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      Bottega Veneta creative director Matthieu Blazy combines glass bricks and walnut for first store

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      Bottega Veneta’s creative director Matthieu Blazy has designed the brand’s Avenue Montaigne flagship store in Paris, which is dominated by walnut wood fittings and glass bricks.

      The 800-metre-square shop features industrial, square glass blocks integrated into the floors, ceilings and walls, creating a geometric grid which diffuses light throughout the store.
      Glass bricks feature on the walls, floors and ceilings of the storeWalnut wood panels frame the textured glass blocks. The same wood was used in transitional spaces for a spiral staircase, curved corridor and for statement details like a display table and wooden columns.
      The interior design aims to balance volume and scale throughout the space – from blown-up elements, like the wooden details echoing the woven leather “intrecciato” reminiscent of Bottega Veneta’s handbags, to the thousands of glass bricks.
      Walnut panelling echoes the brand’s famous intrecciato woven leather techniqueThe store in central Paris is the first designed by Blazy, who has led Italian luxury fashion house Bottega Veneta since 2020.

      According to the brand the store’s design aims to “celebrate Italian craftsmanship with a modernist sensibility”.

      “Woven” leather sofas and chairs are positioned in the spaceWithin the space, enclaves of soft seating and carpeted dressing rooms create smaller areas, contrasting the wide open stretches of glass brick in the main store.
      Sofas and chairs were styled in giant woven leather panels, also echoing the “intrecciato” technique Bottega Veneta is famous for in their handbag design.
      A spiral staircase leads to a second floorThe woven pattern is echoed in the carving of walnut tables and columns. Wool carpets and mirrored clothes rails complete the interior scheme for the open-plan space.
      The front door of the shop features a unique glass handle by the Venice-based Japanese glass artist, Ritsue Mishima.
      The store’s entry door features a bespoke glass handle by Ritsue MishimaOther retail design recently featured on Dezeen includes James Shaw’s installation of a jumbo foot in London Camper store and a “sensual” Ferragamo store by Belgian architect Vincent Van Duysen.
      The photography is by François Halard.

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      Joanna Laajisto creates “dark and woody” interior for Pyhä Ski Resort pizzeria

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      Helsinki-based designer Joanna Laajisto has completed Popolo, a ski resort restaurant designed to be both cosy and practical for guests walking in from the slopes.

      The Studio Joanna Laajisto founder designed the pizzeria as part of Kultakero, a new hotel at the Pyhä Ski Resort in northern Finland.
      The interior pairs slate flooring with patterned timber wall panellingHer scheme features a floor made from irregularly shaped slabs of slate and wall panelling with distinct feather-like grain patterns.
      Other key details at Popolo include leather seating and copper lamps and candleholders, which offer a sense of warmth.
      Snowy scenes outside the window allowed for a darker material palette”The restaurant is designed to fit into the unique landscape of Pyhä; easily approachable yet atmospheric, suitable for both skiing directly from the slope and an atmospheric multi-course dinner,” Laajisto said.

      The designer based the design on her own experiences of the area. She has a vacation home in Pyhä and spends much of her time snowboarding and mountain biking here.
      “I have spent most of my winter holidays in this place with family and friends, so I just imagined a space we would all love to spend time in,” she told Dezeen.
      Copper lamps and candleholders bring a sense of visual warmthThe large windows, offering views of the snow-covered slopes, led her to explore materials that might otherwise have felt inappropriate.
      “Those elements allowed us to create a dark and woody interior without it becoming too heavy or classical for a Finnish ski resort,” she said.

