Great Spaces: Inside a Retro, Rock-and-Roll Whistler Coffee Shop

Whistler’s newest ’70s-inspired coffee shop is retro, colourful and cozy. But what really sets the design of Rockit Coffee apart from your standard café (the previous occupant of the property was a Starbucks) is how interactive it is. Vancouver-based designer Daniel Meloché wanted the space to be just as engaging and inspiring as its main motif: music.

A wall-to-wall installation of vintage speakers (created in collaboration with Vancouver antique store Space Lab) makes the musical connection loud and clear. That said, there’s dynamism in the details—ceiling lights made from custom gold records, albums displayed on built-in walnut shelving, sugar and creamer perched on a stereo cabinet. “Our design concept was to pay homage to the character and liveliness of that ’70s, mid-century era,” says Meloché.

Deep teal walls, burnt orange velvet banquette seating and bright yellow Womb chairs play into the throwback palette. The design hearkens back not just to a certain time, but to a specific place, too: “The client is from Mexico, and wanted the space to have a little bit of Mexican flare,” says Meloché. The 1968 Olympics in Mexico City served as inspiration for the restaurant’s logo and much of the decor (technically not the ’70s, but the late ’60s era hinted at future design trends), including many of the art prints on the gallery wall.

Patrons of Rockit Coffee can fully immerse themselves in the space: the vintage radios and rotary phones can all be picked up and played with (and posed with, too—the coffee shop is undeniably photogenic). There are books you can read and record players you can take for a spin. 

Meloché describes the vibe as nostalgic and playful—all in all, the sort of space people write songs about.

This story was originally published in the May/June 2023 print issue of Western Living—find the digital issue here.