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Coffee Place By Day, Restaurant By Night – At Bujole In Cluj

By Simona Ganea | Published on

It was difficult to choose whether this space should be a restaurant, a bar or a coffee place and instead of picking only one of the options the client in collaboration with the architect decided that they can have all three. The challenge that remained was the fact the interior was pretty small and could only accommodate around 35 people at a time. They dealt with this issue in a very creative way.

Bujole restaurant artwork
At Bujole, the atmosphere is very homey and welcoming
Bujole restaurant wooden tables
The architect wanted the place to feel like an actual home
Bujole restaurant wooden furniture
The interior design is eclectic, with traditional and industrial elements spread throughout

The space serves as a coffee place during the day and as a restaurant and cocktail bar during the evening. The transformation takes place at around 6 pm every day. This was an ingenious solution found by architect Cosmin Todor who designed the interior of the Bujole restaurant. You can find this place in the center of Cluj in Romania.

Bujole restaurant bar and stools
Turquoise is the main color chosen for the interior decor and it creates a vibrant ambiance
Bujole restaurant wooden flooring
The fact that the floors are covered with wooden parquet tiles really helps create a homey feel
Bujole restaurant wooden chairs
The furniture is what you’d expect to find a modernized traditional home
Bujole restaurant velvet chairs
The tables are small and paired with comfortable chairs with velvet upholstery

The main idea here was to create a friendly and inviting atmosphere where people could feel at home. Actually, the architect took things a bit further and made the interior look like someone’s home, with comfortable sofas,  upholstered chairs and wooden parquet floors. He even replaced the usual counter with something a bit more familiar: a kitchen island.

Bujole restaurant under the table
The diversity of chair types and options in general gives a sense of freedom and increased comfort
Bujole restaurant turquoise chairs
The herringbone parquet floor adds a touch of rusticity while keeping things casual and inviting
Bujole restaurant turquoise backsplash
The guests are invited to seat in a dining room-like type of space and to interact with each other and the staff
Bujole restaurant traditional furniture
There’s a lovely balance of color tones, with a consistent mixture of warm and cool shades

The island serves as a bar and is surrounded by black and white patterned tiles that create this vintage decor that complements the turquoise, velvet-upholstered chairs and the wooden tables. The homey atmosphere is also highlighted by a variety of other elements, including the exposed brick accent walls or the fact that the furniture has this worn and vintage look that gives it a lot of character.

Bujole restaurant tiles around island
The bar is more like a large kitchen island, an element that further highlights the homey decor
Bujole restaurant tapereg chair legs
As the sun sets, the interior starts to change and to metamorphose from a coffee place into a restaurant and bar
Bujole restaurant sofa and chairs
A lot of the things stay the same but there are just enough changes to create a different atmosphere
Bujole restaurant small tables
The interior is pretty small and this actually helps with the whole home-themed decor

The bar is complemented by a series of quirky stools with cork seats and metal frames. They look like giant champagne corks and they let guests sits at the bar and enjoy a special experience whether they wish to eat, have a cup of coffee or enjoy a cocktail.

Bujole restaurant parquet floor
Given the diversity of styles, materials and colors, there was no need for eye-catching decorations
Bujole restaurant large mirror
To make the space seem larger and more open, the walls were decorated with large mirrors
Bujole restaurant island
During the day, the espresso machine sits on the island only to be stored when the space becomes a restaurant

To make the space feel larger, the architect also decorated the walls with large mirrors. The high ceiling helps with that as well and all its exposed pipes and tubes give the space a strong industrial vibe.

Bujole restaurant industrial ceiling
The ceiling has this warehouse-like structure with exposed pipes and tubes
Bujole restaurant heringbone floor
Despite the reduced size of the space, the interior looks pretty open and spacious
Bujole restaurant cozy sofa
In addition to the chairs and tables, there are also a few comfortable sofas

As the transformation begins, the pendant lights are turned off and the space becomes illuminated by the ceiling LED lights. The espresso machine that used to sit on the island is packed and stored to make room for the cocktail utensils and the waiters change their outfits too.

Bujole restaurant cork seat
The bar stools have cork seats and they actually look like oversized champagne corks
Bujole restaurant cork seat stools
The island sits on a tiled section with black and white patterns

Bujole is the high-end segment of the Marty restaurant chain. It’s famous for its open and friendly character and also the selective array of coffee types and wines that the guests can choose from.

Bujole restaurant cork bar stools
The island is a substitute for the counter usually found in bars and coffee places
Bujole restaurant brick walls
The exposed brick walls emphasize the industrial character of the interior design
Bujole restaurant bar stools
The combination of wood and metal characterizes the entire interior design

Pictures by Lucian Mandru and PMFurniture.