Blog

  • 22/05

    Origo Coffee, Bucharest Romania

    Today we’ve been looking at this trendy coffee house space in Bucharest Romania by Lama Architectura. We really like the black boarded walls, this reminds us of the &Kitchen Table/ Bubbledogs (have a look under restaurants, in our work folio).  This approach really creates a sense of accessibility and purpose, as the entire interior is a canvas board.

    We’re grateful for the white ceiling beams in the small space, it contrasts nicely with the walls while helping to tie in the suspended coffee cup installation above the counter and the suspended coffee cups repurposed as lighting.

    The bar raises, which means that in the daytime it can comfortably sit at 80cm to serve patrons coffee, while at night it can be adjusted to 110cm when the venue converts into bar.

    We love the counter/ bar itself, with its use of raw metal sheets on the face and corten and oak for the counter top.

    (Images from facebook)

  • 21/05

    50 Friends Restaurant, Mexico

     

     

     

    50 Friends restaurant in Mexico City has just hit this East London design studio’s radar! This stunning space seems to get very little (to no) natural light , a problem which Cherem Architects have solved with the introduction of a variety of illuminants, including cool industrial pipes that creep across the stone like walls and LED across the ceiling.

     

    Cherem’s Architects have chosen a warm pallet of natural materials. Wood features throughout the chosen furniture, bar and flooring. The vertical and diagonal pattern of the brickwork adds a wonderful feature on the walls, continuing to the bar and ceiling.

     

    We love the plants hanging from the ceiling, this adds to the feeling of extending the outside, inside. The combination of the cascading plants and the textured brickwork create a slight sense of ‘ruins’.

    (Images from Retail Design Blog)

  • 04/04

    Matto, Shanghai

    Matto in Italian means odd or bizarre: an apt name for this idiosyncratic pizzeria.

    Pure Creative, the team behind the design, has created a fun yet relaxed ambiance, where industrial features, rustic materials, and vintage furniture sit side by side.

    Victorian cornices and vintage furniture add a sense of antique charm, which, teamed with the dark teal and burnt umber tones, make the space feel warm, embracing and quietly refined.

    We particularly like the chalkboard drawings and odd trinkets, which add a personal touch and informality: a surprising find in the megapolis of Shanghai.

    (Images from WeHeart and Retail Design Blog)

  • 03/04

    Code Black Coffee, Melbourne

    We’re bringing you another coffee shop, this time Melbourne-based coffee roasting company, Code Black. Interior Architects, Zwei, converted two inner-city warehouses, combining an office and coffee shop, where the roasting process is on full display.

    The original warehouse windows were kept, while the rest of the space is lit by warm yellow bulbs.

    Dark and moody, the space features steel framing, polished concrete, and stained OSB board throughout, creating a raw, industrial aesthetic that playfully reflects the colours and textures of rich, dark coffee.

    (Images from Inhabit)

     

     

  • 02/04

    Truth Coffee, Cape Town

    A huge vintage coffee roaster is the centrepiece and inspiration for Cape Town’s Truth Coffee. “We immediately came up with steampunk as an appropriate conceptual reference, as both coffee roasters and espresso machines display elements of romantic, steam-powered technology,” explains designer Haldane Martin.

    The coffee shop is housed in a three-story turn of the century warehouse on Buitenkant Street. The building was pared down to accentuate the original features and patina of exposed stone and brick walls, cast iron pillars, and pine roof trusses and floors.

    Raw steel, timber, leather, brass and copper finishes were central to the interior design and complimented the building’s worn aesthetic.

    Martin designed all of the furniture for the café, which includes high-backed leather banquettes, ornate steel tables and smaller cog-shaped tables.

    What we liked most about this space is how the concept is reflected throughout the space, even to the finest detail.

    (Images from Dezeen)

  • 18/03

    Ett Hem Hotel, Stockholm

    Ett Hem, the beautifully designed boutique hotel in Sweden, was created by Studioilse.

    The 12 bedrooms are decked with natural earth tones and soft flowing linen. The interior of the rest of the hotel is sophisticated and comfortable clearly illustrating that the space is a continuation of the bedrooms.

    (Images from Dezeen)

  • 15/03

    Fette Sau, Williamsburg

    Fette Sau in Williamsburg Brooklyn is a casual and fun southern restaurant concept located in trendy Williamsburg Brooklyn. The owners have converted an unused garage into a BBQ restaurant that stays true to the gritty surrounding area, while delivering its very own identity to the locality.

    The design stays true to its past by incorporating rustic industrial features into its authentic design. Tractor seats are used as bar stools while phonograph horns have been repurposed as light fixtures above the bar light fixtures.

    Marble counter, reclaimed wood, brick, and polished-and-stained concrete are a great example of other materials used to create the rustic feel of the restaurant and bar.

    The courtyard previously used for vehicle parking and service, is decked out with heavy wooden furniture, worn metal tables and chairs and illuminated signage.

    What we enjoyed most about the restaurant’s approach it this way they have embodies the industry into the way the venue  was designed and presented, clearing addressing the importance of the butchery side of the process.

     

    (Photos from Facebook)

  • 14/03

    The Old Library, Cronulla Southern Sydney

    Located in a seaside suburb of Sydney, the Old Library was originally a Methodist church build circa 1908, and went on to be the shire library in the 1970’s.