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      The slate floor, made with stone sourced from northern Norway, takes cues from the floor in Pyhä’s original hotel.
      Laajisto explained how this stone floor, which has been in place since 1966, has remained in “mint condition” despite 60 years of being walked over in ski boots.
      “That’s why I knew it would be a durable and lasting choice,” she said.
      A pizza oven is a focal point in the spaceFor the wood panelling, which also features on Popolo’s tabletops, Laajisto chose a birch plywood with a veneer that was pad-dyed to give it a rich dark tone.
      The striking grain patterns come from cutting the logs at an angle.
      Finnish artist Johanna Lumme is responsible for the oil paintings that hang on the wallsFocal points include a large pizza oven and a series of oil paintings by Finnish artist Johanna Lumme, who was specially commissioned to paint the landscape of the Pyhä-Luosto National Park.
      Furniture and fittings include wooden chairs and stools from Czech brand TON, pendant lamps from British brand Mullan and a chequered wool textile, which forms upholstered backrests for the leather seating banquettes.
      Dining tables feature the same timber grain patterns as the wall panellingLaajisto has also designed interiors for various restaurants and bars in Helsinki, including wine bar and bakery, The Way, and French bistro, Cafe Savoy.
      Other recent projects include the logistics centre for Finnish Design Shop.
      The photography is by Mikko Ryhänen.

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      Lissoni Architecture creates expansion for Design Holding with “melting pot attitude”

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      Local studio Lissoni Architecture has expanded the Design Holding flagship in New York City, creating an entirely new floor outfitted with light displays and curving metallic installations.

      Lissoni Architecture, the US branch of Italian studio Lissoni & Partners, created an entirely new second floor and redesigned a portion of the first floor for the Design Holding showroom, which displays furniture and lighting brands including B&B Italia, Flos, Louis Poulsen, Maxalto, Arclinea and Azucena.
      Lissoni Architecture has created an expansion for the Design Holding showroom in New YorkLighting and design elements from the brands were distributed across the second-floor space, spread out amongst vertical stone-clad panels, transparent, metal showcases, and curving chrome benches and walls.
      Each area of the floor was dedicated to a specific brand and the interior architecture was tailored to each brand’s identity, according to the studio.
      The project encompasses a new second floor and an expansion and redesign of the first”We wanted to share the melting pot attitude of New York City where everyone and everything can blend together holistically so we went to the essence of the iconic brands,” said Lissoni Architecture founder Piero Lissoni.

      “[We highlighted] their DNA and proposed a common ground that could host and enhance the design codes of each identity.”
      The studio created dedicated areas for brands including Flos and B&B ItaliaFor lighting brand Flos, the studio created a series of display cases backed by a transparent mesh. A magnetized, geometric Bilboquet light by designer Philippe Malouin is on display, as well as the Almendra chandelier affixed with almond-shaped flakes by Patricia Urquiola.
      A testing room for clients was also created for the brand, which consists of a curved, metal wall that meets a series of angled panels that act as an entrance for the room.
      The various displays were informed by the “melting pot” attitude of New York CityAnother corner of the floor was dedicated to the display of the Skynest chandelier by Marcel Wanders, which resembles an inverted basket interlaced with cords of light.
      Displays for Flos and Louis Poulsen consist of inserted panels and curving planting beds that are populated with a number of lighting fixtures from both brands.
      Metallic panels, warm wood, and dark cladding were used throughout the second-floor spaceDark, metal cladding used in the Flos displays contrasts the off-white and beiges used throughout the Louis Poulsen space, but both flank a B&B Italia lounge that sits at the centre of the floor, which features a bright-red chair from the Up series by Gaetano Pesce.
      A B&B Italia wardrobe was also created for the showroom, which sits next to an Arclinea kitchen display.

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      A black ash finish was used to clad a large cabinet unit, which sits behind a Thea island topped with a quartz waterfall countertop.
      Lighting by Louis Poulsen, including the Patera Oval pendant by designer Øivind Slaatt, was tucked into the furthest corner of the space, with pieces distributed amongst wooden tables and a low-lying display unit.
      A separate entrance leads to a Maxalto space on the first floorOn the first floor, a new space dedicated to Maxalto is accessible through a separate entrance, with pieces such as the brand’s Arbiter sofa system positioned against walls clad in black.
      Design Holding, a global retailer founded in 2018, recently added furniture brands Menu, By Lassen and Brdr Petersen to its portfolio after an agreement with Denmark-based company Designers Company.
      Piero Lissoni announced the founding of the US branch of his studio last year, saying that the US has become more “open-minded” in terms of architecture.
      The photography is courtesy Design Holding.

