Flower Box for Sven’s Cafe
The idea for the flower box was to enliven the facade of the building and bring attention to a newly opened coffee shop. Wide planks of natural cedar provide an element of organic texture to contrast the downtown location. Elevated slightly off the ground, this planter seems less a permanent structure and more as a piece of furniture. A continuous diagonal line scribed into the bottom face, relates the piece to the slant in the sidewalk and creates a natural element of interest that breaks up the uniformity of the material. Special attention was paid to the alignment and rhythm of all the elements to ensure a pleasing clean aesthetic. A bar height shelf is inset into the front face to rest beverages on or free up a person’s hands for a moment in front of the shop. The hand crafted letters call for respective attention that isn’t too loud. During the summer fresh flowers inhabit this narrow bed, and in the winter wreaths and conifer branches complete the scene. Sven’s planter is a polite, pleasing addition to Milwaukee’s downtown.
