OUR BLOG IS MOVING!!

The new ‘Your Studio’ site has been designed to frame the work and imagery produced by our company.
We are a hands-on, approachable, creative studio so having a website that projected these traits has been a key factor in the evolution of our design.

The site allows us to update our work and imagery as quickly as we can produce it. We see our site as our face to the world, so giving it a personality was important.

The ‘Home’ page has rotating imagery showing a mixture of our latest work and what is going on in the Your Studio studio- hopefully it will convey we mix fun with seriousness- we know how important a happy and healthy office environment is for creativity and productivity.

Our ‘About Us’ page gives you an overview of our working practice.

Most of you will know us for our blogs. This will be a key part of our website. Our new blog section will cover a wide range of interesting places to visit, trends and miscellaneous design-related commentary any of us at Your Studio think is noteworthy. You will also be able to find some of our older blog posts archived here.

We hope you enjoy it and that you will bookmark us for the future!

http://www.weareyourstudio.com

Bridging the gap between the historic facade and the new interior space within, Aidlin Darling designed Wexler’s barbeque restaurant with an incredible undulating ceiling that is evocative of both charred wood and a plume of smoke. Created out of laser cut MDF and painted black, this ceiling installation billows through a refined palette of zinc and rift-sawn oak before emerging as the restaurant’s entry canopy. The soft glow of the pendant lighting at the bar highlights the undulations in the ribbed ceiling and visually sends it in motion.

Photos © Matthew Millman.

Gathered from Aidlin Darling Design and Wexler’s

A warm, intimate interior greets you from the glass street scape as you enter Piatra Neamt’s Noir restaurant.  Located in northeast Romania, Piatra Neamt is a city surrounded by mountains of forrest, which you will soon begin to understand how the landscape’s beauty seeped into the interior space. The design team at Nuca utilized wood for it’s warmth and relation to the surrounding topography. Rather than just wood tables, wood flooring and wood wall panels, the palette is broken and accentuated through sculpture, lighting and contrasting textures.

The walls are cladded with a sculpture that sits right along the horizon line of our seated view, acting as a barrier, wrapping us intimately in this interior space like the mountains wrap around the city of Piatra Neamt.  The artist shaped the sub material (wood) and finished it in black corian only to enhance the texture and form of the work.  We know that the objects were sculpted out of wood because the artist amputates the material at precise locations to reveal the material that shapes it; this dichotomy creates a discourse of public and intimate, of natural and man-made. The wood piercing and the dark veins shaped in this black dune reminds us of the power nature possesses as it embraces the main dining space; it reminds the visitors that they are never too far from nature and Romania’s mountains.  It creates quite a dichotomy of materiality; soft, natural wood fighting through a shiny black exterior coating.  The piece is compelling and helps blur the line between nature and unnatural ornamentation.

The ceiling height opens up the interior and allows for large panels of wood to ornament the surrounding walls.  There is only a touch of decorative lighting dropped from the ceiling above bringing light to the tables, the remainder of the space is glowing through cove and ambient light.  A cluster of mobiles float through the interior space almost like a flock of birds.  The adjacent pendant light highlights these simple suspended mobiles as they create movement and shadow on the surrounding surfaces and walls.

The textural qualities of the forrest are also brought into the dining experience in a more literal way as the wall graphic contains images emulating trees full of leaves.  The seating is simple, yet in the same language as to not distract from the landscape established in the surrounding architecture of the interior.  The fluid form represented in the vases by Zaha Hadid sit just outside the washrooms and continue to develop the natural, inviting personality of the restaurant.  They are black in color, which starts to fade into the rest of the space, but because they have a high sheen, it’s just enough to make them pop with accent.

You would think the restrooms would continue the language of the restaurant thus far, however you will be pleasantly surprised to see the stark contrast these facilities offer.  A flooring of bold, vivid stripes has been applied to the walls as it texturizes and adds energy to the room.   Although the walls create strong curves in the room, the wall pattern remains linear and geometric.  Matching vanities sit tucked back into the curved wall sized just for their function.  The lighting is again simple in form as to not distract from the movement and excitement of the surrounding surfaces.