    The original building had great bones and an existing level of texture from its exposed beams and timber lining. Working within the voluminous spaces the designer created a sense of intimacy and gathering through creating a series of rooms within rooms and spaces within spaces.

    Custom furniture pieces and a natural palette of oak, linen, white timber and blackened steel contribute to the relaxed and somewhat domestic space that is described as a ‘book house’.

    Within a modest palette of black, white and pale timber tones the designer  has created a restaurant environment that harmoniously incorporates references to the building’s past, while firmly grounding the establishment in its modern beachside location.

    The interior of restaurant is spacious with the internal pitch of the ceiling exposed. Natural linen upholstery and drapery, teamed with neutral and washed shades, create a feeling of warmth and comfort while providing a backdrop to the grander elements of the design and clad in wide boards painted white, which are broken by long vertical skylights.

    The look is slightly ‘American East Coast’ yet sits just as comfortably in its Southern Sydney beach environment.

    (Images from Facebook)

  • 13/03

    Isa Restaurant, Brooklyn

    Isa Restaurant in Williamsburg Brooklyn, designed by architect and craftsman Taavo Somer, is a welcomed addition to Brooklyn’s restaurant scene.

    The wooden restaurant, which successfully achieves a rugged yet refined aesthetic,opened its doors last year. The designer incorporated the help of his vast network of woodworkers and ceramists to completed the work.

    The former house is filled with old wood, new wood, and firewood mixed with modern angles and shapes. Add some plywood, tree branches, and spray paint, and you have what the designer calls ‘primitive modernism’.

    The restaurant also features a rooftop garden that produces some of the restaurants vegetables and herbs, the natural and organic element is continued inside with a wood burning stove, stacked logs, exposed wood beams and herbs drying from the ceiling.

    Isa could easily be described as a modern lumberjack, combining the rustic, earthy qualities with modern lines and sensibilities. It feels perfectly suited with Brooklyn.

  • 12/03

    Print Avenue, Barcelona

    Print Avenue, is a vintage pavilion by design studio Egue y Seta, in collaboration with Sabaté Lab, a digital printing, large format and museographer company in Barcelona, Spain. The project is an incredible example of design marrying classic print and illustration into interiors.

    Walking along a game board decorated with “etched” past century lettering digitally printed over pinewood, the company introduce their main theme, printing, box by box, into a playful atmosphere.

    An entrance hall, a waiting area and a reception act as a decorative strategy to display the versatility of the medium, as well as the vintage style that acts as inspiration for the project.

    Almost the entire interior is printed, from the floors, walls, suspended ceiling panels, seating, doors and columns. The only items not printed are the reclaimed bar stools used in the reception area.

    (Images from Retail Design Blog)

  • 11/03

    Althaus Restaurant, Poland

    The design for Althaus created by PB/Studio, in cooperation with Filip Kozarski, combines traditional rustic elements with fresh modern style statements and is a great example of the wave of fresh design hitting Poland.

    From the street, the restaurant gives is evidence to its claim as new and stylish addition to Poland’s culinary scene. Inside, it gets even more exciting where every section has been given a different look and feel unified through twists on traditional Bavarian design that meet modern style head on. The restaurant serves Bavarian cuisine and the decor reflects this throughout. Elements of Southern Germany have been subtly implemented through the inclusion of bottle green in the lamps and chandelier, the dominant painted units, the copper in the stunning bold minimalistic light features and the use of mosaic, referencing traditional beer production in the area.

    On the ground floor, white washed panelled walls add a feeling of space, the use of rustic cow hide for the seating and soft furnishings, stripped oak, shelves displaying wine and books and a vintage dresser give the restaurant a homely authentic feel. On the upper floor, the bar and buffet areas amplify this rustic feel with bottle green panelling throughout.

    The design showcases traditional elements within a more casual and simple environment than one would expect, successfully, juxtaposing the traditional elements against modern styles.

    The bathrooms are incredibly enchanting with the fresh balance of the simple brick wall tiles, continued from the main restaurant, complimenting the more ornate original monochrome tiled floor.

    (Images from Retail Design Blog)

     

  • 09/11

    SHED 5, Melbourne

    Melbourne restaurant, SHED 5, is a 19th century heritage listed former dock and wool store on the Yarra Waterfront. The predominantly industrial feel of the space is characterised throughout with the use of steel, timber and ceramics, including a three-tonne steel bar, a two-tonne rolled steel seat and banquette and a tiled feature wall.

    (Image from Facebook)

    Special design features emphasise historic features inherit by the building such as the restored 120 year old timber floors and the original booking office space, beautifully restored for its current use as a private dining room and cellar.  Reclaimed fixtures like industrial pendant lights from an old English railway station have been introduced to continue the general mechanical look and feel of the restaurant.

    (Image from Facebook)

    (Image from Facebook)

    (Image from Facebook)

     

  • 28/03

    The Daniel Hotel, Vienna

    The Daniel Hotel occupies one of the first curtain wall structures in Austria. The modern 1960′s structure was designed by renowned architect Georg Lippert and its raw aesthetic is complimented by a Cor-Ten steel sign that looks like it was taken from the same era.

    It is not just the austere structure it occupies that makes the hotel unusual – The Daniel is also challenging the ‘standard hotel format’. Instead of a conventional reception desk, the reception area is located in the hotel’s private shop that stocks exceptional items for discerning travelers whilst also providing facilities for checking in and out. It also houses a eclectic bakery that provides an atmospheric place for guests to enjoy their breakfasts and passersby to indulge in some delicious Austrian baked goods. In keeping with the architecture the reception area is furnished with vintage furniture, including pieces from a a 1960s fashion boutique, upholstered with bold patterned fabric, as well as contemporary pieces like the Donna Wilson chairs and more industrial pallet coffee tables.

