An authentic mexican feeling to the interiors of KOL
Placed in the Marylebone region of the capital, KOL is led by renowned chef Santiago Lastra — who created the restaurant's menu to portray the cultural value and culinary of his home country, Mexico.
Studio A-nrd, also based in London, was charged with giving an authentic MEXICAN FEELING to the interiors of Kol. Alessio Nardi, the founder of the studio, embarked on an extensive field trip to get a better understanding of the country.
A row of bench seats upholstered in mahogany-brown leather has been placed down the side of the room, directly beneath the restaurant's expansive windows.
In preparation for the design of Kol's interiors, the founder of Studio A-nrd visited Yucatán, Oaxaca, and Mexico City. Through materiality, art, and intrinsic graciousness, the project focuses on bringing to life the spirit of Mexico.
Chairs and tables were made bespoke by A-nrd.
The furniture is all bespoke, with Nardi taking cues from things he stumbled across in thrift shops in Mexico. It's known that the second-hand leather industry has environmental, social, and economic importance.
Travertine-marble dining tables are dotted throughout the room, each surrounded by oak and leather chairs. The wood chairs present the same hand-planed finish and sleek leather upholstery, while the window benches are more sculptural pieces with travertine block bases and suspended leather backings.
"I love to visit unpretentious second-hand furniture stores and charity shops, I think it really gives you a grasp of what people had in their homes over time, which is quite different from place to place," Nardi explained to Deezen.
It’s necessary to find better ways to reuse existing materials, and nothing better than reusing a quality material that can last through generations, like leather — some say that this is more than buying, it's investing.
Chef’s Table worthy set up, with gorgeous leather details.
The colorful architecture of Mexican architect Luis Barragán has particularly influenced KOL's insides and the place was carefully filled with Nardi's Mexican finds.
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