So whether you want to stop for dinner or check out the dynamic interiors of the space, the noir restaurant is nature within a box placed within the beauty of the surrounding environment.

Images Courtesy of Nuca Studio

gathered from Nuca, Restaurant Noir Piatra Neamt, Wallpaper and Yatzer

Your Studio has now started a series of interviews with some of London’s finest coffee makers to find out what it is that makes their cafés tick. The series will be published monthly by our friends at Café Business Magazine. Our aim was to get the baristas view of the importance of the café’s interior and to have them to talk us through their own design.

Our first interview was with Victor Frankowski from the cute little coffee shop in Fitzrovia that some people know under the name of Tapped & Packed but others simply call No 26. Victor and his business partner Richard Lilley have in only a few months created a name for themselves as one of central London’s finest coffee shops and thus fully deserved to be the first café that we interviewed (besides being the agency’s local hangout).

to read the interview please click here

photo © Victor Frankowski

Derriere is a fairly unique restaurant concept in the heart of Paris. It offers to its guests the qualities of having a gourmet dinner in a restaurant with the comfort and warmth of eating in a traditional Parisian home. The basic idea behind this concept was to make guests feel as if they are invited and treated in a friend’s house – a concept that is lately starting to become more and more popular amongst Parisian restaurants, bars or even clubs.

Starting with the site of the venue, Derriere is located in the 3rd district of Paris amongst numerous bars and restaurants of the area. Its name (derriere=behind) originates from its exact location, which right at the back of 404 restaurant and Andy Wahloo cocktail bar in la Rue des Gravilliers. As you walk on, hidden at a rather exclusive spot of the street Derriere appears as surprise offer amongst the options of Le Marrais.

What is very distinguishing about this restaurant is its atmosphere, which again provides its focal point. With the decoration of a French baroque house, Derriere is equipped with numerous ‘little touches’ that make the visitor feel as if they are having a family dinner, or one amongst friends – so that they do feel easy to behave likewise. Little wooden chairs, messy bookshelves loaded with huge piles of books, an old ‘baignoire’, a bed placed in the middle of the room space, a ping-pong table and lots of other objects that add a little something to making Derriere ‘feel like home’.

Upon their arrival the ‘guests’ of the restaurant are welcomed by the staff and are asked to choose their sitting according to their mood, having to choose between settling in the traditional yet cozy dining room, playing ping-pong in the home-like decorated salon, watching a film in the ‘movies’ designated area or having a cocktail with their friends in the boudoir. The venue also offers a more quite area on the upstairs, which functions as a bedroom, and guests can go to relax.

What should not forget to mention is Derriere’s famous ‘secret room’. This refers to a delicately discrete fumoir (smoking room), which is a hushed whispered by many. With its entrance door looking like an old baroque wardrobe no one expects that opening it will lead you to a private room where smoking is ‘off-the record’ allowed.

Regarding the cuisine and menu options offered by Derriere, it could be said that the proposals are more or less similar to most hype restaurants of its genre offering the typical ‘revised’ French cuisine. What is rather interesting is the menu itself. Derriere has commissioned the design and graphics of the menus to Ich&Kar, also responsible for the graphic design of the famous Momo in London.

gathered from Derriere, Ich&Kar and Yatzer
photo © Andrea Ferrari, Studio Pepe

We gave an example of Soho House Berlin, designed by the brilliant Susie Atkinson, as a beautiful space which gets the difficult balance of mixing modern classics and vintage retro just right.

The article can be seen in Bar Magazine’s October issue here

Bar Magazine

Image Courtesy of Dyer-Smith/Frey

Kramer Gastronomie selected the young Swiss designer duo, James Dyer-Smith and Gian Frey, to create a 1920’s old world Fumoir inside The Blue Monkey restaurant in Niederdorf, Zurich, which merges the lounging English pub comfort with the presence of modernity through raw materials and once inside you know that you are in a place were you can unwind and light up.