    Bedrooms are more reserved and pared back. The interior design makes full use of the architectural fabric of the building, contrasting exposed concrete ceilings with light walls and large timber panels. Furniture is kept to a minimum, save for the odd hamock; as is colour, with only a few deep green accents. The rooms, although not very Viennese, embody the calm, elegant atmosphere of the city.

    (Images via Yatzer)

  • 18/03

    Kin, London

    Kin’s quirky interior is the result of a collaboration between neighbouring London studios Office Sian and Kai Design.

    Large, bright letters at the entrance set the tone for the Thai restaurant that sits behind a modest shopfront. The space combines the simple furniture and finishes you’d expect from a canteen with more unusual touches like the organic wall illustrations, allowing the space to be playful but not overwhelmingly so. Rough brick and plasterboard walls provide the perfect backdrop for collections of items you might find a home, such as mirrors and colourful cupboards, arranged in unconventional ways, giving the space a pleasant, haphazard atmosphere.

    (Images via Dezeen)

  • 14/03

    Starbucks, Fukuoka

    Following our last post on Starbucks Amsterdam, here is another one that strays from the norm.

    Japanese architect Kengo Kuma has designed a sculptural interior for the coffee chain to sit inside plain box-shaped structure. Timber posts criss-cross to create a geometric web that lines the entire space. In typical Japanese fashion the rest of the space is left relatively bare with unassuming furniture and a zig-zag banquette – all in greys, blacks and untreated OSB. The minimalist approach to furniture complements the sculptural nature of the timber installation; providing an impressive, but not overwhelming interior.

    (Images via Contemporist)

  • 13/03

    Starbucks, Amsterdam

    Gone are the day’s where you can’t tell one Starbucks from the next. The newest breed of Starbucks’ have taken inspiration from their independent counterparts and are popping up with designs that creative and individual. Dutch designer Liz Muller worked along with 34 local artists and craftsmen on the design for the chain’s latest Amsterdam outlet.

    The space is much more exciting than the Starbucks that we are are used to, and manages to feel more personal and inviting. Walls feature antique Delft tiles whilst benches, tables and an impressive ceiling feature are made of re-purposed Dutch oak. These distinct features, along with a mix of old-school furniture gives the space a charming, characterful atmosphere.

    (Images via Trendland)

  • 11/03

    Mikkeller Bar, Copenhagen

    I think its safe to say that Mikkeller Bar is not your average bar, for one it serves beer from the Mikkeller microbrewery, but this is just the start. Designers Femmes Regionales managed to strike a good balance between the modern design Denmark is known for  and the atmosphere of traditional Danish pubs, making the interior just as distinctive as the beers they serve. The Copenhagen bar has a calming atmosphere that is largely white, black and green with accents of gold and small bursts of bright colour. The effect is a refreshingly quirky space with just the right amount of Copenhagen cool.

    (Images via weheart)

  • 05/03

    Jaffa, Tel Aviv

    Jaffa, a Tel Aviv restaurant, has an industrial design with a soft feel. The high ceilinged interior has floor to ceiling windows with wooden shutters that pivot open to create a light and airy atmosphere. Industrial pendant lamps are used in repetition over the mix and match tables and chairs that are dotted around the restaurant. The bare, industrial architecture of the space is enhanced by the rough concrete finish of the floor and ceiling, which juxtaposes a tapestry of delicate Turkish carpets with subtle patterns that line the walls. Although the space uses a subdued pallet of colours, it really comes alive as a result of the combination of rough and soft textures that are used throughout.

    (Images via Dezeen)

  • 23/02

    Casa Do Conto, Porto

    Casa do Conto (House of Tales in Portuguese) a concept hotel in Cedofeita, Porto, has had a rocky start. The charming XIX Century Oporto House was lovingly restored by Pedra Liquida Architects, after which a fire virtually destroyed the building just days before its reopening. A new building was built on the site with the memory of the old structure in mind. The architects thought of the new skin as a type of ‘fossil’ of the historic. The project references the ornate nature of its predecessor with abstract textures and texts applied to concrete surfaces.

    Apart from the textured surfaces, the design was approached with restraint and the resulting spaces seem appropriately quiet and poetic. The overall design manages to have a strong identity of its own while subtly referencing the site’s turbulent background.

    (Images via Yatzer)

  • 25/01

    Lucas Maassen & Sons Furniture Factory.

    Lucas Maassen, a Dutch designer, ingeniously employed his three sons, Thijme (9), Julian (7) and Maris (7) to paint the furniture hand built in his factory. The boys get paid 1 Euro per piece of furniture painted, as agreed in their contracts and due to Dutch child labour laws they are only allowed to work three hours a week. This motivates the boys to paint fast, influencing the final aesthetic. The resulting pieces are simple, honest and revelatory of the manufacturing process.

    Film and images by Mike Roelofs.

  • 23/01

    Red Pif Restaurant and Wine Shop by Aulík Fišer Architekti

    For the design of the Red Pif Restaurant and Wine Shop, Czeck designers Aulík Fišer Architekti decided to keep the inspiration and execution as pure and natural as the wine served. The designer and owner worked together, using photographs of bars and wine shops in France as inspiration, but drawing from their honesty rather than their style.

