Celebrating Craft at Artistry Brewing Company
Artistry Brewing Company is tucked in an alley in North Point and serves up craft coffee, casual meals, locally brewed beers and cocktails, in a space designed by Hong Kong studio FAK3 to celebrate a love of handcrafted furniture, good food and drink, art and design, and al fresco urban spaces
Located on a discrete back alley in North Point, one of Hong Kong’s oldest neighbourhoods, Artistry Brewing Company (A.B.C) aspires to be a home away from home. ‘A.B.C. is not a commercial kitchen, it’s a home kitchen where every dish is made as if for friends at a dinner party,’ explains A.B.C. founder and head of local boutique design studio FAK3 Johnny Wong.
Towering buildings shelter the cafe from the hustle and bustle, forming an oasis in the neighbourhood; an abundance of greenery spills out onto the courtyard seating area, where guests can sip on their specialty coffee from custom porcelain cups while surrounded by colourful flowers and plants. ‘A.B.C is a transformative space that seamlessly changes from a cafe to restaurant to bar over the course of a day, but still maintains its identity as a creative lifestyle space,’ Wong says.
Inside, the design is a play on contrasts, but the defining element is a melange of handcrafted furniture pieces. With his keen appreciation for beauty in imperfection, Wong has layered the space with a combination of antique and contemporary pieces, each with each its own story to tell. Hong Kong furniture design studio R34I is behind the Rural Assembly Workshop series of pieces made from recycled materials salvaged from demolished houses. The Red Bamboo dining table, for example, is made from the remnants of an antique Chinese daybed and wood from old Vietnamese timber carts, while the Chainsaw chair is carved out from a single piece of wood. The variety of handcrafted furniture pieces, indoor foliage and curated artworks are highlighted against panels of zinc that provide an industrial backdrop for the warm natural materials. Floating overhead is a contemporary pendant light in the shape of an abstract squiggle that runs the length of the space, a playful addition that contrasts with the more rustic furniture.
‘The design of A.B.C is a fine balance between interior design and the curation of furniture, artwork and plants. We wanted to create a sense of place, where people can relax and settle in,’ Wong says. ‘Our aim was to create a destination that nurtures curiosity and exploration.’
Text / Nicole Chim
Images / Courtesy of Artistry Brewing Company
