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    Material & Memory exhibition responds to “raw materiality” of Brinkburn Priory and Manor

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    Tutors and researchers from Northumbria University have filled a derelict manor house, nestled in a curve of the River Coquet in Northumberland, with objects informed by the site’s rich history and materiality.

    The exhibition titled Material & Memory is being held at Brinkburn Priory and Manor, a former 12th-century monastery that fell into ruin and was restored in the 19th century, when the manor house was built alongside it.
    Northumbria University faculty has designed products for Brinkburn Priory and Manor. Top photo is by Brian Morris and above by Jennine WilsonAround 20 faculty members and researchers from Northumbria University’s School of Design and Department of Architecture created works that reference the fabric and atmosphere of the historic buildings.
    Co-curator and assistant design professor Anthony Forsyth said the pieces created for the show were influenced by the “tranquil and atmospheric” spaces at Brinkburn, as well as by the multiple layers of history evident in the empty rooms.
    Josh South’s Nook candleholders replicate the form of a shouldered door arch”The raw materiality of the spaces is a rich source of inspiration, while the span of history informs an approach that is contemporary yet acknowledges the past,” he explained.

    Several contributions reference architectural features that were exposed as part of English Heritage’s efforts to stop dry rot from destroying the manor, which had fallen into disrepair before the preservation charity took over responsibility for the house in 1965.
    Anthony Forsyth’s Mullion plinths are shaped like the manor’s stone window mullionsForsyth’s Mullion plinths feature forms derived from the tapered profile of the building’s stone window mullions, while the Nook candleholders created by design lecturer Joshua South replicate the form of a shouldered door arch in patinated sand-cast bronze.
    In collaboration with woodworker Johnny Hayes, South also developed the Quatrefoil tables, which are based on a pattern of overlapping circles commonly featured in medieval emblems and found in the stained-glass windows of the Priory at Brinkburn.
    South’s Quatrefoil tables are based on the priory’s stained-glass windowsPhilip Luscombe, who teaches on the university’s Furniture and Product course, created a lamp with an oak structure that evokes the robust construction of church furniture.
    The Monk lamp’s paper diffuser references religious texts and creates a warm glow when the light is turned on.

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    Forsyth also developed the Assemblage floor lamp, constructed using off-the-shelf components and parts retained from other projects.
    The design is informed by the state of the interior at Brinkburn, where layers of construction have been exposed and the reuse of materials is evident.
    Phil Luscombe has created a lamp with an oak structure that references church furnitureBen Couture, assistant architecture professor and co-curator of the exhibition, created a geometric yellow bench that intentionally contrasts with the architectural style of the manor house.
    The bench responds to the dimensions of the adjacent windows, through which visitors can look out towards the river.
    The exhibition includes various other works in mixed media, ranging from etchings to printed textiles, photomontages and wallpapers. Each of the pieces was created following repeated visits to the site and through conversations with experts at English Heritage.
    Ben Couture designed a geometric yellow bench. The photo is by Brian MorrisThe charity previously worked with Northumbria University on a similar exhibition of objects displayed at Aydon Castle, also in Northumberland.
    According to Frances McIntosh, a curator at English Heritage, the Material & Memory exhibition makes good use of the normally empty rooms, encouraging visitors to reconsider the past, present and future of these historic spaces.
    “Brinkburn Priory Manor House is like a blank canvas and exhibitions like this are a great way to use the space and allow visitors to think more deeply about the complicated layers of the building they can see,” she said.
    The photography is by Phil Luscombe unless otherwise stated.
    Material & Memory is on show at Brinkburn Priory and Manor until 3 November 2024. For more events, exhibitions and talks in architecture and design visit the Dezeen Events Guide.

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      Olivier Delannoy creates mirrored “English garden” for Daroco Soho restaurant

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      Paris-based restaurant group Daroco has opened a London outpost with mirrored, curving interiors designed by French architect Olivier Delannoy.

      Delannoy, who has worked on Daroco’s previous projects, reproduced the mirrored ceiling from its two Paris restaurants for the Daroco’s latest location in Soho.
      “Though the layout maintains an orderly appearance, the reflection of the mirror creates an anarchic, enchanted dimension to the space,” he told Dezeen.
      The restaurant ceiling is covered with a large mirrorA wide range of designer lighting was placed throughout the restaurant, with arm wall-mounted lights by Penta, flower-shaped wall-mounted lights by Leucos and suspended glowing discs by DCW Édition. Together they were placed to create a softly lit interior that complements the mirrored ceiling.
      “We approached this project with the aim of mirroring an English garden,” Delannoy explained. “In evoking the garden, the lighting fixtures were inspired by plant motifs such as flowers, water plant stems and tree branches.”

