Renovated restaurant in Palermo. Finishes and materials amplify the brightness

In Palermo, the DiDeA design studio, deals with the renovation of BistrotCento61, an old restaurant inside an ancient building of the early '900, giving concrete form to the client's request to create a meeting place with a light and informal atmosphere in which to receive customers

The place is accessed through a large outdoor space that then extends over 130 square meters at a low altitude of 1.50 m. The design challenge is to transform the basement into an airy space, enhancing the garden with finishes and materials that amplify the internal brightness

The big century-old palm tree is the cornerstone around which the garden project revolves, articulated through simple elements on different levels: on the street level, a long counter and high metal stools overlook the lower level where metal tables and large wooden seats rythmize the space

The consistency between the different rooms inside the room is represented by the white painted metal; an element of industrial echoes used on the walls as a neutral support to accentuate the brightness and the smooth and continuous perception of the space

The metal elements, deployed along all vertical surfaces, alternate with oak panels, slabs of Calacatta marble and insertions in Niagara blue creating a geometry of full colors and warm materials that makes the interior alive and welcoming; the yellow and neon blue hues of the seats, alternated with the cobalt blue of the sofas further brighten up the environment

The lighting project includes two strips of continuous and dimmable LED light positioned behind the metal mesh, which helps its dispersion; from the ceiling structures, the Flos brass hanging lamps become new light points for every room

In the interior, plants such as Philodendron, Hederina and climbing Ficus are placed in cubic vases, resting on the wall structures or suspended from the ceiling structures: the vegetation is interpreted as an element of the project