Design, Interior Design, Retail DesignFlorence LDecember 30, 2019Humble PizzaLondon, Humble Pizza, Child Studio, Chieh Huang, Alexey Kostikov

HUMBLE PIZZA || An Iconic Pink Cafe for London's Chelsea

Design, Interior Design, Retail DesignFlorence LDecember 30, 2019Humble PizzaLondon, Humble Pizza, Child Studio, Chieh Huang, Alexey Kostikov

A new plant-based cafe has recently opened on the iconic King’s Road, the neighborhood synonymous with alternative British fashion, music, and pop culture movements of the 20th Century from mods and hippies to punks and New Romantics.

London-based designers Child Studio drew from these cultural references when creating the space. The inspiration for the design came from the staple of British vernacular mid-century design - the ‘Formica cafes’, which first started appearing in London’s West End in the 50s. Typically established by Italian immigrant families, those coffee bars served simple snacks and drinks in pared-back modernist interiors of laminate surfaces and pastel tones. This was the beginning of the ‘cafe culture’ in London with King’s Road at the epicenter, attracting musicians, photographers and bohemian characters of all styles.

“King’s road, where the restaurant is located, is such an iconic place for London’s creative scene - all kinds of youth and fashion movement had originated here. We wanted ’Humble’ to feel as an organic part of this unique neighborhood - slightly nostalgic, yet relevant and fashion-conscious.”

— Chieh Huang

THE SPACE

The vibrant space is clad in wall-to-wall candy pink Formica, which continues along counter fronts and across tables tops. The rhythmic pattern is highlighted with cherry wood framing each laminate panel. Other subtle winks to the past include mosaic tiled flooring, cherry wood shelving, and neon signage. The cafe is accessorized with the classic mid-century lighting pieces by European designers Poul Henningsen, Jacques Biny and Luigi Massoni.

“‘Humble’ is a fantasy about King’s Road of the time when Vivienne Westwood was setting up her first boutique down the road, The Rolling Stones were hanging out at the notorious ‘Chelsea Drugstore’ and the street was buzzing with hippies, punks and fashion kids”

— Alexey Kostikov and Chieh Huang, founders of Child Studio.

The cafe sits behind a characterful period timber shopfront. The facade was stripped back from the later additions to reveal the original features, including the ornate cast iron grilles. The long and narrow floor plan informed the layout with a long banquette seat flanking one side and a 5,5 metre display counter located along the opposite wall. An Illuminated cherry-clad lightbox frames the ‘open kitchen’ counter towards the rear of the space, creating a cinematic focal point whilst offering a glimpse behind the scenes and celebrating the food making process focused on plant-based ingredients.

THE MENU

The menu presents a contemporary plant-based perspective on the Italian classics with an expertly curated selection of vegan pizzas. Pizzas with a cauliflower base include truffle and mushroom, creamy saffron and asparagus, a take on Diavola with meat-free pepperoni and a classic Margherita using vegan mozzarella. A finely milled flour that is more easily digestible is used to create a crispy version of focaccia served ‘by the slice’. Alongside the pizza, Humble salads include potato with a popcorn mayo, beetroot with puffed rice and fruity tropical fennel. Seasonal soups use fresh ingredients for Spring Green and Humble’s take on Miso. Beverages are curated from modern soft drinks, coffee to the Humble Latte - a sumptuous vegetable-based pink alternative to coffee or tea-based lattes.

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“The hospitality team behind this project is very passionate about the plant-based menu they created, so naturally, our first conversations started around the dining table, tasting their delicious food and discussing how we can build an experience around it and share it with a broader audience.”

— Alexey Kostikov

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Humble has become a popular Instagram spot for bloggers and influencers, given its considered, dreamy aesthetic where one could easily imagine “Vivienne Westwood setting up her first punk boutique down the road, Mick Jagger hanging out at the notorious Chelsea Drugstore, and the sunlit cafe is buzzing with bohemian characters, aspiring writers, musicians and socialites” as Alexey envisioned.

While the interiors appear simple and pared back at first glance, the team has injected numerous small touches and playful details to the interior for guests to engage with upon their return visits, creating moments of discovery to build a deeper, more personal connection with the space.

Though the space is said to look like it’s been pulled straight out of a film set, the designers’ have created a timeless space that will continue to be a go-to hangout for creatives for years to come in London’s Chelsea.

ABOUT CHILD STUDIO

Child Studio was set up in London by Chieh Huang and Alexey Kostikov. The duo works on the intersection of object design, spatial projects, art direction, and photography, creating cinematic and intriguing narratives and experiences.