Paula Rodríguez Studio's identity for Café Nuances opts for an uncomplicated approach to luxury

Barcelona-based creative practice Paula Rodríguez Studio have created an elegant typographic identity for premium Parisian coffee roastery Café Nuances; taking their dedication to craft and extending it into their visual representation. Inspired by the contrast between warmth and refinement of the 1920s art deco building that Café Nuances inhabits, the studio were driven by simplicity and tension, balancing the forward-thinking personality and modernity of the roastery with the historical nature of its context.

This contrast is delivered through Rodríguez’s use of type, for which she opted for Louize and Questrial as her pairing of choice. “Balance was actually the main concept behind the project,” Rodríguez tells us, “because we felt that the shop and the identity needed to have the same importance.” Discussing the rich ornamentation throughout the café itself, Rodríguez stresses the importance of keeping things uncomplicated when playing with the concept of decadence and luxury. “The identity needed to approach simplicity with a refined touch,” she explains. “Questrial had the simple and clean feeling that we were looking for,” Rodríguez tells us, finding its cosmopolitan counterpart in Louize. “It’s elegant but contemporary typography that really helps the identity and the packaging to feel elevated and strong.”

Describing the further influence of the building on the identity’s colour palette, Rodríguez notes that “the inside of the shop is surrounded by strong colours and there was a bold orange that wasn’t very used,” adding that it “felt perfect to give the final push to the branding.” Supporting the serene typographic execution and subdued hues of the colour palette is the work of Catalonian illustrator and artist Pol Montserrat, who collaborated with Rodríguez on the project. “The main illustration was taken from the idea that coffee can feel like a dance,” Rodríguez explains, “it’s also a symbol of unity, technique and balance,” she adds. “He usually works with Chinese ink for a lot of his illustrations,” Rodríguez recalls, “and this simple and abstract feel he has felt perfect for the project,” capturing the identity’s contrast and tension of form through his expressive mark-making. “The client also loved his work,” she concludes, “we felt that his illustrations could bring freshness to the project.”

Paula Rodríguez Studio