The Charm of A Cafe From The Comfort of Home

People often refer to their neighborhood coffee shop as a “home away from home,” a space that functions as a conference room, a second office, and a place to unwind at the end of the day. For Nobuka Yuba, however, the neighborhood coffee shop is her home, no more than a brief hop into the living room. A freelance stylist whose work often features coffee, it makes sense that Nobuka would want the Yokohama, Japan home she shares with her husband Ryuji to draw inspiration from the enlivening beverage that she loves. Given the rare opportunity to design the floor plan for their apartment prior to construction, Nobuka was able to bring all of the comforts of a café into her home, filling the space with various nods to coffee culture—collections of espresso cups, an industrial cafe table, and even a light fixture in the shape of a porcelain teapot. With tons of natural light and dazzling views of the Yokohama skyline, one would be hard-pressed to find reason to leave! —Max

Image above: The main living space is a kitchen/dining/living combination. The brick wall was salvaged from an old British castle. The couple’s dog, Coro, sits on the couch. “The room has many spots to enjoy coffee as we like,” Nobuka says, “that is why we and Coro love staying in this room.”

Image above: The kitchenette. Vintage dining chairs from Denmark. The counter features a coffee grinder produced by the Japanese company Fuji Royal, a custom design created for a regional café.

Image above: An alternate angle of the living room. Vintage wooden planter produced in Denmark in the 1950s. Sofa and lamp shade from Bo Concept.

Image above: The coffee station. Nobuka repurposed gardening containers as holders for all manner of coffee-making supplies. The coffee grinder and espresso machine are both produced by Ascaso, one of the oldest most esteemed coffee appliance companies in Spain.

Image above: A pendant light in the shape of a teapot, produced by London’s Conran Shop.

Image above: A reproduction Newgate clock hangs above a collection of espresso cups, collected over time throughout Nobuka’s former career as a flight attendant.

Image above: The home office features a metal café table and an in-room window, something that was custom-made to bring natural light into the space. “Thanks to it, we can see the sea from the window and a soft, refreshing breeze blows into the room,” Nobuka says. “Of course, coffee and snacks are usually served through this window.”

Image above: The bedroom. Poster by Swedish designer Elisabeth Dunker. The framed image to the right was cut from a Marimekko catalogue.

Image above: A vintage Bureau sits opposite the bed. Two vintage egg holders are used to hold jewelry. Poster by Elisabeth Dunker.