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    Pirajean Lees draws on Japanese and Spanish design for Kioku restaurant and bar

    Studio Pirajean Lees paired oxblood tiles with intricate wooden joinery at the Kioku sushi restaurant and sake bar, within central London’s OWO hotel, to reference the head chef ‘s travels.

    Kioku consists of a bar on the ground floor and a restaurant on the top floor of the hotel within the Grade II*-listed Old War Office on Whitehall, which once housed the British government’s military departments.
    Pirajean Lees created Kioku, meaning “memory” in Japanese, to capture sushi master Endo Kazutoshi’s recollections of living and working in Japan and Spain.
    Kioku bar is located on the ground floor of The OWOLocated on the ground floor of the hotel, the single-room bar is accessed via a door framed with smooth timber joinery informed by the traditional Japanese carpentry technique Sashimono.
    Guests are greeted by a bespoke oak reception desk featuring embroidered floral textiles and mesh detailing as well as a light-controlled sake cellar clad with patchwork cork panels.

    All of Kioku’s furniture was custom-made by Pirajean Lees, explained studio co-founder James Lees.
    The bar features a light-controlled sake cellar”We share a passion for storytelling and an obsession with details, from the way your hand touches the backrest of a chair, to the height of the table,” said the designer.
    “From the outset, we knew that the level of attention to detail in the interior had to match that found in the food being served.”
    Japanese records can be played on a bespoke turntableThe bar’s floor plan was subtly stepped to provide “elevated views” for each of its intimate seating areas, rather than relegate guests to hidden corners of the room, said Lees.
    A wide selection of sake is served at an oversized and curved central bar designed with knobbly timber cladding.
    Kioku restaurant is located on the hotel’s rooftopHandcrafted tiles and a gridded carpet finished in oxblood red were used to create the flooring, while deep red dado and natural clay walls also nod to the space’s Spanish influence.
    In one corner, a bespoke turntable is positioned for guests to play a selection of Japanese records from Endo’s personal collection.
    Bow details were carved into the dining chairsThe Kioku restaurant is contained within a long room on the north side of the hotel’s rooftop, with panoramic views of central London. Entered through timber double doors, the eatery features similar design accents to the bar.
    Wooden frames and boxy mirrored “portals” were used to delineate spaces within the main dining area, which includes L-shaped banquettes and oak dining chairs upholstered with Japanese embroidered silk.
    The chef’s table was positioned opposite the open kitchenBow details were carved into the chairs to emulate the seating at Endo’s favourite hotel in the city of Yokohama. Subtle versions of the bow motif are echoed downstairs on the bar’s wooden tables.
    Pirajean Lees constructed a private dining room with a chef’s table at one end of the restaurant, built above an intimate outdoor cigar terrace that overlooks The OWO’s central courtyard.
    Panoramic views of central London can be seen from the main terraceEncased by a curved glass roof, the extension was positioned opposite the open kitchen to allow guests to watch their dishes being prepared. Retractable mesh screens were also fitted for privacy.
    The main terrace includes timber dining tables and chairs with Mediterranean-style terracotta and mustard upholstery surrounded by lush plants.

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    At the end of the terrace, a historic turret overlooking St James’ Park and Horse Guards Parade features another eight-seat private dining room with soft linen curtains and an oak table illuminated by an oversized rice paper pendant light.
    Pirajean Lees chose a striking yellow rug for the circular floor to reference the sun, while the round ceiling was hand-painted with an inky indigo mural by British artist Tess Newall in an ode to the contrasting moon – recognisable motifs found in Japanese mythology.
    A historic turret houses another private dining space”We design to create emotional spaces grounded in their story, rather than interiors purely driven by aesthetics,” reflected studio co-founder Clémence Pirajean.
    Founded in 2017 by Pirajean and Lees, the studio has applied its eclectic style to various other London projects – from the “timeless” interiors of music venue Koko’s members’ club to a Mayfair restaurant with an Arts and Crafts-style design.
    The photography is by Polly Tootal.

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    Venetian palazzo informs “elegant and unexpected” interiors of Hotel Bella Grande

    Bold red-and-white checkerboard tiles and colourful upholstered banquettes lend an Italian feel to the atrium of this Copenhagen hotel designed by local studio Tonen.

