Category: Interior Design

25 September, 2023

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Interior Design

SATTA Brings a Natural Approach to Homeware and Garments

A couple of weeks ago I was on a long walk with the family, and as we wandered near the Arc de Triomf (yes, Barcelona has it’s own version lol) we came across a beautiful shop called SATTA. The multi-hyphenate brand offers a thoughtful proposition for individuals seeking a deeper connection with nature, self, and others, through a holistic design philosophy that embraces the tension between urban living and the innate human desire for biophilic experiences. Their study encompasses garments, spaces, botanicals, and ceramics, inviting individuals to slow down and find harmony within a sustainable and balanced lifestyle. As you can see in the photos below it’s evident why this place grabbed my attention. It’s serenity and calmness draws you in.
29 August, 2023

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Interior Design

Viruta Lab’s Casa Cabanyal is Checkerboard Maximalism

Let’s talk about creative norms. When you think of the idea of an apartment, what springs to mind? Is it a space filled with high contrast checkerboard tiles that line the floors and nearly all of the walls? Most likely not, and that is what’s special about Casa Cabanyal, a project by Viruta Lab.

The studio took on the project of revitalizing an old space while still keeping many of the original details. Their bold solution was a two-color blue and off-white checkerboard mosaic that covers the floors throughout the space, as well as halfway up most of the walls, taking inspiration from the Cabanyal neighborhood where the space is located, as well as a nod to the sea.

Why I think this project works so well is that they’ve chosen to diffuse the checkerboard pattern with woodwork in European oak that was stained to resemble Canaletto walnut, as well as the pops of green in the furnishings. The check is a lot to look at, which I think actually draws your eyes to other elements of the space, presenting even more value on the details of the original walls and ceilings. It’s such a striking combination of pattern, material, and colors, what do you think? Do you feel like you could live in a space as dynamic as this?
23 August, 2023

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Interior Design

Dahlia, An Inviting Lounge Space Designed by Kelly Wearstler

When the Proper Hotel opened in Downtown Los Angeles, it instantly became one of the most beautiful hotels in the entire city. That is primarily due to the vision and hard work of Kelly Wearstler, the interior designer who is perhaps one of the most fashionable in the world. Her work always feels bold and over-the-top but in a very natural, and thoughtful way. As it turns out though, she wasn’t quite done, as she’s now designed a lounge and bar space called Dahlia, which feels like a chic, Mediterranean getaway. Now, how do I get my apartment to look like this?
18 August, 2023

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Interior Design

Tomato Table Lamp

I’m pretty sure that all of my problems would be solved if I bought a lamp shaped like a tomato. For some reason this doesn’t read as cheesy or kitschy to me, and I really like how they decided to make the cord red, it makes it super classy, haha… It’s currently available for pre-order, get it while you can.
16 August, 2023

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Interior Design

El Departamento Designs a Fresh Feeling Shop for PJ Lobster

El Departamento, a Spanish interior design studio, has designed an eyewear store in Barcelona for PJ Lobster, an eyewear brand founded in 2018. The store features a sculpted interior with slight variations in tone and texture that differentiate surfaces. The design studio has been collaborating with PJ Lobster since the brand’s inception, and the store is described as a “challenging visual exercise.” I think it looks incredible.

The interior is designed to showcase the brand’s glasses and create a unique shopping experience for customers. They played a lot with textures, which is why I love this space, including “small-grained velvety micro-cement” on the floors throughout, to the rough textured plaster on the walls that give them such a unique texture and tooth. Stainless steel was used for the shelving throughout, giving a strong contrast to the rocky surfaces throughout.
16 August, 2023

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Interior Design

An Intricately Hand-Painted Forest Wallpaper by Cole & Son

After touring through the Guggenheim Bilbao, we stopped by a hotel restaurant across the street for some lunch. As we sat down, I noticed the wallpaper behind the bar area, which was gorgeous looking, yet also very familiar. After some quick googling, I realized it was a wallpaper called Forest, which is made by Cole & Son, a British wallpaper company founded in 1875. I’ve always coveted this wallpaper as there’s something so deeply magical and mysterious about it. I love the mix of greens and blues with hints of pinks, the darkness and low contrast of it all. Simply fantastic.
1 August, 2023

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Interior Design

Plantea Estudio Designs the “Dark, Stony, and Secluded” Gota Wine Bar

There’s something so peaceful and magical about a small, dimly lit bar. At this point in my life, I personally prefer tucking in for a nice glass of wine while nibbling on some olives with a couple of close friends. And that’s why I’m so taken with Gota, a small wine bar in Madrid that was designed by the team at Plantea Estudio.