Image Courtesy of Dyer-Smith/Frey

This lounging atmosphere has been primarily achieved by the green smoke paint colours creating an interior which is cozy and comfortable to relax in. The solid wood finish bespoke bar and dining folding tables which are a dominant feature in the space have been designed by Dyer-Smith/Frey. The antique finished mirror inset in theses features gives the illusion of a larger space which is a clever necessity in such dark atmospheric interiors.

Image Courtesy of Dyer-Smith/Frey

The presence of old world is created by the black and white pictures hung on the walls portraying Hollywood stars and artists. The wall lights are the best feature in the space braking up the solidity of the wood in intervals. They have softness and an artistic feel to their design. All these elements counter balance with the bar, which has a strictly modern design to it and is made out of Corian. The illuminated Corian is almost like it is from another interior and another era. Its hard edges are very strong and the fact that it contains concealed lighting makes it dominate the interior space with its presence.

Image Courtesy of Dyer-Smith/Frey

Another element which is from the other style world is the floor to ceiling beveled edge mirror. Broken up into irregular shapes this piece is an important addition to the space introducing openness, clarity and a littlie bit of glam. This ‘glamnes’ is not present in the fixtures close to this mirror but that does not stop them from being one of our favorite design classics that have turned to modernity. We are talking about none other then the full height radiators. Designed from the classic motive of the 20-30-40’s these radiators have been created to act as an artistic element. There is something very sexy and etiquette industrial in these particular styles. They are simply a work of art.

Image Courtesy of Dyer-Smith/Frey

Throughout the Fumoir the loose wooden furniture coincides with the whole design. The main seating place though where most guests want to seat is the old style leather sofa. Portraying the lounge effect through the leathers ‘rusticness’ we are sure that everyone is wishing this seat is free and if not they are looking around for a second sofa lounge.

gathered from Dyer-Smith & Frey and Yatzer

Image Courtesy of Affroditi Krassa

We all know that Indian cuisine in London is probably the best place in the world to experience the culture through gastronomic compositions beyond India. To accompany the cosmopolitan and creatively progressive culture of London, Afroditi Krassa designed a clear, fresh and unexpected environment that makes Dishoom shortlisted one of London’s Best Design Award 2010 by Time Out Magazine. Located in Covent Garden, Dishoom achieves the rebirth of the Irani cafes that were so integral to Bombay (currently Mumbai) in the early 20th century. Such achievement does not come easy, it takes trust, commitment and a collaborative relationship between designer and entrepreneur. The 2 year effort has now paid off as Dishoom is getting plenty of praise from whom it matters most, the people.

Image Courtesy of Affroditi Krassa

Image Courtesy of Affroditi Krassa

Afroditi Krassa, an award winning, dynamic and passionate designer working in London, looked into Bombay’s rich past and diverse layers rather than focusing on the stereotypes that defined Bombay. The creative approach allowed focus and refinement to what Bombay truly offers at its root not its facade. By digging deep into the culture through several visits to Bombay (currently Mumbai), Krassa realizes the charm, honesty and beauty of fading Irani cafes. Once positioned all over the city, this fading atmosphere has been declining due to competition from more sophisticated and westernized style of restaurants. The rising salaries have pushed away this traditional setting and its leaving back an integral facet of Iranian culture that migrated to India in the 19th century. The Irani cafe is born out of the community of Iranians as they gathered ever night to share stories of what got them to Bombay and one man serving tea to all would charge a small amount for his effort. This small effort led to the notion of the Irani cafe business.

Image Courtesy of Affroditi Krassa

Dishoom’s elegant, classic and casual atmosphere quickly resonates with people as they see no presumptions and realize that the focus is on the people, the sharing of time and a rich menu. A fun monochromatic palette combined with elements of the once common Bombay and 60′s pop culture add a flare of contemporary dialogue. Dishoom is a mixture of nostalgia and celebration of India. Dishoom is an expression from Bollywood like ‘Pow!’ or ‘Bam!’ which encapsulates the energy and attitude of the concept, design and identity of a once integrated experience of Iranian community. We were fascinated by the attention to the layers of vernacular elements, from newspapers hung on wall, an array of images from Bombay’s past, 60′s Pop culture, hand lettering, honest placement of cutlery on tables and the beautiful chairs reminiscing Thonet.

