L.A. Roaster Canyon Coffee’s First Storefront Serves Up a Warm, Woody Vibe

In 2015, on their first visit to Georgia O’Keeffe’s Abiquiu, New Mexico, home, Ally Walsh and Casey Wojtalewicz felt an immediate affinity with the space. They appreciated its simplicity: generous natural light, rich adobe walls, and, at the center of the late artist’s studio, a long plywood table. The home made such an impression on the couple, in fact, that it would influence the look of their Los Angeles roasting company, Canyon Coffee, started in 2016. But the visual connection was limited to bags the beans were sold in, some merch, and a website—until last week.

Situated prominently on a corner in L.A.’s Echo Park neighborhood, just a few blocks from Elysian Park, the couple’s first storefront translates their passion for restrained design into physical form. For the space, Ally and Casey brought in friends Jon and Masa Klein of Klein Agency—"a no-brainer," says Casey—who they long admired for the sleek simplicity of the restaurants they’ve designed across the city.

In addition to referencing O’Keeffe’s home, Casey and Ally wanted the cafe to reflect Northern California’s Sea Ranch, coffee shops they’ve visited along the Mediterranean, and the work of Donald Judd—his furniture, in particular—which they had seen firsthand in his New York and Marfa, Texas, homes.

"There’s a simplicity but so much intention in Judd’s designs, and that’s what we wanted for ourselves," Casey says. "We wanted the furniture to be functional, and feel sturdy."