Brunswick Book Club was created to feel less like a venue and more like a local institution. Somewhere shaped by conversation, comfort and community.

Overlooking Leith’s public library, the concept drew inspiration from the culture of borrowing, storytelling and shared spaces, translating those ideas into a contemporary café-bar experience rooted in the character of the neighbourhood.

We developed the brand identity and interiors together, allowing the story of the space to influence everything from the graphic language and menus to the atmosphere, material palette and guest experience. References to old library cards, bookplates, printed ephemera and vintage stationery were layered throughout the brand world, helping create a sense of familiarity and nostalgia without becoming themed or literal. The identity balances warmth with a slightly irreverent edge positioning Brunswick as a place equally suited to morning coffee, late-night cocktails, solo working, group gatherings or lingering conversations. The interiors were designed to support that flexibility, creating a space that feels welcoming throughout the day while maintaining a strong sense of personality and social energy.

More than a bar, Brunswick Book Club was about creating a modern local: a place people return to not just because of what it serves, but because of how it makes them feel.