    The architect said about the design: “We put most of our effort to make our work invisible at first sight. Our interior should be a background allowing enjoy good wine and meal here and now.”

    The first step in the renovation was removing any superfluous building elements so that only the original 19th century structure remained. Bottle-shaped shutters were added that pivot open to reveal the stripped back interior that has been modestly furnished with design classics and simple, elegant fittings. Wine bottles are stacked high in a steel rod framework that creates simple geometric patterns on the walls. Dimly lit, bare light bulbs create an intimate atmosphere where the original intention of the space is allowed to quietly reveal itself.

    Photography by AI Photography.

  • 15/01

    The 25hours Hotel Hafencity, Hamburg

    The 25 hours Hotel Hafencity, a harbour city hotel that draws inspiration from maritime culture, was designed by a multidisciplinary team headed by architect Stephen Williams. The architects worked together with a storyteller, an events agency and an illustrator to give the project meaning at all levels. The hotel forms part of one of Europe’s most ambitious urban construction projects and aims to form part of a lively new city quarter.

    Stephen Williams says: “We wanted to create a web of meaning with interrelating signs and symbols referring to seafaring and harbour life. A place where old and new stories come to life. It all began from the poems of Joachim Ringelnatz with the fictitious sailor Kuttel Daddeldu, a good soul who’s deeply rooted in the seafaring life, but also coarse and a little cheeky.”

    The design team drew a parallel between the guests of the hotel (‘nomads’) and sailors (‘maritime nomads’). Markus Stoll, the brand storyteller, interviewed 25 international sailors in the Seaman’s Club Duckdalben in Hamburg as part of the team’s design research. He went on to adapt their stories into semi-fictional accounts that guided the concept development of the hotel and were later illustrated by Jindrich Novotny.

    The ground floor consists of a lobby, restaurant, bar and shop  and is intended for use by guests and non-guests alike, continuing the lively, inclusive atmosphere of the new quarter that is being developed.

    Heimat Küche + Bar takes its name from the German word for home, taking its inspiration from seafarers longing for home. The space, however, however has an industrial, shipyard aesthetic. The chaotic space is filled with ‘shipping’ furniture such as warehouse shelves and rough wooden boxes, in addition to a selection of furnishings that were chosen by Connie Kotte to complete the warehouse aesthetic.

    The shipyard aesthetic is continued into the conference room that sits in a shipping container donated by Hapag-Lloyd. The container wall is movable and can be hoisted up to allow access to the space or to join the conference room with the restaurant.

    (Images via Dezeen)

  • 14/01

    Goat Town, New York

    Goat Town, in East Village, New York is meant to be an ‘elevated everyday American bistro’ according to owner Nicholas Morgenstern. Brothers Evan and Oliver Haslegave of Home is responsible for the interior that is filled with reclaimed industrial pieces. While the use of white subway tiles is by no means unusual, the designers used them in a surprising way – tiling the banquette seating. This detail adds a hint of glimmer to the monochrome space that contrasts dark wood and rusty steel with light walls and floors. Details like salvaged signage and decorative ceiling panels complete the aged appearance of the space.


  • 20/12

    Ubon, Kuwait

    Charred timber and shiny copper accents characterise Ubon, a Thai bistro in Kuwait. The restaurant, designed by architect Rashed Alfoudari, seamlessly integrates the interior with the existing structure of the space, making use of a reserved palette of colours to create a bistro space with an Asian feel. The golden copper, used on the walls and insides of lamps is a nod to Thai ornamentation and adds interest to the subdued hues of the walls and exposed concrete floors and ceilings. A darkened mirror separates the dining space from the service spaces, subtly making the space seem larger. Visual continuity is maintained throughout the space and continued into the restroom where the texture of the wood grain is imprinted on the concrete walls.

    (Images via Aome)

  • 19/12

    The Exchange, Amsterdam

    The Exchange, a brand new Amsterdam hotel located on the Damrak, one of the liveliest and oldest streets of Amsterdam, has a special love of fashion. The hotel was developed in close collaboration with the Amsterdam Fashion Institute (AMFI) and is part of ‘The Red Carpet’, an urban-renewal project.

    The hotel is spread across three buildings, one of them dating back to the 17th century, and shares the buildings with a contemporary department store, Options! and a restaurant, Stock. The project was initiated by Lloyd Hotel and Cultural Embassy with Suzanne Oxenaar and Otto Nan responsible for the concept.

    Each of the 61 rooms in the hotel have been dressed up like models on a catwalk by graduates and alumni of the AMFI. The result is a mix of interior and fashion design, with each room having a distinct identity. The diverse rooms draw inspiration from the multiplicity of the neighbourhood the hotel is located in.

  • 13/12

    Cafe Moto, New York

    One New York’s more humble flatiron buildings houses Cafe Moto. The peeling paint exterior of this Williamsburg artists’ cafe can be misleading about what goes on inside; but as you enter through the rusty industrial doors the atmospheric interior seems both familiar and unsettling. Sepia tones are punctuated by shiny metal fittings and marble table tops. In the centre of the cafe sits a curving bar with taps made of repurposed bike parts – hence the name Moto. Low lighting, battered wood and antique glass ensure that the cafe has a cosy, intimate feel which is occasionaly interrupted by the faint “please stand clear of the closing doors” and rumbling of the overhead train that runs by it.

