Project: Holy Matcha

Location: Downtown San Diego, CA

Holy Matcha came to us with a vivid vision: a downtown San Diego café that felt like a modern-day tea parlor — cool and effortless, but with a quiet elegance that set it apart from anything else in the city. Owner Geraldine Ridaura had fallen in love with matcha culture while traveling in Japan, and she wanted the space to feel worthy of that obsession.

For this second location, pink remained the anchor but we evolved the brand with a more sophisticated and monochromatic palette, custom millwork design with terrazzo poured in place , abstract wall treatments, and modern lighting fixtures.

The result is a café that has become one of San Diego's most recognized interiors — covered by Domino, Wallpaper*, Imbibe, and San Diego Magazine — and a space that proves commercial design can be both joyful and enduring.

Photography: Amber Thrane