      “The curved resin light tubes were designed to resemble the stem of a phosphorescent water plant,” he continued.
      Suspended glowing discs by DCW Édition illuminate the dining space

      The English garden concept was extended to other design elements such as a large pizza oven covered in blue butterflies and the flooring.
      “We designed the floor to be inspired by the undulation of the first raindrops on a landscaped pond,” said Delannoy.

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      Within the restaurant’s dining areas Delannoy used a diverse range of materials with marble and wooden table tops paired with crushed-velvet seats.
      The colour composition of the fabric used on the seating is intended to “evoke the flowers, earth and vegetation of the water’s edge”.
      A large pizza oven is decorated with blue ceramic butterflies
      Delannoy also drew inspiration from the Italian Renaissance for the restaurant, which serves Italian food.
      The mirrored ceiling bounces light around the interior and creates the illusion of a larger space, “such as that of a renaissance hall,” he said.
      Visitors are met with brass arches informed by the structure of Florence’s basilicas and a large counter that directly references the Baldachin – a large bronze canopy in St Peter’s, Vatican City.
      Looping acrylic light tubes and brass arches conjure evokeDelannoy co-founded Reinh Agency in 2016 and its completed projects include a Parisian cocktail bar and a restaurant in a former Belgian brewery warehouse.
      Other restaurant interiors recently featured on Dezeen include a pizzeria in a Finnish ski-resort,  a |cathedral of fried chicken” and an art-deco informed restaurant in New York.
      The photography is by Julie Spicy.

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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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      Eight interiors illuminated by sculptural aesthetic lamps

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      For our latest lookbook, we’ve collected eight interiors enhanced by aesthetic lamps including a 19th-century house in Stockholm and a retro-futuristic clothing store in Hangzhou.

      There is a growing trend for unusually sculptural and innovative lighting designs that don’t just light up an interior but also function as a piece of art.
      The examples below show characterful lamps used in commercial, hospitality and cultural interiors. But the same principle can also be applied to residential interiors for a similarly striking effect.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring inviting breakfast nooks, homes with central courtyards and tranquil interiors with oversized windows.
      Photo by Franziska KrieckFilips Van Marnix House, Belgium, by Koen Van Guijze

      Belgian designer Koen Van Guijze showcased his characterful lighting designs inside the centuries-old Filips Van Marnix house in Antwerp.
      The exhibition included his ribbon-like Circuit lamp, above, which was on show in the main staircase where its modern, graphic shape contrasted against a marble statue.
      Find out more about Filips Van Marnix house ›
      Photo by Shao FengAudrey boutique, China, by Liang Architecture Studio
      The Audrey boutique in Hangzhou, China, has an industrial interior made from steel and micro cement. But large pyramidal lights add a striking futuristic touch to the austere surroundings.
      The lighting fixtures, which appear to pierce through the ceiling, are made from acrylic and change their colours regularly to light up the space, which Liang Architecture Studio designed to have a retro-futuristic feel.
      Find out more about Audrey boutique ›
      Photo by Alexandra Svärdh and Bosse LindSoft Serve lamp, Sweden, by Crème Atelier
      Stockholm design studio Crème Atelier created its Soft Serve lamp, which was shortlisted in the lighting design category of the Dezeen Awards last year, to resemble “swirly ice cream”.
      “We were very intrigued by the creamy organic shapes of meringue and soft serve ice cream,” co-founder Jacqueline Kessidis told Dezeen.
      The 3D-printed lamp comes in a variety of sorbet colours and is made from a bioplastic made from recycled food packaging.
      Find out more about the Soft Serve lamp ›
      Photo by Laure JolietWine and Eggs, US, by Adi Goodrich
      Located in the Atwater Village neighbourhood of Los Angeles, the Wine and Eggs grocery has an interior that nods to Parisian cafes and Italian tobacconists and features multiple fun and colourful details, such as a blue-and-green checkerboard floor.
      Custom-made lamps by designer Adi Goodrich reference the name of the store.
      “At the beginning of the project I knew I wanted the lights to look like a sunny-side-up egg,” Goodrich told Dezeen. “After designing some wiggly shapes, I landed at the stacked circle.”
      Find out more about Wine and Eggs ›