  • 04/12

    Esprit, Cologne

    Designers Reich und Wamser have completed the interior of fashion brand Esprit’s Cologne outlet. The Lighthouse shop juxtaposes masculine and feminine elements. Exposed brickwork, timber and steel frames throughout are used throughout in contrast to softer elements like woven light fittings. Similarly gauzy curtains that conceal the fitting room at the back of the shop complement the harder materials used in the design and add a soft, feminine touch to the otherwise rigid interior. Furnishings and fittings are also more delicate: walnut tables and cabinets are used, along  with clothes racks with slender profiles to display clothes and accessories.  Another distinguishing feature of the space is the glazed courtyard  that is naturally lit by a skylight above and filled with plants and flowers.

    (Photos by Peter Janczik and Reich und Wamser.)

  • 01/12

    Capanna by K-studio in Athens, Greece

    Capanna, an elegant new Pizzeria and Trattoria in Athens was designed by K-Studio to simulate the experience of eating outside. The adaptable facade allows the floor to ceiling windows to slide upwards and join the restaurant with the side-walk. The interior design subtly combines Italian and Greek influences to great effect: the resulting space is warm yet spacious.

    The most eye catching feature of the space is the cladding of the mezzanine level: rows of narrow wooden shutters run along the side of it and then bend around its edge, continuing on the ceiling underneath. Similar to the cladding that extends from the wall to the ceiling, the geometric patterned floor tiles also extend onto the double volume side wall of the space, giving the vintage feel tiles a fresh appearance and drawing your eye upward.

    Simple Scandinavian furniture and low hanging ceramic light fixtures complete the contemporary space that still manages to feel traditional.

    (Images via Yatzer)

  • 24/11

    Les Grandes Tables de L’île, Ile Seguin, Paris

    Les Grandes Tables de L’île on the outskirts of paris could be mistaken for a greenhouse – or even a house still under construction, but it is actually a bar / restaurant conceived as a temporary meeting place while Jean Nouvel completes a museum project in the area. The restaurant is housed in a large timber ‘container’ suspended in a scaffolding frame that doubles as an events space.

    The interior takes its cue from the restaurant’s temporary nature and uses simple building materials like wood in its crude form for both walls and floors, while playing with the positioning of windows and capitalising on the view it gets over the area. The restaurant will stay open for a total of two years before the entire structure is dismantled and removed, leaving the site practically untouched.


    (Images via Wallpaper)

  • 23/11

    Bungalow Eight, Mumbai

    Bungalow Eight in Mumbai (not to be confused with London’s Bungalow 8 nightclub) is a beautifully curated luxury store, selling products ranging from high quality clothes to home ware. The store is spread across a three story building, designed by architect Bijoy Jain, and takes its name from the address where Maithili Ahluwalia, the owner, grew up. The spacious building has unusually high ceilings and was left mostly bare, with raw concrete and exposed trusses. The few fixtures that do adorn the space is minimal and high end, like the tube lights by Michael Anstassiades. The selection of objects on sale all originate from either India or France and are arranged in such a way that you may be mistaken for being in someone’s home.


  • 21/11

    Coin Laundry, Melbourne, Australia

    Coin Laundry, a lovely neighbourhood cafe in Melbourne, Australia has become a favorite brunch spot among locals. The airy cafe that takes its name from the former function of the space, also kept the original signage, and used it as a basis for its interior design. The most distinctive feature of the space is the rows of tea towels draped along the ceiling with bare light bulbs dangling below. Add to this bentwood chairs, concrete floors and exposed brickwork and you have one cool cafe.

    (Images via CafesPhotoBlog)

  • 17/11

    Meatliquor Restaurant by Shed

    The Meat Wagon; a legendary food offer known by keen foodies and avid trend forecasters alike. The infamous burger van has globetrotted it’s way around any festival worth mentioning, spearheaded it’s own events and become synonymous with great food, delicious drinks and relentless parties. Now the legend continues, but instead of four wheels, it will be presented in a more permanent fixture.

    When interior architects Shed first collaborated with the Meatailer enterprise, a design formula was created that would mean no two establishments would ever be the same; originality and nonconformity are at the heart of the Meat Wagon’s philosophy so all environments had to embody this ethos while taking on their own character.

    The concept: to take an idea borne of location and environment and mince that up with the Meat Wagon’s utilitarian ‘no nonsense’ approach – all materials in their raw form, all elements explicit in their function.

    Lurking beneath a car park just behind Oxford Street resided the perfect site for Meat Liquor – the Meatailer’s next venture. Previously the site of an Italian restaurant, the site was appropriately kitted out with an impressive Rococo style dome and a mass of ornate columns and architraves.  So with this influence the idea came: a modern day mural to make Michelangelo weep, a ’tattoo’ that would envelop and intertwine with the obscurity of the building.  A scene that would tell some of the Meat Wagon’s story so far and mutate the classical architecture into something far more appropriate to the Meat philosophy.

    Shed commissioned the prolific design collective ‘I Love Dust’ to administer the monumental illustration.  in just a week, a team of illustrators and graphic artists camped out on site to adorn as much visible surface as possible, with colourful tales from the Meat Wagon’s past, culminating in an extreme and almost hallucinogenic visual experience.

