Link to Project Page on Website
Milk Train approached FormRoom to design and produce an immersive space that catered primarily to their diverse Instagram demographic who have propelled the brand to instant online fame in 2018. FormRoom worked with the brand to strategize and evolve upon their four core pillars; Surreal, Timeless, British and Immersive.
FormRoom created a unique, dream-like landscape for the Milk Train customer. A predominately monochromatic palette is utilized to echo the Art Deco movement popularized amongst traditional train stations and platform iconography. Covent Garden was to provide the core brand design blueprint, by which all future sites will evolve from.
Since launching, the design has generated an unprecedented response online including being awarded ‘Best Experiential Design’ at The Drum Awards 2019 and ‘Best Café Design’ at the Restaurant & Bar Design Awards 2019.
Insight + Strategy
By catering the space to meet the demand of their social footprint, Milk Train’s biggest challenge was finding the balance between timeless and immersive. As this was their first permanent space, the design needed to be unique and interchangeable across all seasons; allowed the brand interior to evolve as swiftly as Instagram trends do.
The key focus was to create a space that was easily adaptable to all trends whilst not deviating from their dreamy ice cream products and the core brand identity. It was important too to consider the volume of customers due to their high popularity, so a space which felt accommodating but limited excessive dwell time in favour of a faster customer experience.
Store Interior Design
Grand arch detailing with globe lighting feature throughout the space to invoke timeless British train design whilst also providing a more playful interior.
Train station visual cues continue throughout the space using mosaic tiling and wayfinding; including a play on the iconic British underground messaging with “Mind the Melt” embedded into the floor. The brand’s signage and ordering system mimic timeless shutter board platform design.
A dramatic ceiling feature provides a conceptual take on the train’s ‘steam’ and is designed to be easily adaptable for future artistic installations.
The exterior of the store utilizes beaded opaque glass to mimic the steaming of a train window, whilst the black metal detailing lends another subtle nod to the brand’s immersive train experience.
Cafe Shop Design London
Experience economy has gone beyond retail and into any consumer-led space, leading to the rise of destination dining. Diving deep into consumer insight including profiling, competitor research and trend analysis, FormRoom are at the forefront of designing spaces that resonate with the next generation of consumers – Instagram influencers.
