When the folks over at Drip Collective—the best coffee shop in Chicago’s West Loop—reached out to me to work on an outdoor bench I was thrilled: one of the elements that sets this cafe apart is their focus on evolving interior design. Much of the current space is focused on a DJ booth and sound system as well as a custom “stadium” style seating area—as well as locally designed furniture, including our own Stool Nº1.
They’ve consistently adapted their space when new collaborators are involved, from food pop-ups to semi-permanent outposts like Planks and Pistils and the current vintage clothing pop up from The Goody Vault. So much of the action happens inside the shop—the goal was to bring that same energy to the sidewalk.
They wanted something that could be moved inside every evening as well as something that had a place for a beverage—otherwise the brief was open. The design I developed was a classic outdoor bench flanked on either side with custom steel end caps. The bent steel brackets are both a perch for your espresso as well handles for their baristas to move the bench indoors at the end of service.
The wooden bench section was made from weather-resistant cedar and will desaturate in color after a few months in the sun.
The steel endcaps protect the wood from the wear and tear of being moved in and out daily, and are powder coated with my favorite silver vein hammertone finish which will hide the inevitable bumps and dings.