Image Courtesy of Affroditi Krassa

Image Courtesy of Affroditi Krassa

gathered from Afroditi Krassa, Dishoom and Yatzer

The floorboards are restored but unfinished, while dusty hessian panels and linen curtains decorate the walls.

Clothes are hung on cold-bent metal clothing rails, and individual items highlighted by ceiling-hung light bulbs.

Here’s HOSTEM’s press release:
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
From the warm tones of the washed out Swedish linen curtains and biscuit restored floorboards – to the raw, exposed bulbs that glow softly on the discreetly luxurious hand-painted hessian wall panels, a sense of quiet and calm pervades. This is Hostem, in the heart of Shoreditch’s thriving Redchurch Street, a new menswear establishment where the avant-garde and the street coalesce and where the traffic and shrill, city noises fade to mute. A menswear establishment intent on mixing luxury street brands with conceptual, left-field labels in an environment of considered, understated elegance.

In creating a home for his venture, founder James Brown knew that nothing short of unique would suffice. In housing labels such as Ann Demeulemeester, Visvim, Rick Owens and Casely-Hayford, Brown needed something enticing for the former industrial space Hostem takes over. To this end, he looked to the work of interior design duo JAMESPLUMB, founded by Hannah Plumb and James Russell.

Using restored materials and re-working pieces from the past to imbue the present with history and timelessness, the interior designers debuted at this year’s Salone Internazionale Del Mobile in Milan and are currently enjoying a rapidly rising profile thanks to recent features in ‘How To Spend It’ and ‘The World of Interiors’. Upon meeting the designers and seeing their home and studio (a cottage in Stockwell Green that houses a veritable treasure trove of delightful curiosities, amongst them a lamp that began life as an antique roller skate and 19th century bird cages) Brown knew that Hostem’s interior concept lay in their hands. The two met at Wimbledon School of Art, where they studied fine-art sculpture. Their aesthetic is based on a deference to history through the re-working of antique and reclaimed pieces, which sees lamps, bulbs and screens re-interpreted and re-born as individual articles.

As the first commercial project for JAMESPLUMB, the designers were aware that Brown had bestowed huge trust upon them. ‘We’d just started the job and arrived carrying a church pew covered in rotten leaves,’ says Hannah. ‘It raised a few eyebrows, I can tell you’. The pew now stands centrepiece as a beautifully bespoke front desk. Gleaning gems from life’s detritus; pieces can be salvaged from the side of the road, a skip, or found at car-boot sales and furniture reclaim yards. The store’s three finished rooms, including an ever-evolving space housing different designers, carry this love-worn JAMESPLUMB perspective. Floorboards are aged with stories of comings and goings of old.

Crackled artworks by Huw Griffiths adorns the walls. Vintage lampshades are wittily reworked into a chandelier that bustles like some sort of bouquet as seen by Dali. Rick Owens trainers sit atop one of the many cement plinths, filled railway conductor bags double as mini sculptures, all in all the perfect marriage of modernity and heritage. Vintage US Trouble Lighting hangs from long cables, allowing customers to manoeuvre the glow for closer examination of the clothes. ”Down to the last door handle whose previous life was a curtain pole finial, we wanted Hostem to have depth and detail”, says James Russell.

The Plumbs work alone in perfect design unison, down to the hanging of wall canvases – painted hessian that has been given a secret treatment (and no, they’re not telling) to achieve the final rustic, dusty look. They did however enlist master metal worker and designer Alex Pole to cold-bend the imposing clothing rails by hand-working metal over a cog he found in a Somerset river; and Beata Barton Chapelle to make the stores thick, luxurious linen curtains. The overall effect is one of calm assurance. Of quality, of personality, of history, wit and considered, intelligent design. Much like the clothes within.

gathered from dezeen