House Plant: Hanam City

On a sunny fall afternoon I found myself in Hanam City, a new city right on the outskirts of Seoul. In a small factory area outside the main city, is of a grey warehouse like building with lush emerald greenery out the front.

This warehouse is the main building of House Plant. The space, is a large warehouse style coffee and bakery, as well as an antique furniture seller.

Passing through the courtyard of the space and into the main building, you are met with a large open warehouse space. The building is divided into two areas by glass windows.

The smaller, but main area, was where the ordering area was as well as a lot of seating. Here the ceiling was corrugated iron sheets with exposed wooded and metal structural beams on display. The floors were wooden, while the walls were plastered or made of exposed brick. The space was finished off with large light fixtures hung from the ceiling and from the metal support beams.

The other area of the main building was a lot larger. The floor here was polished concrete and the walls were also concrete. Here the ceiling was higher and with metal beams.

Alongside some seating, this area was filled with a wide range of antique furniture such as dining sets, cabinets and mirrors. Off to the side of this larger area was also a smaller room that housed more furniture, namely mirrors and doors.

In all areas of the cafe, while there was no artistic decoration in the space, industrial elements of the building and the huge array of furniture made up for that. The space was a classic example of industrial style interior.

There were various areas of seating throughout the space. The largest area was inside the cafe, but there were also two separate outdoor areas. One was in the back and was a decked area with shade umbrellas. This area was bright and gave off a Southern European feel.

The second area was in the front courtyard and was where I sat. This area was graveled and was bordered with lush greenery. The biggest highlight was a weeping willow that hung into the area and swayed with a light breeze. This gave the outdoor area a lovely peaceful feel, but was also good for working.

Due to the size of the space, it made the cafe versatile for many purposes. There were people working, couples having dates and friends catching up. There were also a lot of families with young kids which is something you should be mindful of if you don't like children. But even though there were a lot of people, the tables were spread out so it didn't feel cramped.

For drinks, my friend and I ordered an iced milk tea, iced americano and a plain croffle. My friend said the americano was nice with a good flavor. The milk tea was also tasty with a hearty tea flavor and perfect level of sweetness. The croffle was also tasty. It was crispy and sweet on the outside, and soft on the inside.

If you’re in the Hanam area, House Plant is a great place to do anything. In dead beat terms, regardless if you want to study, have a meeting, relax with friends or family, this is a space where you can do all that. Although busy, the space is wide and open so it doesn’t feel like you’re suffocating. It’s also a nice place to see some antique furniture and get a good drink or too.

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