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      Vincent Van Duysen transforms Milanese palazzo into “sensual” Ferragamo store

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      Belgian architect Vincent Van Duysen has completed a boutique in Milan for Italian fashion house Ferragamo, featuring red marble panels and an alcove covered in ceramic petals that offset the original Renaissance-style interiors.

      The store is located within Palazzo Carcassola Grandi, which was originally built in the 15th century and now occupies a prime spot on Milan’s Montenapoleone fashion street.
      Vincent Van Duysen has designed Ferragamo’s Montenapoleone boutiqueThe palazzo was remodelled in the 19th century when it was home to Emilio Morosini – a member of the Italian unification and independence movement known as the Risorgimento.
      Van Duysen chose to retain much of the building’s historic character while introducing some surprising contemporary details.
      Footwear is displayed in a large salon”With this project, we tried to express a timeless Italianicity that is steeped in Ferragamo’s DNA,” said Van Duysen. “A sensual theatrical setting, where the scenic screen is luxuriously elevated and used as a backdrop and space dividing element at the same time.”

      “The skilful juxtaposition of modern, essential elements and materials with existing structures such as the columns and the cross vaults creates a pleasing contrast that enhances every feature.”
      An alcove is decorated in ceramics by Andrea MancusoAt the heart of the 280-square-metre interior is a large salon for displaying Ferragamo’s footwear. A minimal material palette comprising Venetian stucco walls, stone flooring and off-white painted ceilings allows the original details to stand out.
      Large mirrors set in simple bronze frames enhance the sense of space, while slabs of mottled Napoleon Red marble provide a punchy contrast that nods to the favourite colour of the company’s founder, Salvatore Ferragamo.
      The rest of the spaces are organised and designed to evoke the rooms of a grand villa, each with a unique character tailored to reflect the collections it holds.

      Peter Saville updates Ferragamo brand identity with custom typeface

      “The design originates far in the past, in the person of Salvatore Ferragamo himself, who liked to receive his customers as if in his home living room,” explained Marco Gobbetti, Ferragamo’s CEO and managing director.
      “This was precisely how he thought of his shop, as a place to come together and converse. This starting point has brought us to this contemporary expression of the intimacy of home and Italian-ness.”
      As customers move through the sequence of rooms, they come across areas dedicated to footwear, bags, accessories and clothing, before finally descending a short stone staircase to reach a space displaying silk items.
      Marble detailing features throughout the storeFerragamo worked with contemporary designers and gallerists to curate a collection of unusual objects and furniture intended to embody the store’s “contemporary Renaissance spirit”.
      An alcove visible through one of the windows is covered in sea-blue ceramics crafted by Andrea Mancuso of Milanese studio Analogia Project, using the same technique he developed for the Aquario collection for Nilufar Gallery in 2022.
      Mancuso also used the circular ceramic petals, intended to evoke fantastical aquatic flora, to form a display table placed at the boutique’s entrance.
      Side tables by Andrea Anastasio stand in the vestibule next to the changing roomsSide tables found in spaces including a lounge-like vestibule next to the changing rooms are from Andrea Anastasio’s Corallium collection for Giustini/Stagetti Gallery and consist of coloured stone pieces stitched together using leather string.
      JoAnn Tan’s Stockholm-based studio created the display tables seen in the windows, which are covered with leather fringe reclaimed from Ferragamo’s production sites.
      Van Duysen is known for his multidisciplinary work for the hospitality, fashion and furniture sectors, and has been the creative director of Italian design brand Molteni&C since 2016.
      JoAnn Tan’s fringed display tables can be seen from the outsideAs part of his role, the architect has revamped the firm’s corporate showroom in Giussano, Italy, and designed a “palazzo-like” showroom in New York.
      Salvatore Ferragamo established his first business focusing on ladies’ footwear in 1927. In addition to footwear, the firm now produces luxury goods such as bags, accessories and ready-to-wear clothing, all of which are displayed at the Via Montenapoleone showroom.
      In 2022, British graphic designer Peter Saville updated Ferragamo’s brand identity, replacing its handwritten logo with a custom serif typeface that references stone inscriptions.

