Layer x Dongsuh Breeze & Urban

Two elegant coffee makers inspired by mid-century modern design.

Layer x Dongsuh Breeze & Urban The first collaboration between London-based design studio Layer and Korean brand Dongsuh, Breeze and Urban infuse the coffee making ritual with a mid-century design flavor. Launched in Korea in Spring 2023 after two years of development, the two coffee machines aim to refine the coffee brewing experience. At the same time, they integrate seamlessly with a modern home interior. “Making coffee is a timeless practice, deeply rooted in ritual. The Breeze and Urban coffee machines for Dongsuh elevate the coffee experience through a Mid-Century-inspired language and an intuitive user interface. In doing so, we have created a new vision for a time-honored machine, one which is more akin to an interior object than a kitchen appliance,” says Benjamin Hubert, Layer founder.

Both machines feature soft curves, simple block-like forms, and a pared-down, neutral palette. The top cantilevers from the body over the base. An adjustable drip tray offers room for a smaller or larger cups or mugs, depending on position. Providing an elegant counterpoint to contemporary coffee machines that often have industrial-style or high-tech designs, Breeze and Urban boast a softened geometry. While Breeze has gently rectilinear forms, Urban features more rounded shapes. In addition, Dongsuh produces the coffee makers in soft-touch polymer. A pleat pattern gives a refined and tactile finishing touch to the material. At the rear, the tinted water tank softens the design further. The tank keeps the water level visible and also features discreetly embossed markers that show the minimum and maximum positions.

Each model comes in three colors, including slate gray and a subtle off-white that references shades of crema. In addition, the Urban premium model features metallic accents. As practical as they are beautiful, both machines feature a tactile user interface on the top surface. Back-lit icons enhance readability and user friendliness further. Finally, the adjustable tray can be positioned lower for a tall Americano, or right underneath the head for espresso. Images courtesy of Layer.