Bumpy clay walls and rough concrete surfaces are tempered by smooth steel and polished stone in this Kyiv restaurant designed by local studio Yakusha Design?.
Called Istetyka ? a portmanteau of the Ukrainian words for eating and aesthetics ? the restaurant serves up healthy fast food.
Istetyka features undulating bench seating and large round tables
To create the eatery's calming interior Yakusha Design drew on its signature pared-back aesthetic, which mixes clean lines with natural and recycled materials.
The studio's chosen palette seeks to balance rough and smooth surfaces, geometric and organic forms through the use of wood, grey stone, recycled plastic, steel and dimpled clay.
Raw concrete, which forms the columns along the restaurant's facade and lines its exposed ceiling, was also incorporated into the interior. Macrame lamps and textured clay vases were created by local artisans
"Each of our projects tells a story," said Yakusha Design founder Victoriya Yakusha.
"We combine modern materials and techniques with the long-known, passed down from generation to generation. Clay walls, according to Ukrainian tradition, have very powerful energy."
Round concrete tables are paired with bench seating
The eatery's layout is divided into three functional zones. The dining area that runs alongside the front window features curved upholstered bench seating that wraps around large round tables created by Yakusha's own furniture brand Faina.
The base of these t...