    Malene Bech-Pedersen and Mette Bonavent of Tonen oversaw the design of Hotel Bella Grande, which occupies a historic building close to Copenhagen City Hall.
    Constructed in 1899, the five-storey building retained many characterful features but was in need of refurbishment to maximise its potential and bring it up to modern standards.
    Tonen has refurbished a hotel informed by a Venetian palazzoTonen aimed to create interiors for the 109-room hotel that are timeless yet contemporary and combine a sense of nostalgic charm with modern sophistication.
    “For the interior of Hotel Bella Grande we had two important pointers,” said the designers. “First of all to create a design hotel that is a true treat to the eye, and second to highlight the historic and very classic architecture of the building.”

    “The hotel rooms should be luxurious, with high-quality materials and references to midcentury Italian design,” they added. “The interior design plays with a nostalgia that is utterly elegant, but also unexpected.”
    The hotel occupies a historic building close to Copenhagen City HallInspiration for the project came from a trip to Italy, where Bech-Pedersen and Bonavent were impressed by a Venetian palazzo with an open-air central courtyard and peach-coloured walls.
    The atrium at Hotel Bella Grande has a roof light that allows natural light to flood into a bright and welcoming space containing colourful furnishings, floral arrangements and marble-tiled floors that enhance the al-fresco feel.
    Marble tiled floors feature in the bright atrium”We went for ‘wow’,” said the designers of their approach to the interiors, and particularly the reception and courtyard areas that are the first guests encounter upon entering the building.
    “This should be a very one-of-a-kind experience, and nothing like you would normally experience in the centre of Copenhagen.”

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    The atrium was previously a dark and underused space that required significant upgrades to become a prominent focal point within the scheme.
    Soundproof windows were added to all the rooms that overlook the courtyard. All four internal walls were covered in acoustic foam which, along with the soft furnishings, helps to reduce sound reverberation within the space.
    Tonen looked to give the hotel’s rooms and suites a calming atmosphere through the use of muted colours and sophisticated details, such as the coordinated upholstered armchairs and fabric lampshades from Danish brand Oi soi oi.
    The hotel also contains a restaurantThe hotel also contains an Italian restaurant called Donna, with a lively and vibrant interior defined by its use of moody red and pink hues.
    The dining room’s dark red ceiling is complemented by blood-red couches and pink curtains that were designed to create an atmosphere of romance, but have a touch of mystery for the space to take on a nightclub vibe later in the evenings.
    Guests can choose to dine in the main restaurant or in the atrium space, while a laid-back cocktail lounge provides a cosy spot for pre-dinner drinks or late-night conversations.
    An internal courtyard is overlooked by the hotel bedroomsTonen was involved in every detail of the hotel’s interior fit-out, sourcing vintage objects and artworks to sit alongside contemporary pieces including furniture from &Tradition, bedside lamps by Tom Dixon, side tables from Polspotten and bespoke vanities made by by Københavns Møbelsnedkeri.
    “Both Bella and Donna are very much unmistakable expressions of our style,” claimed Bech-Pedersen and Bonavent. “We love the historic references, mixing vintage with new design and the use of materials that age beautifully.”
    The restaurant interior is defined by red and pink huesHotel Bella Grande is owned by Copenhagen Food Collective, a Copenhagen-based group operating 18 restaurants around the city. Tonen has worked on interiors for several of Cofoco’s properties, including Coco Hotel and Restaurant Delphine.
    Other recent restaurant interiors on Dezeen include a steel-and-mirror space in London’s Mayfair area and a Frankfurt restaurant with lime-wash walls.
    The photography is courtesy of Tonen.

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    Jolie creates temporary restaurant with “aesthetic and sensory” materials in Frankfurt

    Interior design studio Jolie has completed The Nest restaurant with lime-wash walls and natural materials that is designed to be relocated in five years time.

    Set above an underground car park in Frankfurt, the restaurant was designed for future relocation using modular construction and lightweight materials to minimise its impact on the site as well as maximise material reuse.
    The temporary restaurant will operate for five years”The temporary nature of The Nest had a significant influence on its design, guiding many key decisions to ensure sustainability, flexibility, and minimal environmental impact,” Jolie founder Franky Rousell told Dezeen.
    “The need to keep the structure lightweight, due to its location above a car park, meant that every material was chosen not only for its aesthetic and sensory qualities but also for its weight.”
    Lime-wash walls and natural materials decorate the spaceThe restaurant has a bright dining area lined with wooden tables and chairs fronted by full-height glazing.

