madhappy

The new Madhappy flagship at 209 Mulberry Street reimagines a layered SoHo storefront as a tactile, optimistic environment for the LA-based brand’s first New York store. Formerly home to an Italian restaurant and, briefly, a Thai spot, the space now reflects Madhappy’s mission of promoting mental health awareness through design.

CoPa collaborated with Playlab to shape an experience where visitors can linger and connect. A key challenge was integrating a full café, seating, and retail into a compact footprint. The result is a seamless spatial sequence where shifts in color, texture, and form subtly guide movement — inviting visitors to relax, browse, and gather.

A soft curved blue sofa welcomes visitors toward the café, where they can read Madhappy’s Local Optimist magazine or enjoy a coffee. Across the room, a glimpse of the metal-clad retail zone draws visitors deeper into the space. A sculptural pale green bench anchors the retail area — acting both as seating and as a skylight to the retail level below. Descending the stair, visitors discover a second lounge anchored by a stone bench, offering another moment of pause.

Throughout, a minimal material palette creates a calm backdrop for Madhappy’s products. Sky-blue plaster walls and floors evoke softness and daylight. In contrast, the dressing rooms provide a moment of surprise: wrapped in warm wood textures, painstakingly hand-painted by Ridgewood, Queens painter Ferdinand Tschinkel.

Subtle interventions — from custom stainless shelving to sculpted millwork — express craft without overshadowing content. For CoPa, the Madhappy flagship balances restraint and joy, giving physical form to the brand’s message of wellbeing and connection within the city.

Designer: Playlab Inc.
Lighting Consultant: Studio Emy
General Contractor: Skyland US Construction
Furniture: Quincy Ellis
Storefront: Seoul Aluminum Inc.
Graphics: Ferdinand Tschinkel
Photography: Sean Davidson