FUNK Berchem | notinlovestudio
For FUNK’s bakery in Berchem, Bea Joppen created the upholstery for a sunken conversation pit within an interior designed by Julie Declercq of NOTINLOVE STUDIO. The built-in seating provides a place to gather, bringing softness and a more intimate scale to the industrial setting.
Known for its plant-based pastries, sourdough bread and speciality coffee, FUNK brings baking and hospitality together. Its second location combines a production atelier with a coffee bar and lunch space. Visitors can see the daily baking process, making the craft behind the products part of their experience.
Located in the former ATEA premises, the bakery occupies a building with a distinct architectural identity. NOTINLOVE STUDIO took the existing structure as the starting point for the interior. Exposed masonry, concrete beams and unfinished surfaces remain visible, complemented by warm wood, stainless steel and playful colour accents.
The conversation pit is conceived as the social focal point of this space. Set below the surrounding floor level, its inward-facing seating creates a shared area within the larger bakery. It offers somewhere to settle in with a coffee, meet friends or pause over lunch, with the seating arrangement placing conversation at the centre.
Our contribution focused on the custom upholstery for the built-in seating. Following its curved outline, the upholstered surfaces bring a tactile layer to the architectural structure. The shape of the seating is integral to the interior, making the upholstery part of the space itself.
This relationship between furniture and architecture gives the project its character. Within FUNK’s open, robust interior, the conversation pit establishes a softer gathering place. Our upholstery contributes to that experience through the surfaces visitors sit on and encounter directly.
Project: FUNK Berchem, Antwerp
Interior design: Julie Declercq / NOTINLOVE STUDIO
Upholstery: Bea Joppen
Scope: Custom upholstery for the conversation pit