Exploring Coffee

LOCATION

Royal Durban Golf Club | Durban, KZN

TYPE

Coffee Shop

BRIEF

Design a welcoming and functional coffee shop within the existing Royal Durban Golf Club, creating a distinctive and welcoming environment for golfers, club members and visitors while accommodating the practical requirements of a busy café operation.

Exploring Coffee is a new café fit-out within the existing Royal Durban Golf Club in Durban. The design needed to establish a distinct identity for the coffee shop while working with the existing architecture and accommodating the practical requirements of a busy food and beverage operation.

The interior combines natural timber, exposed brickwork and dark charcoal finishes with bold botanical wallpaper and an abundance of greenery. The existing high ceilings and structural columns were incorporated into the design, while suspended planting and woven pendant lights bring warmth and interest to the overhead spaces.

The open service counter and varied seating arrangements cater to both customers grabbing a quick coffee and those staying for a meal. The combination of natural materials, bold finishes and greenery gives Exploring Coffee its own identity while sitting comfortably within the broader golf club setting.

Café seating at Exploring Coffee, Royal Durban Golf Club, featuring botanical wallpaper, exposed brick walls, upholstered banquette seating, timber tables and a gallery of framed surf photography.
Woven rattan pendant lights and hanging greenery above the coffee counter at Exploring Coffee, Royal Durban Golf Club, featuring charcoal columns, exposed brickwork and black pendant lighting.
Café seating at Exploring Coffee, Royal Durban Golf Club, featuring botanical wallpaper, exposed brick walls, upholstered banquette seating, timber tables and a gallery of framed surf photography.
Café interior at Exploring Coffee, Royal Durban Golf Club, featuring suspended greenery, woven rattan pendant lights, exposed brickwork, charcoal columns and timber dining tables.

The oversized botanical wallpaper creates a strong focal point against the charcoal-painted walls and existing structural columns. Timber tabletops and natural woven textures bring warmth to the darker palette.

Café seating area at Exploring Coffee, Royal Durban Golf Club, featuring tropical botanical wallpaper, woven rattan pendant lights, hanging ferns, charcoal columns and timber tables.
Coffee shop interior at Exploring Coffee, Royal Durban Golf Club, featuring a timber service counter, charcoal columns, café seating, black pendant lighting and suspended greenery.

The service counter was planned to accommodate coffee preparation, food displays, ordering and collection, with the equipment and operational requirements integrated into the layout. A combination of timber cladding, exposed brick and dark finishes gives the counter definition, while the open frontage keeps the café connected to the surrounding club facilities.
Suspended greenery and woven rattan pendant lighting beneath a skylight at Exploring Coffee, a café interior design project at Royal Durban Golf Club.