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      Ten Mexican holiday homes characterised by earthy hues

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      From a brutalist dwelling nestled in a pine forest to a beachy weekend retreat with a rooftop swimming pool, our latest lookbook features 10 holiday homes across Mexico.

      While known for their often vibrant colours, Mexican interiors also include many examples of more muted designs. These earthy hues are often created through the use of natural and local materials, such as wood and stone.
      Holiday homes are located all over the country, which has a varied landscape and is famous for its escapist destinations. Here are 10 Mexican holiday homes that combine pared-back colour palettes with getaway-style luxury.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring metal furniture, breakfast nooks and living spaces with swings.
      Top and above: photos by Rory GardinerCasa Alférez, Alférez, by Ludwig Godefroy

      This holiday home is a brutalist dwelling clad in board-formed concrete and located in a pine forest in the country’s Alférez region.
      French architect Ludwig Godefroy, who is Mexico City-based, added a conversation pit to the cathedral-like living area, which features a spindly double-height fireplace.
      Find out more about Casa Alférez ›
      Photo by LGM StudioHoliday home, San Simón El Alto, by Estudio Atemporal
      Local architecture office Estudio Atemporal designed a weekend retreat in San Simón El Alto village with an oversized gabled roof.
      Inside, the studio created a statement brick wall in the angular, open-plan living space defined by timber and concrete accents. Generous glass doors lead to a covered outdoor patio.
      Find out more about this holiday home ›
      Photo by César BéjarVilla Cava, Tulum, by Espacio 18 Arquitectura
      Neutral tones and textures define this house in Tulum that was informed by cenotes – ancient sunken water-filled limestone pits and caves found across Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula.
      Espacio 18 Arquitectura carved a circular window into one of the home’s ceilings, which reveals a rooftop swimming pool. Blue-coloured light filters through the opening, emphasising the cavernous atmosphere.
      Find out more about Villa Cava ›
      Photo by Diego Padilla MagallanesLa Extraviada, Mazunte, by Em-Estudio
      Architecture firm Em-Estudio stepped a pair of concrete residential volumes down a rocky hillside overlooking the coastal town of Mazunte, Oaxaca.
      Called La Extraviada, the holiday home includes an eclectic kitchen and dining space flanked by floor-to-ceiling timber shutters that open onto a terrace with a swimming pool.
      Regional materials, including guapinol wood and local stone obtained from nearby quarries, feature throughout the earthy-hued project.
      Find out more about La Extraviada ›
      Photo by Fabian MartinezCasa Tres Árboles, Valle de Bravo, by Direccion
      Architecture studio Direccion took cues from “monastic” sanctuaries when renovating this weekend retreat in Valle de Bravo.
      The open-plan living space includes exposed warm-toned wooden ceiling beams, which contrast against dark-painted walls. A soft-red sofa adds a rare pop of colour to the otherwise muted interiors.
      Find out more about Casa Tres Árboles ›
      Photo by Rory GardinerLos Terrenos, Monterrey, by Tatiana Bilbao
      Mexican architect Tatiana Bilbao added a multifunctional ceramic screen to the interior of Los Terrenos – a holiday home in Monterrey with mirrored glass facades that reflect the surrounding wooded site.
      “[The screen] works as solid and permeable floor, a screen partition, a structural wall, and as a semi-open wall that allows ventilation and sunlight to bathe the interior spaces,” explained Bilbao’s eponymous studio.
      Find out more about Los Terrenos ›
      Photo by AnsatzTonalli House, Jalisco, by Moises Sánchez 
      This stucco-clad holiday home was punctuated with strategic openings and takes cues from architecture commonly found in Mexican villages, according to its designer Moises Sánchez.
      Sánchez created an understated interior palette referencing the nearby architecture surrounding Lake Chapa, where the home is located. For example, the blocky terrazzo staircase doubles as a stepped plinth for sandy-coloured ornaments.
      Find out more about Tonalli House ›
      Photo by César BéjarCasa Areca, Tulum, by CO-LAB Design Office
      Local studio CO-LAB Design Office created Casa Areca to merge with its lush Tulum setting.
      The open-plan ground floor includes pivot doors and retractable glass walls, which enable the social area to flow into the jungle-like garden. Creamy walls and polished concrete floors were paired with local tzalam wood, jute accents and ceramic vases filled with hand-selected wild grasses.
      Find out more about Casa Areca ›
      Photo by Dove DopeEl Aguacate, El Barrial, by Práctica Arquitectura
      El Aguacate – or “The Avocado” – is a holiday home in El Barrial village made almost entirely out of concrete.
      Práctica Arquitectura topped the main living area with a tall pyramidal roof featuring a boxy skylight. The studio added a built-in fireplace and alter-like dining table to the space – also made from smooth concrete.
      Find out more about El Aguacate ›
      Photo by Rafael GamoCasa Cova, Puerto Escondidio, by Anonimous
      When designing Casa Cova in Puerto Escondido, Mexican studio Anonimous took cues from pre-colonial architecture.
      Inside, the central living space is kept cool by a traditional thatched roof made of dried palm leaves, called a “palapa.” Tiny square openings were also cut into some of the walls, creating “a dynamic light pattern from dusk till dawn”.
      Find out more about Casa Cova ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring metal furniture, breakfast nooks and living spaces with swings.

