Haldane Martin has revealed its design for Swan Café, a new French-style crêperie in an eastern precinct of Cape Town.
The café’s blue swan logo informs much of the design. The front wall of the interior welcomes guests with Leonardo da Vinci’s “Leda and the Swan” rendered in monochromatic dark blue and white, while the back wall engages diners with Jean-Léon Gérôme’s version of “Led and the Swan.” In homage to the roots of the café’s French owner, the blue, red, and white tones of the French flag are reinterpreted as dark blue, gray, and pinkish timber finishes complemented with red highlights. Marble bistro tables and bespoke seating in contemporary steel and wood nod to traditional French cafés. Seating is appointed in a linear configuration to draw people into the space, which is also outfitted with a large nook defined by casual couches upholstered in denim and pinstriped denim.
Vintage copper and brass light fixtures are installed overhead, with brass pendants fixed above the main counter and egg-shaped feature lights on the back wall. Edison globes illuminate seating, while birdcage lights made with copper and red cords amplify the avian theme along with blue and pink swan wallpaper in bathrooms.