    A bar, with a curved counter that wraps around an oversized column, divides the space and is lined with a raised seating area.
    Hues of red, green and brown are used throughout the interiorLime-wash paint, glossy laminates and plastered walls line the tactile interior. Hues of red, green and brown permeate the space and are set off by neutral-toned ceilings, floors and furnishings.
    “The tactile elements are designed to evoke comfort and luxury,” Rousell said.
    “Surfaces like cool pink marble at the bar and natural wood and soft textiles in the outdoor lounge area invite touch and contribute to a relaxed yet refined environment.”

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    A curved motif is repeated throughout the space, with two rounded seating areas nestled into individual corners and complete with plush cushions.
    Doorways, shelving units and countertops are similarly finished with rounded edges.
    A curved motif is repeated throughout the restaurantSituated behind the main restaurant is a separate kitchen area that runs along the length of the structure.
    Meanwhile, an external wooden patio backed with greenery provides additional seating sheltered by parasols at the restaurant’s front.
    Additional seating is provided outdoorsJolie is an interior design studio based in the UK founded by Rousell in 2017.
    Other restaurant interiors recently featured on Dezeen include a London restaurant that balances steel and mirrors with wood and leather and a New York restaurant with a buttery yellow interior.
    The photography is by Billy Bolton.

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    Tutto Bene balances steel and mirrors with wood and leather in Nightingale restaurant

    Design studio Tutto Bene drew on “the sombre elegance of theatre and museum lobby cafes” when creating the interiors for the Nightingale restaurant in London.

    The 60-square-metre space, which opens to a courtyard in London’s Mayfair neighbourhood, references Viennese coffee houses, known locally as Kaffeehäuser.
    “We thought London is missing spaces with the atmosphere that we know Kaffeehäuser for,” Tutto Bene co-founder Oskar Kohnen told Dezeen.
    Nightingale’s interior draws on Vienna’s coffee housesNightingale’s “stage-like” dining room was also informed by “the sombre elegance of theatre and museum lobby cafes”, Kohnen said.
    “Nightingale’s sloped ceiling, abundant drops of fabric curtains, as well as the curtain-like wall panelling play on this idea,” he explained.

    The restaurant has a colour palette that emphasises green and cream colours, with a floor made of cement tiles in various green hues.
    A pale green floor contrasts with white wallsCream-coloured walls and curtains contrast against silvery details, with a monolithic stainless-steel bar functioning as the room’s centrepiece.
    “The courtyard plant life suggested the green colour,” studio co-founder Felizia Berchtold told Dezeen.
    “Based on this we added light and shadow through layers of black and white,” she added. “The surfaces interacting with the daylight create an abundance of hues in an overall calm tonality. It’s simple but dramatic.”
    Tutto Bene added a stainless-steel counter as a centrepieceMirrored, tiled columns add to the theatrical feel of the space, for which Berchtold also designed the sculptural Satellite Pendant, a spinning chandelier.
    It was manufactured by the Austrian brand Kalmar, which has a history of designing lights for Viennese coffee houses, and features pleated cream lampshades that orbit around a steel axis.

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    “I initially drew the lamp during my travels in Japan last spring,” Berchtold said.
    “It was inspired by paintings of sea roses and the craft of fan making, as well as ideas around motion and dance. We developed the design together throughout the year.”
    Felizia Berchtold designed the Satellite Pendant lamp for the restaurantKalmar’s vintage glass scones decorate the mirrored glass columns, while Tutto Bene’s angular Sketch lamp sits on the wait station and its round Oblo lights can be found on the ridged walls.
    The studio also worked with a variety of materials to give the space a tactile feel.
    Nightingale features tables made from burl wood and stainless steel, which was also used for the bar and as a detail on the wait station, where it contrasts against swathes of cream cloth.
    The studio also designed the furniture for the spaceTutto Bene’s Cafe Chair, made from stained wood and saddle leather, was used for seating along with wooden benches in the same style.
    “The material palette balances crisp and formal materials such as steel and tiles with texture and playful warmth, resembled in the ever-changing drapes of fabric, the burl wood tables and saddle leather chairs,” Berchtold said.
    Tutto Bene recently created a Streamline Moderne-informed New York store for eyewear brand Cubitts. Also in Mayfair, design studio Pirajean Lees designed an Arts-and-Crafts inspired restaurant called 20 Berkeley.
    The photography is by Ludovic Balay.

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    GRT Architects creates buttery yellow interior for San Sabino restaurant

    Yellow hues make for a sunny environment inside this restaurant in New York’s West Village, designed by Brooklyn-based studio GRT Architects.

