What would a modern interpretation of the 70s aesthetic look like? Take a look at Sabah, a breakfast cafe in Kuwait, and see. Organic forms and bright colors are contrasted with lots and lots of pinewood tones used in the cafe’s interior. Wooden paneling, an interior design staple of the 70s, is re-invigorated used lighter stains of wood, and instead of taking up full walls, it’s carefully constructed into the organic shapes that make up the brand patterns. These shapes too are found in the menu boards; the cafe menu features a wave diecut on its side, perhaps lessening the usability of it but boy does it leave a lasting impression. The menus are interestingly layered in a way where the ‘menu cover’, explaining Sabah’s offerings, is just a small colored sheet that obscures the rest of the menu. The typography is designed in a way where when these two sheets of paper are aligned, the daypart is still perfectly legible, but uses two completely different typefaces, visually contrasting an older classic serif and a modern, jovial san serif. The logo too captures this modern-retro feel; purely designed out of simple geometric shapes, with small flourishes in each letter hinting at the idea of a serif.
Sabah Cafe Branding & Interior Design by Futura.
