms the window, making the interior’s ethereal play of light and reflection visible to passersby, effectively weaving the Parisian café into the vibrant fabric of the Marais neighbourhood. The design ensures the café is not just a destination, but a dynamic part of the street itself.
Crosby Studios’ approach for Café Nuances demonstrates a sophisticated fusion of material innovation, artistic reference, and contextual sensitivity. It’s a project where signature inox, conceptual transformism, and a conscious connection to the Parisian streets create a uniquely atmospheric and visually captivating coffee experience.