      Bakers House, Sweden, by Färg & Blanche
      A residence built in 1889, which belongs to the family of one of the Färg & Blanche founders, formed the background for this exhibition by the Swedish studio.
      Among the pieces showcased were bulbous lights that appear to be bound in brass strips. These were scattered over the home’s patterned parquet floors, creating a well-lit path up a winding staircase.
      Find out more about Bakers House ›

      Cafe Mollien, France, by Mathieu Lehanneur
      The cafe of the Louvre museum in Paris was given a renovation by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur, who decorated the interior with pink acrylic light fixtures.
      The translucent lights create a modern contrast to the museum’s historic halls and were designed by Lehanneur as “three large pale-pink eggs” floating in space.
      Find out more about Cafe Mollien ›

      The Sensory Society, Denmark, by Helle Mardahl
      Bulbous glassware defines the work of Helle Mardahl, who started her career creating pastel-coloured glass objects.
      Since then, the Danish designer has expanded into lighting design, creating candy-like aesthetic lamps that were first showcased during design festival 3 Days of Design in Copenhagen, where they lit up a warm red hallway.
      Find out more about The Sensory Society ›

      Knuckle light, Sweden, by David Taylor
      Made by forcibly bending aluminium tubing, designer David Taylor’s Knuckle light has an industrial frame that is juxtaposed with oversized round white lightbulbs.
      “No two bends in the Knuckle series are alike,” the designer said. “Coercing metal into a form that it is specifically designed to resist is challenging at best.”
      Find out more about Knuckle light ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring inviting breakfast nooks, homes with central courtyards and tranquil interiors with oversized windows.

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      PSLab’s monochromatic Berlin showroom is a “sacred place for light”

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      A pared-back palette of raw materials creates a calm backdrop for PSLab’s lighting products inside the brand’s Berlin workshop and showroom space, designed in collaboration with Belgian firm B-bis architecten.

      The newly opened studio occupies the ground floor and basement of a 1907 residential building in the city’s Charlottenburg district.
      PSLab has opened a new workshop and showroom in BerlinPSLab, which designs and manufactures light fixtures for architectural projects, set out to create a showroom where customers can experience lighting effects in a home-like environment.
      “PSLab is not a digital platform where clients pick and buy products,” the company’s founder Dimitri Saddi told Dezeen. “Therefore the physical space as a ‘home’ is most important for one-on-one communication.”
      “In Berlin, as with all our studios, we wanted to design a canvas to show the quality of our light and to show the process of our bespoke design approach by integrating a material library of endless opportunities and possibilities.”

      The space includes a materials library with a movable ladderWorking together with B-bis architecten, the design team looked to create a contemporary space that contrasts with Charlottenburg’s classical architecture whilst retaining references to common elements like colonnades, arches and symmetrical forms.
      The entrance takes the form of a large zinc-and-glass sliding door that is set into the facade of the building on Niebuhrstrasse. Moving the door aside reveals a full-height opening that welcomes visitors into the studio.
      The interior was designed to present the brand’s lighting to its best advantageInside, a double-height space with a six-metre-high ceiling allows lighting products to be hung in various heights and configurations.
      Arched openings on either side of the staircase void lead through to a garden room that looks onto a leafy courtyard. Daylight streams into the space through large windows to create a tranquil atmosphere.

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      The workshop space includes a materials library where visitors can touch and explore the physical qualities of the brand’s lighting products. A movable ladder provides access to items on the library’s upper rows.
      The cosy basement level is a place for informal conversations with clients. A projector in this parlour space also allows the team to display the company’s extensive digital library.
      The basement serves as a cosy loungeThroughout the studio, PSLab chose materials and finishes including lime wash, concrete, zinc and textiles that focus attention on how the space is lit rather than its architectural features to create a kind of “sacred place for light”.
      “It is all about monochromatics and textures, which are specific to the location,” said Mario Weck, a partner at PSLab GmbH. “The atmosphere lets people focus on our approach.”
      Gantries provide support for various light sourcesOn the ceiling of both the front room and garden room is a grey-steel gantry that helps unify the spaces whilst supporting various light sources as well as technical elements, much like on a theatre stage.
      Furniture is mostly built in, with simple cushions providing casual seating while cylindrical wooden side tables and coffee tables offer somewhere to place a cup or catalogue.
      The showroom is set in Berlin’s CharlottenburgPSLab has studios in Antwerp, Bologna, London, Stuttgart and Beirut, where the firm originated. For its UK headquarters, the company commissioned JamesPlumb to convert a Victorian tannery into a space that evokes the “quiet brutalism” of the former industrial building.
      Previously, the lighting brand has collaborated with Parisian studio Tolila+Gilliland on the design of an Aesop store in London featuring felt-covered walls and slim black pendant lights.
      The photography is by Nate Cook.

