Bright yellow chairs, orange splatter walls, and a glossy green plywood communal table define the design
of Saturn Coffee in New Center. Photo by John D’Angelo
The Abington, an historic Albert Kahn building in Detroit’s New Center neighborhood, has become the ideal home for Saturn Coffee, owned by Chris and Sarah Welch. The couple’s 750-square-foot space on the building’s ground floor has been transformed into a vibrant café serving Ypsilanti-based Hyperion Coffee and breakfast sandwiches.
The Abington’s owner specifically sought a coffee shop for the former lobby of the hotel-turned-apartment-building, and the tree-lined street and steady foot traffic helped seal the Welches’ decision. With a bright, playful brand in mind, they enlisted architectural designers Chelsea Hyduk of CHYDUK and Chris Johnson of Chmijo to bring the vision to life. The café, which opened last summer, is named after one of the couple’s favorite spots in Tulsa, Okla. — a funky tiki bar called Saturn Room.
“We wanted to create something fun and energetic, the way we look at coffee,” Chris Welch says. “It’s a nice little pick-me-up, a bright spot in your day. We went with a lot of bright colors and bold material choices.”
Hyduk and Johnson created cohesion throughout the interior with radiata pine plywood and stainless steel, which were used for the coffee bar, a wrap-around banquette, and custom pieces including benches, a communal table, and two-tops.
“We’re inspired by the use of common materials in unexpected, refined applications,” Sarah Welch says. “Detroit is such a scrappy city. We love seeing how people give new life to spaces that may have been overlooked or forgotten with time, and we wanted to play into that — even with a new build — using materials like plywood, stainless steel, and concrete.”
Bright yellow Emeco chairs, orange splatter walls, and a glossy green plywood communal table deliver what Sarah Welch calls “an immediate mood-booster.” Achieving the perfect green finish on the table proved tricky until fabricator Surfing Cowboy Studio proposed using fabric dye, Johnson says.
One of Hyduk’s favorite features is the communal table with an egg crate ceiling tile installation above that’s filled with plants.
Both designers emphasize the essential role of their collaborators, including art curation by Matéria in Spaces, millwork and custom furniture by Surfing Cowboy Studio, metalwork by Detroit Metal Elements, and kitchen consulting by JS2 Designs.
“It’s part of why Chris and I are excited to be working in Detroit,” Hyduk says. “The amount of creative talent is unique here. To get any sort of architecture project done, it’s not just the architects. It’s all sorts of creative minds. Being able to collaborate with Chris and Sarah and everyone, it was fun to do it at this scale and see it realized.” 
MORE INFORMATION: Saturn Coffee is located at 700 Seward Ave., Ste. 2, in Detroit. saturn-coffee.com, chyduk.com
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