    Red ‘liquor’ signs have been suspended in the windows to splay dull light over the dyed oxblood red, leather banquettes.  Industrial cage lamps are hooked and gathered around galvanised steel hooks and suspended over blackened steel framed tables.  Red cord is looped from the centre of the dome to reach salvaged industrial work lamps, positioned to highlight poignant images trapped within the trailing mural.

    Industrial rubber flooring and an 8-metre long stainless steel bar with corrugated sheet façade resonate the sterility of a factory environment. Occupying the floor is a small army of vintage industrial seating, all powder coated in just two utilitarian colours. A length of ‘butchers’ curtains contains the lower level ‘Pit’; the Meat Liquor’s VIP area where guests can enjoy the thoughts of Hunter S Thompson that adorn the walls.

    A project like this comes up once in a lifetime.  To have a chance to push boundaries of what may be considered indecent, inappropriate and down right wrong, and to have this concept whole heartedly backed by the client is one in a million.  The history of the Meat Wagon has been the driving force behind every aspect of this project but what remains now is an entirely new beast.

    Shed

  • Amelie and Friends, Chichester

    Amelie and Friends, a relaxed restaurant in Chichester, has been designed and branded by I Love Dust and 44th Hill. The interior has a natural, calm feel, thanks to the extensive use of whites and timbers. Exposed conduits and exterior light fixtures (used in the interior) are used to create a visually interesting ceiling. Timber floors and wallpanels create warmth in the light and airy space. The dining hall is simple, but still manages to surprise with interesting touches like the old farm-style tables that have been partially painted white.

    (Images via 44th Hill)

  • 16/11

    21c Museum Hotel, Louisville

    The 21c Museum Hotel opened five years ago in Louisville, but still seems fresh and above all interesting. New York-based architect Deborah Berke is responsible for the design of this museum / hotel – the only one of its kind in the entire US. Like a museum its exhibits change regularly, most of the pieces come from the private collection of the hotel’s owners – Steve Wilson and Laura Lee Brown.

    The statement making hotel distinguishes itself from the outset, red plastic penguins from the Venice Biennale are perched on top of the building’s large entrance and have become visual markers as well as impromptu mascots for the hotel. An installation of four sculptures of children by Judy Fox loom over the reception desk of a lobby that has an uncanny resemblance to that of a contemporary museum.

    As guests move through the rest of the hotel they can admire (and even interact with some of) the everchanging artworks on display, from communal areas right down to the stylish bedrooms.

    This unusual concept hotel is so successful that the owners are currently planning two new locations, one in Cincannati and another in Bentonville.

    (Images via Design Milk)
  • 15/11

    Pharmacia, Lisbon

    Pharmacia, a Lisbon restaurant housed in the city’s art deco Pharmacy Museum, is not shy with colour. The bright interior uses almost exclusively vintage and antique items in its decor. It is fit out with vintage lamps, bell jars, measuring scales among other bits and pieces that are on loan to the restaurant from the museum. A mix of mismatched chairs surround dining tables with equally mismatched place settings, creating the impression of playful chaos. The space has a retro feel with a good balance of kitch and cool.

    (Images via Wallpaper)

  • 11/11

    Hotel Favorita, Porto

    Hotel Favorita has recently been structurally transformed by Nuno Sottomayor and spatially by Sam Baron. The interiors of the hotel that takes its name from the iconic women’s name ‘Favorita’ – meaning the ‘chosen woman’, mixes and matches carefully selected vinatage and modern pieces, allowing it to go beyond purely a design hotel and becoming more of a home away from home with an exceptional attention to detail.

    Portugal, and especially Porto, to me, is synomous with amazing tiles from yesteryear and the hotel unashamedly uses a wide selection of beautiful tiles with geometric patterns that complement both the modernist and the traditional furniture used throughout the hotel.

    Bedrooms adopt a relaxed, pared back atmosphere. Simple furniture is introduced to spaces with timber floors and white walls, with decorations kept to a minimum.

    The hotel that prides itself on being a one off also supports local arts, walls feature illustrations by Julio Dolbeth and Ruy Santos, artist from Portugal’s first design and illustration gallery – the Dama Aflita Gallery in Porto.

    (Images via Yatzer)

  • 10/11

    Marion Friedmann Gallery – Enlightened Waste

    Newly-established  Marion Friedmann Gallery curated an interesting show in Brompton Design Quarters during the London Design Festival. Enlightened Waste showcased two designers working with recycled materials.
    Thierry Jeannot, French-born but currently based in Mexico, has been working exclusively with the PET bottle as his raw-material for the last five years. He explores various techniques of using the bottle and to transform its materiality. Featured above is his beautiful chandelier, made solely from PET bottles, as well as his rings which consist of bottle screw threads framed in re-used silver.
    Vienna-based Gisela Stiegler has been carving expanded polystyrene for the last six years. Her lamps and wall-consoles are carved by hand out of styrofoam blocks or the boxes that fish mongers use to cool the fish. The slightly pinkish tint in the light sculpture above is actually the fish blood that had soaked into the boxes.
    Text and Pictures by Brit Leissler for Core77

  • The Riding House Café, London

    From the team behind Village East and The Garrison comes The Riding House Café, a modern all-day brasserie that fully embraces the current trend of salvage. Every item used in the eclectic interior – from the furniture to the fittings has either been reclaimed or is bespoke – creating a trendy, one-off space with a hint of English-eccentric.