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      Bacana Studio designs “amphibious” interiors for riverfront restaurant in Lisbon

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      Lisbon interior design practice Bacana Studio took cues from Portugal’s coastal traditions for the interiors of a João Luís Carrilho da Graça-designed Anfibio restaurant.

      Located alongside the Tejo river, the restaurant was designed to “merge the duality of the sea and the land,” the interiors studio told Dezeen.
      Striped benches create a corridor from the bar to the terraceNamed Anfibio – Latin for amphibious, meaning suited for both land and water – the restaurant serves both local seafood and “countryside produce”.
      It is located in a glass-walled, pavilion-like structure designed by local architecture studio João Luís Carrilho da Graça alongside the Tejo river and its interiors were informed by its riverfront location drawing on the “dazzling reflections of the sun on the water”.
      The lighting is designed to “allow Anfibio to transform between day and night”Within the 500-square-metre restaurant, which is used as a nightclub in the evenings, wooden flooring was stained with a “watery green” colour and a mirror-like fabric was used on the ceiling to reflect and refract light.

      “The building’s architecture aims to blend in and go unnoticed, striving to merge with the river and reflect the city of Lisbon,” said Bacana Studio founder Ingrid Aparicio.
      The restaurant is located on the Tejo riverAccording to the Bacana Studio, the open plan layout and five-metre-high ceilings posed a lighting and acoustic challenge.
      As a result, the studio focused on “creating visual and functional interest from the ground up” with decorative elements, lighting and architectural features rising up from the floor.
      “It’s the lighting itself that shapes and defines the spaces,” Aparicio explained. “We devised a concept where lighting emanates from the furniture, creating intimate spaces and avoiding the sensation of being in a vast and cold space.”
      Light fittings emerge from the furnitureSmall brass-shaded table lamps and arched brass and glass lamps, which were crafted to resemble the antennas of aquatic creatures, provide ambient lighting for each table and unify the space.
      Visitors are greeted by a curvilinear “snake sofa” that divides the restaurant into two areas – an intimate zone with smaller tables on one side, and a more communal area with a large 10-seater table on the other.
      “The design is meant to encourage you to let loose, which is why the organic shapes in the sofas, tables, and chairs, create an interesting flow to the space,” explained Aparicio.

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      On either end of the intimate zone is a long, 20-seater community table. The studio designed these with an aim to pay homage to the spirit of Lisbon’s traditional fish markets, serving as “a symbolic nod to the shared dining experiences fostered in such lively and communal settings”.
      The wait-staff station and the wood, wicker and brass bar separate the kitchen from the dining area.
      The “snake sofa” divides the spaceTwo long, striped benches, positioned with their backs facing each other, lead out to the terrace, “segmenting the expansive layout of the restaurant into more intimate sections”.
      The terrace, overlooking the port and the city of Lisbon, aims to “evoke the essence of an authentic beach club”.
      Stripes were prominently used on the walls, upholstery, and furnishings, reminiscent of Portuguese fishermen’s cottages and coastal awnings.
      Natural materials such as wood and wicker were prominently usedOther restaurant interiors recently featured on Dezeen include a Mexico City restaurant arranged around an upside-down pyramid bar and a converted Norwegian restaurant covered in restored paintings.
      The photography is by Filipe Neto.

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      Gallery Fumi marks 15th anniversary with design exhibition informed by biology

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      To celebrate 15 years of Gallery Fumi, the London gallery is hosting the Growth + Form exhibition of “functional art”, featuring sculptural furniture and lighting with organic forms.

      The Growth + Form exhibition includes new works by 16 of the 28 past Gallery Fumi exhibitors, responding to themes of transformation, regeneration and biological growth patterns.
      The Growth + Form exhibition celebrates Gallery Fumi’s 15th anniversaryIt was designed by architectural designer Leendert De Vos and curated by design historian Libby Sellers, who invited former exhibitors back to showcase new pieces in a group display.
      The exhibition title and theme were informed by the On Form and Growth book by Scottish biologist D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson, which analyses the mathematical harmony of growing shapes in biology.
      Pieces in the exhibition were informed by biologyResponding to this biological starting point, furniture and lighting with organic shapes and natural materials can be seen throughout the exhibition.