    For San Sabino, GRT Architects once again teamed up with chefs Angie Rito and Scott Tacinelli, with whom they worked on the neighbouring Don Angie restaurant.
    San Sabino’s historic facade was restored and painted pale grey to constrast the yellow interiorWith a very different menu and aesthetic, the new space is typified by buttery yellow interiors that contrast its pale grey facade.
    Both restaurants occupy the same wedge-shaped building on Greenwich Avenue, in what used to be a trio of retail spaces with “diminutive storefronts”.
    An interior wall was partially removed to connect the bar and dining areasThe facades were restored and windows were uncovered, returning the historic corner to its former glory.

    “Under many layers of paint and filler we found the original storefronts clad in copper sheet that seemed only better for neglect with a charming verdigris and patina,” said GRT Architects.
    A stainless steel ribbon above the bar fronts the lower connects and connects through to the dining spaceInside, a thick brick wall was partially removed to unify the spaces, while still visually separating the bar area from the main dining zone.
    A ribbon of stainless steel above the bar wraps around to connect the two, with custom polished brass sconces affixed at intervals onto the undulating surface.
    Ribbed leather banquettes and custom light boxes creates intimate moments”This horizontality is reprised at the bar with a shapely solid pewter rail, echoed by stainless nosings set into the bar die,” GRT Architects said.
    Low-slung ribbed banquettes covered in warm caramel-hued leather surround the perimeter, notably below a mirrored side wall with light boxes installed between the reflective panels.

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    Mottled grey stone floor tiles are patterned with smaller, glossy yellow circles and squares, riffing on a classic carreaux d’octagones pattern.
    The handmade yellow tiles were also installed behind the bar, while the ceilings are padded and upholstered to help with acoustics.
    The sunny daytime mood becomes more sophisticated at night thanks to the lighting scheme”Naturally this was an excuse to play with pattern and texture,” said the team. “The dining room features a winking vermiculated print while the bar tips luxe with a woven jacquard.”
    Overall, the vibrant color scheme and the cool metal tones come together to create a playful yet sophisticated dining environment, which shifts dramatically from day to night and reflects the spins on the Southern Italian cuisine served.
    The warmth of the yellow tones contrasts the cool metals to create a playful aestheticGRT Architects was founded by Tal Schori and Rustam-Marc Mehta in 2014, and over the past decade has built up a portfolio of projects in New York City.
    Among these are several Manhattan restaurants, including the similarly sunny Cucina Alba in Chelsea and the maximalist Bad Roman on Columbus Circle.
    The daytime photography is by Nicole Franzen. The nighttime photography is by Alice Gao.

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    Lanterns dangle through hole between floors in “UK’s most expensive steak” restaurant

    Interiors studio Rosendale Design used paper pendants to illuminate hand-painted red-and-gold walls in the first overseas outpost of Japanese steakhouse Aragawa in London.

    Set across two floors in a Mayfair townhouse, the restaurant is widely credited as serving the “UK’s most expensive steak” – a £900 cut of wagyu beef from Shiga prefecture.
    Rosendale Design created the interiors for a Japanese steakhouse in MayfairCharacterised by a rich palette of deep reds, golds and dark woods, the interior of the steakhouse was “heavily influenced by traditional Japanese architecture and design”, Rosendale Design founder Dale Atkinson told Dezeen.
    “We gave it a contemporary twist in a subtle way so it didn’t become kitsch,” he said.
    Pendant lights dangle through a void between the ground floor and basementUpon entering Aragawa, visitors pass through an archway that frames a wood-panelled reception area painted in pale green.

    From here, a corridor leads past a wine display cabinet that wraps around the back wall with skylights providing natural illumination.
    A private dining room with seats for 12 guests is accessed through glass and wood doors, with a slatted wooden screen partially obstructing the view into the space.
    A Japanese kiln is surrounded by blue tiles in the kitchenPendant lamps that take cues from traditional Japanese paper lanterns hang through a mirror-lined void between the ground floor and the basement, providing views of the main restaurant below.
    “The lanterns are one of the key features that are first experienced at ground level but drop down through the opening in the floor and are then a prevalent feature in the main dining room,” said Atkinson.
    “We looked at traditional Japanese lanterns and gave it a bit of a contemporary twist.”
    More lanterns hang from the latticed ceiling in the dining roomStairs lead down to the restaurant past an open kitchen, divided from the seating area via an uplit rough-textured counter.
    Cornflower-blue tiles clad the walls in the kitchen, where Rosendale Design installed a Japanese kiln.

