A rich selection of expressive materials and concise design in the Yatofu Creatives studio project.
Aleksi Tikkala
A TeeMaa tea cafe and shop with a restrained interior designed by Yatofu Creatives design studio has opened in Helsinki. The authors chose a warm nude palette, which was helped by materials with “honest” textures: brick, oak, concrete and patinated steel.
Aleksi Tikkala
Aleksi Tikkala
TeeMaa has a symmetrical layout: in the center there is an entrance, on the left and on the right there are halls with panoramic windows-showcases. Almost square in plan, the right hall is used as a showroom: designers have diversified its ordinary geometry by rounding one of the corners. Monumental columns made of solid wood set the rhythm, and built-in shelving made of greenish patinated metal stand out graphically against the background of cream walls. The simplicity of the forms emphasizes the beauty of the materials and their lively texture: dark steel flickers softly, veins and knots on the logs form a fancy pattern, the smooth tabletop of the table in the center of the room contrasts with the rough tiled base. Light wood, strict orderliness and a rice paper lamp evoke minimalistic Japanese interiors.
Aleksi Tikkala
Aleksi Tikkala
Aleksi Tikkala
From the showroom, visitors enter the bar area, similar to someone’s ascetic kitchen: teapots and cups are decorously placed on narrow wall shelves, built-in cabinets with a sink are located under them, and a small rounded island is next to them. Its tiled finish echoes the design of the walls — on one of them the designers left bare brickwork, the other was faced with two types of terracotta tiles. There is a vintage wooden table and benches, and a curtain of white linen separates the area from the adjacent hall with small tables. The authors furnished the main hall of the tea room with typical Finnish practicality: wooden benches were supplemented with leather seats and back panels, compact tables were surrounded by plywood stools and chairs of the Danish brand Takt.
Aleksi Tikkala
Aleksi Tikkala
Aleksi Tikkala
Aleksi Tikkala
Aleksi Tikkala