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      Eight home interiors where full-length curtains add a touch of drama

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      From a glitzy Parisian apartment to a converted garage in Buffalo, New York, our latest lookbook collects eight residential interiors where floor-to-ceiling curtains inject a theatrical feel.

      Curtains aren’t just for covering windows. A set of statement drapes can be an easy way to significantly change the mood of a room, particularly in apartment renovations.
      The selection below features curtains in stage-like living rooms, rough-edged bedrooms and cosy working nooks.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring interiors with statement carpets, furry walls and colourful bedrooms.
      Photo is by Luis Díaz DíazReady-made Home, Spain, by Azab

      Duck-egg blue curtains help to create a flexible open-plan layout at this apartment in Bilbao that was overhauled by architecture studio Azab, running the length of the living-dining-kitchen area to conceal storage space and a bathroom.
      “The curtains have theatrical and playful connotations and invites the inhabitant to perform with it, to change the space and to play with the mysteries, contradictions and paradoxes that privacy offers us beyond morality,” said the studio.
      Find out more about Ready-made Home ›
      Photo by Rory GardinerRuckers Hill House, Australia, by Studio Bright
      In this extension to an Edwardian family home in Melbourne, architecture practice Studio Bright raised the sitting room on a curved plinth, giving it a stage-like quality.
      Enhancing the effect is a heavy green curtain hung from the ceiling, which can be drawn across to turn the space into an impromptu theatre for the children to play in.
      Find out more about Ruckers Hill House ›
      Photo by Félix Dol MaillotAvenue Montaigne apartment, France, by Uchronia
      Sheer, rainbow-effect curtains cover the balconies of this opulent Haussman-era Parisian apartment, renovated by local studio Uchronia.
      Even the walls echo the curtains’ gradations of colour, while the brightly toned furnishings are designed to resemble pieces of jewellery.
      Find out more about this apartment ›
      Photo by Michael SinclairGas-holder apartment, UK, by Roksanda Ilincic
      Fashion designer Roksanda Ilincic brought her proclivity for bold colours and shapes to this London penthouse inside a former Victorian gas holder.
      Pale pink Kvadrat curtains over the full-height windows cast a rose-tinted hue over the rooms, where the colour palette is kept mostly neutral apart from some pops of bright yellow.
      Find out more about this apartment ›
      Photo by Florian HolzherrBig Space, Little Space, USA, by Davidson Rafailidis
      Peeling paintwork, uneven concrete floors and distressed wooden beams lend a distinctly rough-and-ready feel to this home-slash-workspace in Buffalo created out of a garage conversion by design studio Davidson Rafailidis.
      For the most part, the space is minimally furnished, apart from a set of high and wide drapes that introduce a luxurious twist.
      Find out more about Big Space, Little Space ›
      Photo by Norihito YamauchiLandscape House, Japan, by FORM/Kouichi Kimura Architects
      Upon entering Landscape House in central Japan, designed by Japanese studio FORM/Kouichi Kimura Architects, one is greeted by a lengthy corridor lined entirely on one side by a full-length silver curtain.
      The fabric echoes a raw concrete feature wall on the opposite side of the corridor, as well as referencing the extensive use of metal throughout the building.
      Find out more about Landscape House ›
      Photo by ONI StudioPops, Poland, by Furora Studio
      Furora Studio wanted the design of this holiday apartment in Kraków to be slightly more outrageous than the standard residential interior.
      A velvety, salmon-pink curtain dresses an entire wall in the open-plan kitchen and living room, adding to a plethora of sugary colours and rounded edges.
      Find out more about Pops ›
      Photo by Maxime BrouillettMaison-Boutique Coloniale, Canada, by Michael Godmer and Mathieu Turgeon
      Most of the spaces inside Maison-Boutique Coloniale in Montreal – renovated by designers Michael Godmer and Mathieu Turgeon as their own residence and studio – are pared-back and neutral.
      But in an office space on the basement level, plush orange curtains line the walls, combined with dim pendant lighting and a black table arrangement by Muuto and &tradition for an intimate effect.
      Find out more about Maison-Boutique Coloniale ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring interiors with statement carpets, furry walls and colourful bedrooms.

