By interplaying hues ranging from warm, earthy tones to deep, tropical greens, The House of Celeste adds a touch of polished design refinement to the FB destination
In a city dotted with restaurants, how does a debutant set itself apart? That is the question that the promoters of Grogram’s House of Celeste spent considerable time mulling on. They reached out to Studio Lotus, a multidisciplinary design practice based in New Delhi, to launch this gourmet FB destination to help translate their vision of celebrating India’s multiculturalism.
The team at Studio Lotus decided that the best way to echo the country’s enduring legacy of regional cuisines is through a series of visual storytelling devices in the interiors. Asha Sariah, Principal, Studio Lotus recalled how the idea to imbibe tropical influences for the design scheme emerged from conversations with Suvir Saran, the Michelin star chef at the restaurant’s helm. He spoke about the legacy of Indian recipes, his journey, and experiments with food—and his interpretation of how gastronomic traditions are passed on over generations. The inspiration came from this tradition of storytelling—where the eatery was envisioned to feature a Cabinet of Stories that divides the kitchen and dining area and brings the stories of cuisine and culture into the space.
HUES THAT SPEAK VOLUMES
Spurred by these conversations, Studio Lotus selected a colour palette primarily inspired by hues from the natural environment, tying into the tropical jungle theme of the restaurant. “Borrowing from India’s myriad seasonal shifts and weather patterns and their relationship with jungle fauna, progressive colour transitions were incorporated as spatial markers within the restaurant,” Sariah explained.
The Veranda is flanked on one end by a beige textured wall and the other by the jungle-themed aesthetic animated by deep green vegetation. From here, one can transition into the Fun Dining space, showcasing a deep blue accent wall and a bar with a tropical backdrop. The wallpaper gradually shifts to a slightly darker tone, as does the bar counter colour, signifying the change in season from summery bright to a muted autumnal hue.
The flooring displays a similar shift in colour, keeping in line with the palette. Palm leaf-patterned wallpaper in muted pastel shades in the private dining room, Pinjra, is overlaid with flayed vertical timber slats, imbuing the space with a cage-like sense of enclosure. Furniture in shades of coral and turquoise lend to a distinct, plush quality.
The lighting strategy creates a contrast between spaces by juxtaposing well-lit and dimly-lit zones. Intimate pools of lighting are created over tables instead of general lighting washing evenly over the entire area. Decorative lighting is used to highlight key features like community tables and booth seating to anchor these seating pockets.
Similarly, spotlights above table tops influence guests’ moods and enhance their dining experiences. The bar, kitchen, and the illustrated flora fauna narrative, particularly, have been highlighted to create cosy pockets of seating with lines of sight to these well-lit focal points.
BRINGING A SOFTNESS TO THE SPACE
The material palette in the dining and bar were chosen to express a subtle transition indicating a change in season from summery bright to an autumnal hue. Storytelling also finds expression as intricate details in the furniture, upholstery, crockery, shelves, floors, and furnishings.
The furniture design and upholstery prints take cues from indigenous craft, tropical motifs, and natural materials that age well. This eclectic mix of design elements works together to surprise and delight guests.
Ramesh said that a mix of materials—mild steel, stone, and timber comprise the material palette, accentuated against a backdrop of tropical wallpapers, mosaic tiles, and textured paint. The flooring is rendered in a cementations tile while timber and stone are used for the table tops.
“Light partitions are also designed using a combination of mild steel and glass. The Cabinet of Stories, a unifying theme that runs through the spaces, is expressed as an uninterrupted grid of mild steel embellished with timber accents, mirrors, and animal figurines,” she added.
THE INTIMACY NARRATIVE
The Studio Lotus team decided to bring temporal and visual depth to the more intimate spaces in the reception area and bathrooms, contrasting the otherwise bright open-plan near the bar area. The washroom design presented an opportunity to carry forward the tropical narrative; they are realized as mirrored cubes, with the bottom half clad in stone, and the top half covered with jungle foliage print glazed over mirrored screens.
“The tropical print extends to cover the entire expanse of the ceiling, creating visual depth and giving the impression of being in the midst of the lush, verdant outdoors—simulating the ambience of a jungle expedition,” Ramesh stated.
The interconnected pockets at The House of Celeste showcase India’s seasonal shifts and rich tropical biodiversity with aplomb. These, coupled with the storytelling cues and varied material palette and lush greenery, create an immersive dining experience, which is helping it stand head and shoulders above its competition.
Reference Link - https://www.hotelierindia.com/design/greenery-in-its-many-hued-glory