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    Used to prepare Aragawa’s speciality, Japanese Kobe beef, the kiln was modelled on the model found in the original Aragawa restaurant in Tokyo, which opened in 1967 and became known as one of the priciest steak houses in the world.
    “The feature kiln is the main connection between the restaurants in Tokyo and London,” said Atkinson.
    “We worked with a local manufacturer to copy as best we could the kiln in Tokyo but dress it in a way that matches the London design ethos.”
    Hand-painted red-and-gold panels line the walls of the dining spaceMore lanterns are suspended from the dark wood lattice ceiling in the primary dining space.
    “The feature ceiling is referencing traditional Japanese castles,” explained Atkinson.
    Soft lighting illuminates the red-and-gold panels that line the walls of the dining area, hand-painted with patterns derived from Nishijin silk kimonos.
    Rosendale Design opted for crimson-red velvet-lined seatingThe red colour palette is continued in the red velvet-lined seating, contrasting against white tablecloths.
    “We made sure to play with the saturation of colours to make it more dramatic and romantic,” said Atkinson.
    Other Japanese restaurants recently featured on Dezeen include a noodle restaurant in a century-old townhouse in Kyoto and a restaurant in Alberta that combines Japanese psychedelia and cabins.
    The photography is by Justin De Souza.

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

    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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    Ivy Studio combines retro colours at Ottawa restaurant Buvette Daphnée

    The colorful retro diners of Quebec influenced the interiors of this restaurant in Ottawa, designed by Montreal-based Ivy Studio.

    Buvette Daphnée wine bar and fine dining restaurant sits in a 1,500-square-foot commercial space within an old industrial building in the city’s historic ByWard Market district.
    The Buvette Daphnée restaurant in Ottawa’s ByWard Market district takes cues from colourful retro diners”The establishment, led by a head chef with deep roots in Quebec and years of experience in Ottawa, aims to showcase a blend of both cultures through the eyes of a nostalgic francophone residing in the country’s capital,” said Ivy Studio.
    The studio therefore looked to Montreal’s vibrant retro diners for design references, pairing a caramel, brown and cream palette with contrasting blue and burnt orange accents.
    The restaurant is divided into two areas, including a space with lower ceilings on one side of the entranceHighly visible from the street, the dining area at the front is divided into two main sections.

    A lower, more intimate space with eight-foot ceilings is to the right of the entrance, while a loftier 15-foot-high space where the open kitchen, a 36-foot-long U-shaped bar and high-top counters can be found to the left.
    Exposed brickwork, natural walnut and cognac-toned upholstery all feature in the restaurantIn the taller portion, the ceilings are painted black to obscure the extra height and the walls are clad in cream-coloured, v-board panelling that continues overhead in the lower area.
    Both the bar stools and the semi-circular seats tucked into tambour-lined booths are wrapped in blue velvet, while vintage dining chairs feature orange seats and banquettes are cognac and chocolate-toned.
    Semi-circular booths with blue velvet seats are lined with tambour panellingNatural walnut was used for the majority of the millwork, and portions of the building’s original brickwork were left exposed.
    In front of the entrance, a lacquered server station with a pill-shaped plan and tiered shelves draws the eye to the restaurant’s centre.

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    “To tie everything together, a vibrant custom-designed mosaic with the main colours covers the entire restaurant floor,” Ivy Studio said.
    “Various light fixtures in the space each tell their own story,” added the team, which installed a 30-foot-long bespoke tubular piece by Montreal-based Hamster above the bar.
    A burnt orange host stand catches the eye, while mosaic floor tiles combine all of the hues used across the interiorMeanwhile, frosted globe-shaped pendants that are recycled by Studio Botté from Montreal’s 1960s street lamps hang from the black ceiling.
    “Much like its celebrated menu based on locally grown ingredients, Buvette Daphnée’s design offers Ottawa an authentic taste of Montreal’s rich culinary culture,” the studio concluded.
    Bespoke lighting fixtures created for the space include a tubular design by Hamster that follows the shape of the barIvy Studio has completed several restaurant interiors in its home city of Montreal, including the recently completed Middle Eastern eatery Hayat, which features a colour palette based on “the earthy tones of the Syrian deserts”.
    Earlier examples range from Piatti, an Italian spot that the studio renovated after fire damage, to the tropical-themed Jack Rose in a former auto body shop.
    The photography is by Alex Lesage.

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