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      Sundholm Studio revamps Nanas restaurant to capture “spirit of grandmothers”

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      Interiors practice Sundholm Studio has refreshed the 30-year-old Nanas restaurant in Durham, North Carolina, with strong colours, bespoke timber joinery and metalwork.

      Previously named Nana’s, the restaurant was renamed Nanas, in tribute to “not one nana, but rather the entire genre,” Sundholm Studio creative director Shaun Sundholm told Dezeen.
      The space – intended to capture the hospitable “spirit of grandmothers” – comprises a bar, salon, dining room and an outdoor patio.
      Navy fluted walls form the backdrop to the salonSundholm’s aim was to update the space with “modern details that bring the outside in”.
      The existing curved walls in the entryway were retained and reworked with wooden slats, which light passes through to evoke “a walk through the woods”.

      Wooden window blinds and sheer drapes in the dining room help with acoustic absorption and adjusting the natural light levels.
      The seating is a mixture of banquette booths and chairsThe dimly lit entrance was contrasted with the bar, dining area and salon, where jewel-toned colours like emerald green, sapphire blue, and rich amber orange have been used.
      “I aimed to pay homage to aspects of the previous design where possible, accentuating some of the interesting bits of the existing physical space, such as the curved wall at the entrance and the hints of orange throughout – recalling the bright, blaze orange walls of the past,” Sundholm explained.

      Gachot Studios creates cosy New York neighbourhood bar

      In line with the jewel-toned colour palette, Sundholm selected a variety of textures to use across the restaurant, including glossy green handmade Italian tiles and brass finishes.
      Blue velvet upholstery covers the banquettes in the bar, while “vintage luggage” orange leather covers the banquettes in the salon and dining area.
      The dark entrance leads into a curved passage, through to the dining roomBrass archways designed by local metal art studio Andrew Preiss Designs feature across the restaurant, including as a portal between the salon and dining area. This arch motif is echoed in the bathroom mirrors.
      Earth-toned grasscloth wallpaper and a plaid-patterned carpet contrast the solid colours and textures.
      “For this restaurant, our initial mood boards culled from a diverse range – from The Golden Girls and vintage Ralph Lauren textiles to 1970s Cadillacs and abstract impressionist art inspired by the Smoky Mountains,” Sundholm said.
      Bold colour is used for the restaurant seatingThe studio’s goal was to “distill these inspirations into their core elements” and use them to inform the interiors in a “non-gimmicky” way.
      A collection of mixed-media artworks by local artist Jason Craighead featured across the restaurant add to this aesthetic.
      Tartan carpet introduces a pattered counterpoint to the block coloursOther recently renovated restaurants featured on Dezeen include Aino and Alvar Aalto’s Savoy restaurant in Helsinki restored after 80 years and The Bird in Montauk designed by Home Studios.
      The photography is by Lissa Gotwals and D L Anderson.

