Pebble by LAYER: A Framed Moment of Coffee Simplicity

Reimagining the Americano machine for Korea’s leading coffee brand, KANU.

Most coffee machines try to look serious. Shiny steel. Complex knobs. A sense of ritual that feels closer to operating lab equipment than making your morning cup. But Pebble, designed by London-based studio LAYER for South Korea’s beloved brand KANU, turns away from that narrative.

Pebble isn’t trying to impress you with mechanical intensity. Instead, it aims to delight — and it does so with a sculptural form that reframes the act of making coffee as something light, personal, and quietly joyful.

Design That Frames the Everyday

At first glance, Pebble looks like a minimalist sculpture. Its curved body, elevated platform, and centred display are not just aesthetic choices they’re about focus. The framed front face literally puts your cup at the centre of the experience. The drip tray is subtly raised to lift the cup, inviting the user to pause and witness the pour.

This is a coffee machine that doesn’t shout; it invites. It’s not about speed or complexity. It’s about designing a small daily moment that feels considered.

Form Language: Soft Yet Structured

The materials and finishes are also doing quiet work. Pebble is made from soft-touch polymers, blending satin and gloss finishes to balance affordability with a sense of quality. No polished chrome, no overly tactile buttons just gentle surfaces that feel intentional.

Color choices speak to lifestyle rather than performance. One version references the soft tone of coffee crema — warm, light, and familiar. The other comes in charcoal grey, anchoring the object without making it visually heavy. Together, they step away from the clinical or professional aesthetic of traditional machines and lean toward domestic calm.

Engineering Meets Emotion

Pebble was never intended to be a premium device in the traditional sense. KANU approached LAYER with a challenge: make a coffee machine that is affordable, desirable, and youthful. It had to feel like part of the home, not just a countertop appliance.

The product is the result of a close collaboration between LAYER’s design team and KANU’s engineers. Beyond industrial design, LAYER also supported KANU with high-fidelity renderings throughout the process, helping maintain clarity and alignment from concept to production.

In the words of the design team:

“Coffee is one of life’s little joys and, with Pebble, we look to elevate that experience in an affordable way. By combining a visually desirable form with an intuitive UI, we have reimagined the coffee machine as a lifestyle accessory.”

That last line matters. Pebble doesn’t exist just to make coffee — it reframes what a coffee machine can be. It’s not the hero of your kitchen. It’s the quiet co-star of your morning.

The Future of Appliances Is Emotional

Pebble points to a broader shift in how we think about small appliances. Function is expected. What’s emerging is a new emphasis on emotion, ritual, and personal space.

With Pebble, LAYER has achieved something rare: a product that isn’t louder or more complex than its predecessors — but one that’s softer, clearer, and in many ways, more thoughtful.

This isn’t about coffee. It’s about the way design can change how we feel about the things we do every day.

Project: Pebble (2024)

Client: KANU, Korea

Design Studio: LAYER

Design Lead: Benjamin Hubert

Role: Product Design, Visualisation, Development Support