Lark Cafe in Brooklyn: A Kid-Friendly Space (Parents Invited) - Remodelista
Where to go on a Friday night after a long week of work, kids in tow? Lark Cafe is the brainchild of journalist Kari Browne and lawyer Lori Kranczer, both mothers who couldn’t find anywhere in their Brooklyn neighborhood to relax with a bite to eat–or work away on their laptops–and comfortably bring their kids. Lark means business when it comes to supporting neighborhood families. The cafe hosts events including a weekly new parent meet-up, parent and baby movement classes, and concerts for kids. Photography by Mary Jane Farnsworth and Kimberly Peck. Peck sourced Marais A Side Chairs and Low Back Stools from Industry West, some in bright yellow, others in white and raw galvanized steel. “They are very solid and easy for kids to climb up on without hurting themselves, unlike chairs.” “The main design element is the plane created by the pendant lights throughout the space,” Peck says. They are Boja pendant lights from Ikea, spray painted with a high gloss bright yellow paint at an auto body shop. Considerations about what kids would touch and climb on drove decisions like cladding the front of the counter with wood. The addition of the wood elements–all in pine–at the banquet, counter, sliding barn door, dividers, and niche served to warm up the space. Peck had new concrete floor installed for an industrial but clean feel. Peck added a narrow countertop along the windows so people can sit and look out the window while sipping their coffee. The event space functions as a playroom for most of the day. See 365 images of surprisingly versatile Yellow in our gallery of rooms and spaces.