Don’t worry, just because the header and subhead for this webpost both have coffee puns doesn’t mean the whole thing will be unpalletable.

Vancouver designer Alice D’Andrea has been brewing Pallet Coffee locations since 2016, but Pallet Coffee HQ in Railtown is her biggest project yet. The vision for the space was part roastery, part retail. Unlike the other locations, which focus solely on retail, Pallet HQ has concrete walls, high ceilings, and plenty of natural light€”a far cry from the cozy, dark roast vibes of the other shops. “Railtown is where they do the roasting, so we wanted to make it more of a hardcore design, something that is more bold,” says D’Andrea.

The building is a massive 6,000 square feet, which the designer saw as both a strength and a weakness. It provided plenty of room for the roastery, but there was also potential for patrons to feel lost in the space. D’Andrea persuaded the clients away from their original vision€”a flat white€”and instead picked striking colours like black and copper to make sure that Pallet HQ could really espresso itself.

The retail and seating area reminded D’Andrea of a European Plaza; the high ceilings and skylights give the area a natural indoor/outdoor look. She brought in benches, armchairs and banquettes from the Czech Republic (and incorporated plenty of greenery) to complement the plaza feel. A moss composition by Figaro’s Garden completed the look.

The coffee bar is D’Andrea’s favourite part of Pallet HQ. “We used a very simple material in the front, but because we used a chevron installation, it is very nice and balanced in the space,” she says. Caesarstone countertops in Vanilla Noir provide more texture to the bar, while copper pendant lights from local company Matteo lighting draw the eye down from the ceiling. It’s a bright, industrial, charming space€”and we like it a latte.

Check out more photos below:

Alyssa Hirose

Alyssa Hirose

Alyssa Hirose is a Vancouver-based writer, editor, illustrator and comic artist. Her work has been featured in Vancouver magazine, Western Living, BCBusiness, Avenue, Serviette, Geist, BCLiving, Nuvo, Montecristo, The Georgia Straight and more. Her beats are food, travel, arts and culture, style, interior design and anything dog-related. She publishes a daily autobiographical comic on Instagram at @hialyssacomics.