By now, Bibi’s and Dolls are not a well-kept secret. The cafe and boutique, run by sisters Maisha and Petria Lenehan respectively, occupy the corner where two residential streets meet, deep in the quiet grid of red-brick terraces. abgc (a pair of inventive architects and designers you’ve inevitably encountered by now) were involved with the project, and the Lenehans demonstrate extremely close attention to detail throughout both businesses.
The signage is a great fit, designed by Inputout. It’s carefully handmade and eschews any aesthetic of mass-production – I love the slight wobbles in the lettering so much. The images are a bit twee, like a tea party in a hedgerow for birds and butterflies, but set off by the retrained grey/grey/white palette and winding onto the signboards like lace. Dolls gets the shopfront while Bibi’s has a matching but distinct identity with the circular sign indicating its presence behind the screening hedge. It’s clear, bespoke and feels contemporary, as well as hitting a similar mood to its quiet, urban context.