      Danish artist Stine Bidstrup created a sculptural chandelier titled Light Entanglements, made up of twisting clusters of hand-blown glass.
      Light Entanglements is a chandelier made from hand-blown glassDifferent lengths of painted sticks were combined to create Marmaros Metamorphosis II, a circular decorative wall piece with a textured, tufted-like surface by sculptor Rowan Mersh.
      “Revisiting the very beginning of his career when Mersh used cheap materials to experiment with techniques, in this work using lacquered coloured sticks, he creates forms with the details and skill level he currently attains when using precious materials,” said Gallery Fumi.
      Seating crafted from a single yew log is featured in the exhibitionAs the gallery celebrates its 15th anniversary, Sellers likened its growth to the formation of crystals – the material traditionally associated with 15-year anniversaries.
      “Grown from small particles into a solid form of geometric beauty, crystal is both a poetic metaphor for Gallery Fumi’s own development over the last 15 years and an opportunity to explore the creative affinity between science, art, and the intricate nature of constructions,” said Sellers.

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      “After all, is this not a definition of design? The meeting of knowledge, form-making, material exploration and beauty?” Sellers added.
      “The works are vibrant and active – sprouting, swirling, twisting, turning – transferring material and form into objects of beauty.”
      Wegworth created a crystal salt vase for the exhibitionAlso on show was a wooden cabinet covered in hand-painted shingles by Berlin-based designer Lukas Wegwerth, who also created a crystal salt vase titled Crystallization 183.
      “Crystallization 183 was identified by Sellers as most significant for the exhibition, as not only is the 15-year anniversary traditionally celebrated with crystal, but the process of growing the crystals is a poetic metaphor for Fumi’s growth as a gallery,” Gallery Fumi said.
      The wall sculpture Marmaros Metamorphosis II has a tufted textureOther pieces on display include a sculptural copper floor lamp with a stone base by London design studio JamesPlumb and a chair by British designer Max Lamb crafted from a single yew log.
      “Tapping into the creative affinity between science and art, the pieces created for the show will display fluid organic forms, natural materials and geometric structures,” said Gallery Fumi.
      The exhibition is on display from 7 to 30 SeptemberOther designers showing work include US sculptor Casey McCafferty, Italian designer Francesco Perini, design studio Glithero, Chinese material designer Jie Wu, German ceramic artist Johannes Nagel, Finnish artist Kustaa Saksi, British artist Leora Honeyman, Spanish artist Saelia Aparicio, British artist Sam Orlando Miller, design studio Study O Portable and furniture design studio Voukenas Petrides.
      Gallery Fumi was founded in 2008 by Valerio Capo and Sam Pratt. It has previously showcased work including a Jesmonite lighting collection by British designer Lara Bohinc and a limited-edition bench by JamesPlumb made using medieval dying techniques.
      The photography is courtesy of Gallery Fumi.
      The Growth + Form exhibition is on display at the Gallery Fumi in London, UK, from 7 to 30 September 2023. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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      SFMOMA furniture exhibition features “conversation starters”

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      Designers including Bethan Laura Wood and Maarten Baas have contributed a range of “sometimes jarring” chairs and lighting to an exhibition at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

      Called Conversation Pieces: Contemporary Furniture in Dialogue, the exposition at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) features 45 pieces of furniture and decor “that prioritise meaning and material choice over function and practicality”.
      Jay Sae Jung Oh presented an otherworldly chair”The works on view are sometimes jarring, often bold and always conversation starters,” said the museum.
      Drawn entirely from the SFMOMA collection, some of the pieces were chosen purely for their alternative appearance, such as an otherworldly leather and plastic armchair by South Korean designer Jay Sae Jung Oh.
      Uneasy Lies the Head that Wears the Crown was designed by Germane BarnesOther pieces of furniture were selected for their commentary on social issues. For example, a piece by American architect Germane Barnes is a porch chair topped with an oversized backrest shaped like a milled wood comb.