    The large space has excellent natural lighting, thanks to the large windows and the shell is largely left bare, exposing a patchy ceiling and the conduits that run along it. The RHC has three main sections – the white-tiled bar; the casual dining area with large tables for drop in diners; and a private, bookable dining area comfortably furnished with leather chairs and banquettes.

    The dining area has been furnished with a massive communal dining table of scaffoling and timber, surrounded by old theatre seats have been shipped from California. Smaller tables with sturdy, ex-snooker table legs line the large windowed facade. The main dining area is divided into sections with a steel shelving unit that puts a collection of eccentric bits and pieces on display.

    Reclaimed front doors, complete with mail slots that have been polished and glazed, and now function as cabinets seperating the private dining room from the rest of the restaurant. The private dining area is actually an old English stable that has been taken apart and reassembled in the restaurant; hinting at the equestrian theme of the name that was taken from its location on Riding House Street. The space uses the same tables as in the rest of the restaurant, but here they are surrounded by plush, upholstered chairs and banquets for indulgent private dining.

    (Images via Flodeau)

  • 09/11

    Babylonstoren,Cape Winelands, South Africa

    The Cape Winelands is a treasure trove of beautiful vineyards and orchards both new and old, one of the oldest is Babylonstoren. The vineyard sits in the dramatic Drakenstein Valley and has some of the best preserved gabled Cape Dutch buildings in the area, some of which date back from the 1690s.

    The guest suites of the farm hotel draw inspiration from the early Cape Dutch architecture and echo its quietly ornate, whitewashed aesthetic.  Wooden doors and window frames add warmth the the cool toned spaces, along with open hearths of exposed brickwork. Soft furnishings and natural carpets give the impression of modest, farmhouse luxury.

    Similar to the bedrooms, bathrooms are pictures of serenity. Whites and creams are combined to create a calming palette, and classic claw foot freestanding baths echo the Cape Dutch feel.

    The hotel restaurant, Babel, is housed in a disused kraal (animal pen). The interior is pared back, with polished concrete floors, whitewashed walls and a mix of contemporary and traditional furnishings. A large section of the back wall is covered in glossy white tiles that display the menu, along with a blown up black and white picture of a bull’s head,  hinting at the building’s former function. The interior, although simple, doesn’t need a lot of decoration and the clean, fresh style is carried through down to the centerpieces, that consist of vintage glassware and fresh greens from the garden.

    (Images via travel-files)

  • 03/11

    New Bus for London by Heatherwick Studio

    In January 2010, Heatherwick Studio joined the team leading the design of a New Bus for London. The project marks the first time in more than 50 years that TfL has commissioned and overseen the development of a bus built specifically for the capital.

    Working alongside specialist bus manufacturer, Wrightbus, the external design has been developed to reflect the functional requirements of the vehicle. A long asymmetric front window provides the driver with clear kerbside views, while a wrapped glazing panel reflects passenger circulation – bringing more daylight into the bus and offering views out over London.

    By incorporating an open platform at its rear, the bus reinstates one of the much-loved features of the 1950s Routemaster which offered a ‘hop-on hop-off’ service. The new design will also have three doors and two staircases, making it quicker and easier for passengers to board.

    In engineering terms, the New Bus for London will be 15 per cent more fuel efficient than existing hybrid buses and 40 per cent more efficient than conventional diesel double-deckers.

    Designs for the new bus were unveiled by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, in May 2010. A first prototype developed by Wrightbus was completed earlier this year.

  • 02/11

    Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain, New York

    Somewhere on the corner of a brownstone lined street in New York there is Farmacy: a ‘soda fountain’ with a touch of old school charm mixed with Brooklyn attitude.

    The former pharmacy has been lovingly restored and boasts original cabinetry, ceilings and mosaic floor tiles from the 1920′s. Shelves and drawers that used to be stocked with medicines are now lined with vintage bottles filled with treats. The interior has been furnished to echo the bygone era of the shop: featuring bentwood chairs, cast iron tables and upholstered diner bar stools.

    Vintage pieces like the unusual scales and signage add just the right amount of playfulness to the charming space.


    (Images via The Scout)

  • 01/11

    Ex Mauri, Milan

    Ex Mauri is an Venetian Osteria in Milan. The warm interior benefits from beautiful exposed brickwork  and a charming fire place. The rustic space is complemented with a collection of vintage Italian signage and an eclectic mix of furniture. Light fixtures hang low over tables that are minimally set, creating an intimate atmosphere. Instead of a bar the restaurant has a large cabinet stacked to the brim with bottles of liquor and curios like classic Italian espresso makers. The most unusual aspect of this little restaurant is perhaps the glass ‘porthole’ in the floor that leads to a well-stocked basement wine cellar befitting a classic osteria.



    (Images via cosebellemagazine)
  • 31/10

    Sajilo Cafe, Tokyo

    Sajilo Cafe is an unassuming, quiet restaurant and cafe that serves up Nepali food and drink in Kichijoji, Tokyo. The modest, whimsical interior is unpretentious and has an unfinished look that seems as if it has been evolving into its current state over centuries.

    The plain interior is filled with a collection of quirky bric-a-brac, along with charming glassware and wire dinnerware. This creates an extremely personal, relaxed looking space, almost like a friend’s dining room.

    Windowsills are filled with arrangements of succulents in old tins and ceramics, continuing the nostalgic mood to the outside of the cafe. The owners obviously have a good eye for the old world items they fill their cafe with: they also run Atelier Sajilo, where similar items are stocked in abundance.

