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    Tbilisi's Blueberry Nights hotel makes “people feel like they're inside a movie”

    Georgian architect Sandro Takaishvili has converted an apartment building in Tbilisi into a hotel, with interiors informed by his love of cinema and movie projectors in all 16 rooms.

    Taking over three storeys above a restaurant in the capital’s Vera neighbourhood, the Blueberry Nights hotel features a theatrical colour scheme, Japanese furnishings and moody lighting.
    Blueberry Nights is a 16-room hotel in Tbilisi”The design of the hotel is the culmination of my entire life’s consumption of film,” the hotel’s co-founder Sandro Takaishvili told Dezeen.
    “My intention is to make people feel like they’re inside a movie, where everything feels slightly familiar but otherworldly at the same time,” said the architect, who previously worked as a set designer, filmmaker and photographer.
    Its design references films by renowned film directorsThe hotel was named after My Blueberry Nights – a film by Hong Kong director Wong Kar-Wai – and incorporates visual references to the work of other renowned directors including Stanley Kubrick.

    The main lobby was designed to look and feel like a cosy cinema foyer, complete with dark blue carpeting, walnut wood furniture and seating upholstered in velvet. Guests can check in at a large reception desk fronted in plexiglass that was inspired by retro-futuristic films.
    The guestrooms are sparsely decorated with lights from Japan”From the moment guests step through the doors, a moody cinematic journey begins with dark blue carpets, downlights and a soft soundtrack of noir movie dialogues playing in the lobby,” Takaishvili said.
    As part of the renovation, Takaishvili transformed the building’s attic into two extra guestrooms, for a total of 16 rooms.

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    The bedrooms were designed to evoke the visual style of David Lynch, with custom-made low-slung beds and walnut-veneer cabinets. Room dividers punctured by large circular openings were used to mark different zones within the rooms.
    The warm wooden furniture is offset by splashes of red – in the form of vintage phones, artwork and window shutters made from medium-density fibreboard (MDF) – as well as the white tiles used in the tiny en-suite bathrooms.
    Wooden furniture in the hotel rooms was locally producedOther bedroom decor includes lamps with Noguchi-style paper shades, which Takaishvili imported from Japan, and teak-and-cane chairs by architect Pierre Jeanneret, which were sourced from London.
    “The paper lights give off a soft luminescent effect that creates a cosy ambience,” the architect explained.
    “Some of the simple geometric forms that I used definitely have a mid-century influence but I wasn’t trying to be trendy. I just wanted to achieve a cinematic effect without resorting to obvious movie gimmicks.”
    The architects added vinyl players and records in each roomOne wall was left blank in each room so that guests can watch movies via a smart projector, while music can be played via a selection of vinyl records.
    Other interior projects in Tbilisi include a bookstore-cum-cafe by Georgian designer Lado Lomitashvili and the Stamba Hotel, which occupies the former headquarters of a Soviet printing press.
    The photography is courtesy of Blueberry Nights.

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    Floral installations decorate Atrium bar in Atlanta by Smith Hanes Studio

    Handmade fluted ceramic tiles, pink blown-glass lighting and tropical patterned fabrics all feature in this Atlanta bar and restaurant by local architecture firm Smith Hanes Studio.

    Atrium opened earlier this year inside Ponce City Market, located in the city’s Old Fourth Ward neighborhood northeast of Downtown.
    Atrium is split into two main sections, one of which is called The ParlorThe mixed-use development contains a variety of restaurants and retailers, and occupies a converted, historic Sears building.
    Atrium’s interiors by Smith Hanes Studio combine rich tones of green, pink and gold to create spaces that feel simultaneously moody, whimsical and tropical.
    The Parlor features a long bar fronted with handmade ceramic tiles”The design was inspired by colorful French cafes and Art Deco buildings,” said studio founder Smith Hanes. “The lines, colours, shapes and patterns are fascinating, unafraid and daring.”

    The establishment is split over two main rooms: The Parlor and The Bistro.
    A mural of tropical ibis birds accompanies pink seating and a floral installation in the fireplaceThe Parlor accommodates a 1,200-square-foot (110-square-metre) cocktail lounge, where the front of the bar counter and a large column behind are clad in emerald green ceramic tiles handmade by local artisan Charlotte Smith.
    “Similar to the name Atrium, the tiles were inspired by Roman columns and architecture,” she said. “A translucent glaze was applied to accentuate dimension with the pooling of rich colour.”
    A casual lounge area separates The Parlor from The BistroLiquor is displayed in open cabinets with decorative rounded tops, also painted green to contrast the pink shade that covers the remaining walls, ceiling, ductwork and pipes.
    The terrazzo bar countertop, also flecked with pink, curves around to a seating area where banquettes tuck into each corner on either side of a fireplace that has a floral installation.
    The Bistro dining room also features a green and pink colour schemeA hand-painted wall mural by Savannah-based artist Kipper Millsap depicts a flock of ibis birds in flight and is lit by fringed sconces imported from Spain.
    “When I heard that Kipper was painting murals of these glossy ibis from South Africa, I designed a mossy landscape at the fireplace to abstractly house these cool birds,” said floral designer Skye Lind.
    Curtains patterned with tropical plants cover an entire wallFrom The Parlor, arched openings lead through to a bright lounge that is populated by soft, casual seating atop green and white floor tiles.
    More arches on the other side provide access into The Bistro — a dining area with mottled green walls and a striped diagonal pattern applied over its wood flooring.
    Pink banquettes sit atop wooden floors painted with diagonal stripesDusty-pink banquettes and deep-teal love seats surround dark wooden tables, which are also paired with matching chairs for smaller parties.
    Hand-blown pink glass sconces supported by brass arms cantilever over the tables, giving off a warm glow. Further lighting is provided by green cloche-shaped pendants with bronze undersides.

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    These are suspended from the 12-foot (3.7-metre) ceiling among an installation of vines and hanging plants, also by Lind, who founded local florist Pinker Times.
    “Thousands of pieces of florals and foliage are suspended in the air,” Lind said. “Composed like a piece of music, the art installation moves harmoniously around the room to celebrate the culinary experience at Atrium.”
    Tables are illuminated by the glow of pink blown-glass lightsThe verdant theme is also continued in patterns across floor-to-ceiling curtains that drape across the entire back wall.
    “The dining experience at Atrium is reminiscent of a garden party where you’re free to enjoy yourself among the unique natural beauty of each petal and branch,” said the team.
    Atrium is located in Ponce City Market, northeast of Downtown AtlantaSmith Hanes Studio was founded in Atlanta in 2004, then opened a New York office in 2020. Best known for its hospitality projects, the firm also collaborated with R&A on the Woodlark Hotel in Portland.
    Atlanta’s culinary scene has been on the rise for some time. In 2019, we rounded up five bars and restaurants with impressive interiors in the city, including a snug club by Workstead and a cocktail lounge by Tom Dixon.
    The photography is by Tim Lenz.

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