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      Isern Serra completes “serene” office for Spanish eyewear brand

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      Sculptural custom-made furniture adds artistic flourishes to this otherwise minimal showroom and head office, designed by Spanish interiors studio Isern Serra for eyewear brand Gigi Studios.

      Isern Serra was tasked with creating a holistic scheme for the 900-square-metre headquarters, occupying one floor of a building in the town of Sant Cugat del Vallès just north of Barcelona.
      Isern Serra has filled the Gigi Studios headquarters with custom furnitureThe brief called for a design that creates a sense of spaciousness and comfort while reflecting founder Patricia Remo’s vision of Gigi Studios as a brand.
      “It is also serene, warm and elegant and conceptually close to the idea of a studio and away from the concept of a traditional office, without losing the practicality and functionality,” Isern Serra explained.
      Rows of desks were replaced with more intimate work areasThe building’s rectangular floor plan features a central service core housing the lifts and toilets, with the workspaces, meeting rooms, kitchen and showroom occupying the surrounding O-shaped open space.

      Serra and his team positioned the kitchen and showroom at one end of the plan and placed the meeting rooms and client areas at the other, leaving the longer sides open to optimise circulation.
      Concrete bases for the work tables were cast in situVarious bespoke furniture pieces, conceived by Isern Serra as “small works of art”, bring a distinct personality to the different formal and informal spaces.
      These interventions were designed to embody Gigi Studios’ design ethos while standing out against the warm and minimal backdrop.
      “The project aims to experiment with the limits of the workspace and seek a new concept that goes hand in hand with the idea of domus and museum,” Isern Serra explained.
      Curtains can be used to cordon off the lounge areaA large circular sofa framed in stainless steel provides a bold statement in one of the reception areas.
      The sculptural piece fulfils a dual function as a seating area and a space for working, with tables and book storage integrated into the backrest around the perimeter.

      Isern Serra turns renderings into reality to form pink Moco Concept Store in Barcelona

      Similarly, the building’s central core is wrapped in a layer of built-in storage units including circular stainless-steel niches that incorporate shelves for displaying books and materials.
      Rather than a typical office layout with rows of workstations, the large open spaces are separated into more intimate zones with a more domestic scale.
      A Boa Pouf by Sabine Marcelis provides informal seatingNext to the lobby is a design area featuring tables made from concrete that was cast in situ. Task seating surrounds the work table and a taller table is accompanied by stools, while lenses for the different glasses are stored in a custom-made unit.
      The second workspace features a large C-shaped sofa with a concrete base that was also cast in situ. Custom-made tables and one of Sabine Marcelis’s Boa Poufs complete this lounge-style space, which can be visually separated from the rest of the office using curtains on either side.
      The showroom is visible from the office through a circular windowA circular window with rounded edges provides a glimpse of the showroom, which is dominated by two sculptural tables with concrete tops supported by rough chunks of travertine stone.
      A built-in tiered display is used to highlight different Gigi Studios’ eyewear. The rest of the collection is housed in a backlit cabinet, while a mirror-fronted unit conceals a large screen used for presentations.
      The kitchen is located next to the showroom so that the two spaces can easily be used together for events. Here, a homely, Mediterranean feel is created via a five-metre-long sharing table, custom-made alongside the accompanying stools.
      Display tables in the showroom are held up by rough chunks of travertineThe sizeable kitchen island is finished in micro-cement and features a curved base that enhances its sculptural presence.
      A curved corridor incorporating a sofa niche on one wall provides access to offices and a meeting room positioned to have the best views of the surrounding countryside.
      Internal columns are used to support one end of concrete tables built in each of the workspaces, furnished with classic designs including Marcel Breuer’s Wassily and Cesca chairs.
      Large sharing tables allow for communal eating in the kitchenInterior designer Isern Serra founded his self-titled studio in Barcelona in 2008 and works across architecture, interiors and industrial design.
      Previous projects including a rose-coloured shop for Barcelona’s Moco Museum that was based on a computer-generated image and a minimalist office for digital artist Andrés Reisinger, which was named small workplace interior of the year at the 2023 Dezeen Awards.
      The photography is by Salva López with art direction by Aasheen Mittal.

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