The INT 2025 Awards celebrate excellence in interior design across a wide range of categories. In the Commercial, Hospitality, Coffee Shop category, five projects were recognized for their distinctive approaches to the modern coffee shop interior. Each winner showcases how designers around the world are reimagining café spaces, from intimate material stories to bold architectural gestures.

What defines a modern coffee shop interior?

A modern coffee shop interior often combines minimalism, clarity of space, and intentional use of materials. Warm palettes, curved geometries, natural finishes, and innovative lighting techniques are frequently observed. The five winning projects in 2025 reflect these qualities in different ways, showcasing the variety of approaches that shape contemporary hospitality design.

Key Themes Reflected in the INT 2025 Winners

1. Material Narrative and Texture

Materials are central to storytelling in these projects. Kali Coffee Roasters in Mexico integrates clay tiles inspired by the homes of local workers, grounding the space in regional identity. Café Even in Montreal employs a cork threshold, mesh curtain, and raw finishes to emphasize texture and ritual.

2. Curves, Geometry, and Spatial Flow

Curved elements and geometric gestures appear in several of the winning projects. Cafe Goldie incorporates soft curvature and golden hues, drawing on old Hollywood influences while creating a flowing indoor-outdoor connection. Café Even uses angled forms and partitions that define circulation while keeping the space visually open.

3. Light, Reflection, and Spatial Illusion

Perception of scale is shaped through light and reflection. Poppy Roastery, designed within a historic structure with a ceiling height of just 2.17 meters, employs a polished aluminum ceiling that expands the space visually and reflects movement. Contrasts of dark surfaces and vivid accents further enhance the experience.

4. Aging, Heritage, and Sustainable Materials

Natural materials that age gracefully and adapt to existing architecture appear as a consistent theme. Nana’s green tea New York embraces wabi-sabi principles, using sokuseki stones, weathered wood, and reclaimed timber to express timelessness and imperfection. Poppy Roastery also responds to a heritage context, blending historic structure with contemporary intervention.

5. Brand Identity and Storytelling

The identity of each café is expressed through design. Kali Coffee Roasters connects its interior to cultural heritage through material choices, while Café Even introduces a glass partition that reveals the coffee roasting process, linking the product directly to the spatial narrative.

About Modern Coffee Shop Interiors

What defines a modern coffee shop interior?

Clean layouts, strong material presence, and clear spatial flow are key characteristics, as demonstrated across the 2025 winners.

Which materials appear most often?

Earthy finishes such as clay, cork, and wood, alongside reflective metals and aged natural textures, are strongly represented in this year’s winning projects.

How do designers address small or compact café interiors?

Some projects, such as Poppy Roastery, employ reflective surfaces and spatial illusions to create a sense of openness within compact spaces.

What role does lighting play?

Lighting is used to create atmosphere and emphasize material detail. Warm tones and contrast between light and shadow appear prominently, particularly in Cafe Goldie and Poppy Roastery.

How does interior design reflect brand identity?

Interiors often act as an extension of brand values and origin stories. Kali Coffee Roasters and Café Even highlight this approach, integrating cultural and process-driven elements.

What trends can be observed in 2025?

Curved geometries, sustainable materials, material storytelling, and heritage adaptation are among the consistent themes seen across the five award-winning projects.

Featured INT 2025 Winners

Trends and takeaways for 2025

The INT 2025 winners highlight the breadth of interpretations within the idea of the modern coffee shop interior. From earthy and tactile palettes to reflective ceilings and reclaimed wood, each project demonstrates how cafés continue to evolve as cultural, social, and design landmarks.

Conclusion

As celebrated by the INT Interior Design Awards, these five projects represent distinct approaches to the modern coffee shop interior. Each contributes a unique perspective to the global conversation on hospitality design, showing how café spaces can be simultaneously cultural, functional, and aesthetic achievements.