      Called Uneasy Lies the Head that Wears the Crown, the piece was described by Barnes as a representation of Black hair, meant to highlight how Black hair “is often policed and frowned upon instead of celebrated as it should [be]”.
      Maarten Baas’ contribution features a bright blue clay chairDutch designer Baas and Italian architect Gaetano Pesce were also included in the exhibition.
      Baas created a bright blue chair covered with clay while Pesce contributed an organic-looking fabric and resin chair called Seaweed, which resembles clumps of tangled algae.
      A series of lighting designs accompanied the furniture. British designer Bethan Laura Wood created a spindly glass and metal chandelier called Criss Cross Kite.
      Gaetano Pesce contributed a fabric and resin chair called Seaweed”A chandelier is normally a very fancy-pantsy centre light,” said Wood, reflecting on her work.
      “I definitely want to play with this idea of fantasy within the thing.”
      Unique Girl is a playful lamp by Katie StoutAmerican designer Katie Stout’s ceramic lamp Unique Girl was also on display. The lighting piece is characterised by an abstract figure that the designer said is meant as a commentary on domesticity and femininity.
      All of the furniture in the exhibition was arranged across a deep red carpet interspersed with amorphously shaped plots of floor space to form a meandering pathway.

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      “Sparking dialogue throughout the gallery, Conversation Pieces presents chairs and lamps that surprise and garner attention unapologetically,” said SFMOMA.
      Last year, the San Francisco museum showcased an exhibition of work by architect Neri Oxman, while it recently became the first museum to acquire a module from the Japanese Nakagin Capsule Tower.
      The exhibition was curated within a winding spaceConversation Pieces: Contemporary Furniture in Dialogue was on display at the SFMOMA from 20 August 2022 to 25 June 2023. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.
      The images are courtesy of SFMOMA.

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      Studio Kiki imbues Carlotta restaurant interiors with “old-school glitz and glamour”

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      Design firm Studio Kiki has created warmly-lit interiors for an Italian restaurant in London to mimic the decadent but familial atmosphere of a 1980s Italo-American trattoria.

      Located on Marylebone High Street, Carlotta is the latest project by the Big Mamma restaurant group. Studio Kiki, the group’s in-house design team, created its interiors to capture a sense of “old-school glitz and glamour”, it said.
      Carlotta is a restaurant on Marylebone High Street”[Carlotta is informed by] Italo-American neighbourhood restaurants in the 1980s, where the likes of [singer and actor] Frank Sinatra and friends would swing by for a bite to eat or a nightcap, and know the waiters’ names,” the team told Dezeen.
      Visitors enter the trattoria through a burgundy facade emblazoned with neon signage, which glows above clusters of spindly tables and chairs positioned for al fresco dining.
      The bar is defined by glowing sources of lightInside, a gilded bar is concealed behind a red velvet curtain. This space is defined by high stools upholstered with geometrically patterned textiles and a curved marble-topped bar clad with illuminated ribbed panels sourced from New York.

      “We wanted the bar to glow and have a back-lit element, so it feels incredibly welcoming as soon as you step inside, making it the jewelled centrepiece of the restaurant,” explained Studio Kiki.
      A psychedelic-style carpet adds a touch of humour to the main dining spaceBeyond the bar, the main dining space is draped with golden festoon curtains that take cues from 1950s Milanese casinos, and also features a psychedelic-style carpet covered with swirly flowers.
      This was informed by the 1998 film Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, a black comedy road movie based on the book by journalist Hunter S Thompson, according to the designers.
      The basement includes a mirror-striped ceilingIn the dining room, curved metallic chairs and burgundy banquettes finished in knotted leather hug small circular tables made from dark wood and dressed with sculptural lamps.
      “[Throughout the restaurant] we liked to ensure each table has its own source of light, which can come in various forms whether that be architectural lighting, back-lit tables or a handmade cordless table lamp,” said Studio Kiki.
      The main dining space also includes arrangements of framed photographs. Among the collection are retro wedding pictures from Italian weddings of the design team’s own parents and grandparents.

      Pirajean Lees creates Arts and Crafts-style interior for Mayfair restaurant

      Downstairs, a “midnight blue hideout” forms a subterranean drinking den, complete with a 1980s-style mirror-striped cavernous ceiling, eclectic crockery and an open kitchen.
      Bathed in bright red light, the bathrooms are equally playful – a haloed Jesus effigy was positioned atop a font-like basin, while slatted mirrored walls reflect the ceiling’s oversized chandelier.
      A Jesus effigy crowns the bathroom basinCarlotta joins a number of other recently designed eateries with decadent interiors.
      These include a pop-up cafe at London’s Harrods department store by Italian fashion house Prada and a bar and restaurant in Canada with rich colours and leather upholstery informed by author Truman Capote.
      The photography is by Jérôme Galland. 

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