They’ve managed to transform a rather small space, only about 70 square meters, and use it to their advantage. The first space is brighter, fitted with a combination of grey stone and plaster, grounded by a beautiful wooden counter with a built-in turntable. Beyond this main space is the moodier, cave like space covered in a beautiful red-orange textured walls, meant to reflect the history of brickwork in the area. I’m obsessed with how light is being utilized in the space, with the small windows that overlook a garden, and other small warm lights that highlight the space in a non-intrusive way. It sets the mood for the space, making even a small cave feel cozy and comfortable.
26 July, 2023

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Interior Design

Aesop’s Barcelona Store Brings Serious Donald Judd Energy

I joked when we got to Barcelona that there wasn’t an Aesop, and what the hell was I going to moisturize my face with? Cut to like, six months later and a beautifully designed Aesop shop was opened. Located right off of Passeig de Gràcia, in perhaps quite the center of the city, is a beautifully minimalist, perhaps even brutalist, interpretation of the Aesop brand. It’s quite a departure, in my opinion, if you’re familiar with what their other shops tend to look.

The space was designed by Barozzi Veiga, local Barcelona architects, who have done quite a lot with quite a petite space. In their own words:

The store is made up of a few elements, expressive and precise in their position, and with three materials: stucco on the walls and ceilings, terrazzo on the floor, and burnished steel on the columns, the counter, and the display case. It is a simple and complex space at the same time, which aspires to be sophisticated and close, and in a certain way intimate and monumental.

The space does indeed feel monumental. The height of the ceilings are remarkable, it feels almost like a cathedral. I’m really fond of their use of steel, which gives such a Donald Judd energy. I’m seeing steel used like this in so many interior design projects and I’m a huge fan, especially with the way light bounces off the surfaces. Such an exquisite space to experience.
4 July, 2023

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Interior Design

Flamingo Estate Pops-Up “The Inconvenience Store” With Mytheresa

In the world of creative endeavors there’s something so special about creating a pop-up space. Building something from nothing, and making a place where people can share a physical experience. The folks at Flamingo Estate partnered with digital retailed Mytheresa to build The Inconvenience Store, a month long shop in East Hampton that showcases the goods and inventories of each.

The design and color platte of the shop was reason enough alone to share this. Those delectable shades of green, the classic wood detailing with the checker board floor. If this was a real store in my neighborhood you’d absolutely find me shopping here.
27 June, 2023

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Interior Design

Pan Bakery is a Blend of Japanese and Milanese Design

In a quaint neighborhood just outside Milan’s city center is Pan, a bakery, kitchen and wine bar, a place born from the collaboration between the Japanese chef Yoji Tokuyoshi and Alice Yamada, with the goal of democratizing Japanese culture.

The space was designed by Studio Wok, a Milan-based studio founded in 2012. Their goal was to create a connection to the neighborhood through the use of large windows on the outside, and strong pieces on the inside like the fiberglass countertops and ephemeral ceiling drapes.

For me, the almost jade color of the countertops, set amongst the whites and neutral wood tones, is a stunning approach. The space overall gives me the impression of a cloudy seascape, with varying sizes of sea glass washed on to the shore. The brushed stainless steel helps add to this effect (it’s a trend I’m very much loving lately, and seeing a lot) lending reflection and bouncing light around even more.
3 June, 2023

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Interior Design

The Oldest Eel and Pie House in the World is now an Eyewear Shop

Taking something beloved and transforming it into something new is always a smart idea, especially because we have enough things in this world. The folks at Cubitt though may take the cake, or in this case, the pie, with their thoughtful reimagining of the F.Cooke Eel and Pie House, now their newest shop for eyewear.

The project was done by EBBA Architects, who worked to retain the character of the site while introducing new elements and making use of the old dining tables, transforming the space into a fresh interior. It’s beautiful how the new and old have been melded together. How the charming, original tiles of the shop feel elevated thanks to the incorporation of warm wood tones and marble counter tops. I also spy a few portraits from Wilfrid Wood, who drew some local residents as part of Cubitt’s desire to make the shop feel like it’s truly part of the neighborhood.
16 May, 2023

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Interior Design

Ett Hem, A Luxurious Stay in Stockholm

I came across Ett Hem, effectively a series of townhouses turned into a hotel, and immediately started to work out how I can take a trip to Stockholm this summer. The space was designed by Ilse Crawford, who does some of the most wonderful interiors in the world. As Stephen Whitlock remarked, “The whole concept of Ett Hem is that it’s a home, so it has a kitchen you can stroll into anytime … If you want lunch or dinner, the chef will whip something up for you from scratch.” A boy can dream…