AfroditiKrassa: Lucky Cat Restaurant, London
AfroditiKrassa goes against the norm with their designs of Gordon Ramsay's Lucky Cat restaurant in London.
In the modern day, most of us live a considerable amount of time through our screens. Televisions, computers, and phones, do it all. We do everything from catching up with friends, organising our daily lives and even researching the best places to visit. You are doing it now merely by being here. In the world of social media, many restaurants have focused on attracting attention with bold designs, quirky gimmicks and 'Instagrammable' interiors. The interiors of Gordon Ramsay's Lucky Cat restaurant, designed by AfroditiKrassa aim to change that with a space that “looks better in person”.
The design studio opted for a dark and moody colour palette, one that can prove challenging to photograph. The inspiration behind the dark aesthetic is the regular occurrence of people visiting restaurants due to their impressive photography but leaving feeling underwhelmed as the experience and design did not live up to expectations. AfroditiKrassa looked at Japanese kissas; underground jazz cafes in Tokyo in the 1930s to capture a sense of dark drama and mystery, places where one can unwind, be themselves and discover new things.
The central dining interior uses light and reflection to define the space. Integrated lighting accentuates the lines of the recessed ceiling, display units and the bar while brushed metalwork establishes dining areas, elegantly separating materials, and guiding guests throughout the interior, capturing subtle reflections of light and movement in the process. Uplighting concealed within the dining booths, and opulent glass pendants offer a subtle glow that reveals the shimmer and texture of the black fabric screens and papered ceiling above.
Black parquet flooring lines the flooring of the dining and seating areas, a contrast to the lighter exposed concrete used within the gangways of the bar and tiles that line the floor around the kitchen and chef's table. Surrounding walls have been clad in glossy black bamboo cane. In contrast, the rear wall of the bar features 300 black ceramic beckoning cats; an ornament considered a good-luck charm in Japanese culture and a theme that the restaurant embraces within its name and design.
The Lucky Cat restaurant, with its mysterious charm, is a restaurant that needs to be seen to be believed. AfroditiKrassa's decision to focus on building texture and layering in a dark colour palette is a bold move that does not disappoint. Though there is no escaping social media, the design studio has ultimately returned the focus of design to its true origins; design and experience. This focus should be applauded as we appreciate and understand the full extent of interior design.
