When it comes to Instagrammable cafes in Kota Bharu, To The Moon might take the cake.
I first encountered the cafe last year when visiting family for Chinese New Year. Finding the quirky establishment to be quite the charming addition to the Kelantanese F&B landscape, I had reached out and became acquainted with the founder.
Returning again earlier this year, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the space remains as aesthetically intriguing as before, with some new embellishments to boot.
Speaking to CK, the founder, he told furnished.my that he decided to revamp the restaurant after three years of its opening for one simple reason—boredom.
“I guess I was just bored with the previous state of the design; it was already sort of lacking excitement,” he explained.
And if he himself is not excited, how can he expect customers to feel moved when stepping through his restaurant’s doors?
No designers needed
Although CK describes his space to have a sort of industrial look, the term doesn’t fully encapsulate the amount of whimsy To The Moon holds.
The building itself looks somewhat abandoned and halfway demolished. But from the rubble, CK has managed to turn it into a whole new space.
He explained his process, “I would like to keep most of the existing building—such as the exposed wire, dusty wall, tree, and flooring—as it was 20 to 30 years ago.”
The founder also prefers keeping things as original as possible, which might explain the eclecticism dominating the space. After all, CK’s objective is to achieve the wow factor.
Interestingly, though, he revealed that he has never worked with an interior designer to achieve this. And the reason goes beyond just cost.
“I think [the duty of] designing this building should belong to me myself; I sort of have a connection with the building already, like it is my own child,” he said. “Turning it into what it is today from a totally ruined building contains lots of sweat and tears too.”
To achieve his vision, CK often refers to Xiaohongshu, otherwise known as Red Note. “There is no doubt that China’s ID and graphic design are always ahead of others,” he mused.
While he does like to reference others’ ideas, he personally believes himself to be a funny and creative person. That creativity and humour is something that he clearly injects into the business, with quips such as “Ex Aku” labelling the trash can and “Jatuh Cinta Bukan Tangga” printed on the stairs.
“I want people to laugh and smile when coming to this space,” CK reasoned.
Balancing old and new
Walking into To The Moon, it’s obvious that the building is rather aged, and it has the elements to prove it.
One such element is the tree that looms in the back corner, its roots stretching across the entire wall to create a natural piece of art.
“The tree is definitely the highlight, and it is the baby that came with the building,” CK proudly shared. “The roots have already been attached to the wall for 30 years or more, I think.”
Another remnant of the past is the well. CK believes most would’ve opted to get rid of it, but he decided to embrace it.
“I treasure everything that exists in the building; it tells a lot of stories,” he shared. “The were two or three families that stayed in this building 20 to 50 years ago. I bet the tree grew up and shares the same stories with those families.”
CK recalled that before renting the place, he told the landlord that the tree has to stay no matter what.
A customised touch
Although CK didn’t work with an interior designer, he enlisted the help of a contractor to realise his vision.
“Basically, my contractor is my good friend and he has the best craftsmanship,” CK said. “Everything is custom built in here except a few chairs, because normal tables and chairs would look dull in here.”
Building customised furniture isn’t as hard as you might think, either. As CK pointed out, almost everything they use are basic building materials such as steel, zinc, acrylic, and plastic.
“Turning basic things to special things is another thing,” he commented.
He’s particularly fond of the snake-like concrete bench twisting around the back area of the cafe. Since it was the hardest to build, it’s something that he and his contractor are the most proud of.
Altogether, CK’s renovation was just around RM15,000. It was important to him to have kept the cost low, but achieve big results.
Design as the highlight
To CK, To The Moon’s success entirely hinges on its unique designs and ambiance.
“I would say that 100% of customers who first come here come because of the design,” he said. “There was never a space like this in Kelantan, and we are proud to be the first.”
It was the design that was CK’s first strategy for attracting customers. He believes that seeing images of the space would pique their curiosity and interest.
For someone who doesn’t have experience with design, it’s fascinating to see how the founder grasped and leveraged design to establish his branding.
“Because I did not have an ID, I chose the ‘ingredients’ very carefully. One wrong step and it would be ruined forever,” he shared.
With that in mind, a big tip from CK is to take your time. Source materials cautiously, and brainstorm ideas slowly. Do that, and you might just be able to accomplish what To The Moon did.
Learn more about To The Moon here.
Also Read: Inside: Beanery, a wood and concrete-themed cafe in Cheras