    (Images via thisisnaive)

  • 26/10

    Smith&Hsu, Taipei

    Swiss-Danish designer Carsten Jörgensen designed the interior off a two-storey teahouse for Taiwanese tea brand Smith&Hsu.  The minimal, modular interior that aims to be simple and legible predominantly uses concrete and timber. The ground floor serves as a tearoom and retail space and the first floor as a dining room.

    The first floor features long sections of grid shaped shelves, simple tables and Y Chairs by Hans Wegner, complemented with glossy black and red feature lights.

    The first floor repeats of the simple aesthetic established downstairs.  While the minimal design approach  prevails, the dining area takes on a more playful interpretation of it. Here the cubes are diagonally staggered with gaps in between, and filled with second hand books. Eames Plastic Side Chairs fit perfectly into the casual chic dining space.

    (Images via Dezeen)

  • 25/10

    Smith & Mills, New York

    Behind the weathered, nondescript doors on a quiet street in Tribeca hides Smith & Mills, a gem of a bar. Similar to the unassuming facade, the interior space gives the impression that it has been there for decades.

    The light, vaulted ceiling creates a feeling of space in the cosy bar that has been well worn in. The interior is furnished with comfortable banquettes mixed with vintage industrial pieces and unusual fittings.

    Framed architectural blue prints and lamps that look like they belong on drawing boards line the walls. This theme is carried through into the branding: the bar’s logo features a classing drawing of a draughtsman’s compass.

    (Images via The Scout)

  • 24/10

    Anemi Hotel, Folegandros

    Folegandros is a Greek island well known for its unspoiled nature, blue skies and white houses. The Anemi Hotel draws from this, and was designed with respect for the traditional Cycladic architecture. It is composed of a complex of small buildings that harmoniously sits on the landscape close to the island’s harbour village. The interiors are minimal, with attention to detail.

    Plush white  interior spaces were designed to be stylishly comfortable; rooms feel like those from a elegant private residence, but with a touch of luxury associated with high end hotels. The minimal white and earthy palette is punctuated by designer chairs in blue and large, blown up photographs that add interest to the understated interiors.

    (Images via Yatzer)

  • 21/10

    Cantina de Comida Mexicana, Mexico City

    Architects Taller Tiliche designed a restaurant in Mexico City that operates as a  Mexican food canteen.  They decided on a neutral palete and kept materials in their natural state as far as possible, the result is an unfinished look.

    A polished concrete floor creates a continuation between the indoor and outdoor spaces, inviting passing pedestrians in. Walls were painted white and tiled upto 1.2 m height with concrete tiles. The ceiling was purposefully left unfinished, with holes and lumps of plaster littering its surface.

    Folding timber shutters can open the restaurant up completely to the street front and allowing natural light to wash into the space.

    Sanded wooden tables and benches are paired with steel folding chairs and shelves stacked with bottles stretch across the bar, as well as between the kitchen and dining room. The result is a simple, casually unfinished, yet chic interior that encourages leisurely eating.

    (Images via Dezeen)

  • 20/10

    Heliocosm, Paris

    Heliocosm, a new natural cosmetics brand, opened shop in Paris and commissioned FREAKS freearchitects to design the interior.

    The space is unusually long (nearly 20m) and narrow, which the designers addressed by separating it into a front and back room that are linked by a wooden tunnel with an integrated display.

    The entire interior is painted a “cool mint” blue-green, including the floors and ceilings, enfolding customers in a refreshing space. The front room serves as a workshop and reception, and the backroom as a lounge. The back wall of the lounge is covered in a large scale print of a greenish blue mountain and lake, creating an impressive ending perspective for the connecting tunnel.

    All freestanding furnishings were salvaged from second hand shops, adding comfortable, homey elements to the very edgy space.

    (Images via Dezeen)

  • 19/10

    GRAB Thai Street Kitchen by Mansikkamäki+JOY

    GRAB Thai Street Kitchen intends to introduce London to the simplicity of Thailand’s urban street food culture. This new ‘fast food’ restaurant sits a short walk away from Old Street and serves up good, affordable, everyday meals freshly prepared and dispensed from behind a counter.

    The design was done collaboratively by Mansikkamäki+JOY and Lifeforms Design. In keeping with the idea of street food the restaurant has a ‘rough around the edges’ industrial feel, using materials associated with construction for the interior fixtures and fittings. Pallets and corrugated metal sheets line the walls and large globe light bulbs dangle haphazardly from a web of red and blue cables, creating an interior that, although minimal, hints at the lively scenes of Bangkok. Red plastic stools, similar to those used in urban street vending in Thailand, surround communal tables made from construction left overs.

    (Images via Dezeen)

  • 18/10

    Frieze Art Fair Pavilions by Carmondy Groark

    Each Autumn the Frieze Art Fair exhibits works from 1000 living artists represented by contemporary art galleries around the world. The fair’s program also includes talks, film projects and architectural installations. This year the fair was bigger than ever.

    The fair was hosted in a 2000 sqm purpose built temporary pavilion in Regents Park by London architects Carmondy Groark. The intervention consists of a series of interlinked, translucent pavilions housing hospitality spaces for both VIPs and the general public, along with large exhibition tents that take the form of timber lined spaces surrounding existing trees in the park.

    The intervention perfectly balances architectural expression that is sensitive to its context with the requirements of a large scale art exhibition.

    (Images via Dezeen)