The rules of creativity for spaces dedicated to hospitality

Special interview with the Studio GAD creative studio

Developing a project for a commercial space means considering many different aspects, not only practical ones, but also aesthetic ones. Clients want to have, today more than ever, enjoyable and particular experiences in bars and restaurants. The key is finding that distinctive touch that makes them really attractive and unique. We have wanted this month to interview Studio GAD, experts on how to make a space dedicated to hospitality truly striking, making listening to its clients’ needs and desires the basis on which to construct tailor-made projects. We have heard directly from them how they managed to transform the expectations of bar and restaurant owners into inspirations and real projects; in particular, we will discover two of these projects in which Ceramica Fioranese collections are veritable protagonists, expressing design, technology and beauty.

LifeTiles: What does it mean today to be a creative studio?

Studio GAD: Being a creative studio today means being constantly updated, always in the search of something new that can be the distinctive element of the project in which we are involved. Our approach is continuous and constant “renewal” because we are always seeking to offer our clients new ideas and original projects. We hope that this concept emerges in every single project.

LifeTiles: You define yourselves as ‘innovative, original, provocateurs’, how come?

Studio GAD: It’s certainly an interesting combination of adjectives. I believe that in some way I already answered that question at the beginning: what we always try to do (and I emphasise always), is to offer the customer a project that has a vision that is at the same time more refined and less conventional. We look for new ideas without neglecting practicality and visual impact.

LifeTiles: What was your inspiration for the ‘OCTO’ project?

OCTO is a project that started from excellent premises; the client gave us immediately carte blanche. We had a very clear idea right from the start: making the restaurant more interestingly beautiful despite some minor flaws (single entrance, lengthways structure of the building). We were inspired by the circle symbol, a perfect representation of wholeness, a shape expressing fullness and harmony. The circumference recalls a wheel that gives the idea of movement and perfection. The circle can also be a round window looking out on the world. In the OCTO project, the round window allows for a view into the restaurant’s kitchen, the true soul of the restaurant. We wanted to experiment combining colours and materials with a strong character, sometimes very different from each other. Pure geometries are the common theme, their patterns creating an overall effect of continuity.
https://www.studiogad.it/arredamento-locali/octo-cocktail-e-dintorni/

LifeTiles: Why did you choose the Fioranese FIO.GHIAIA collection in the Maxi version for the finishes?

Our choice was almost obligatory. As soon as we saw the FIO.GHIAIA collection we fell in love with its contrasts and its modernity. The collection has become the leitmotif of our project with its very decorative maiolica terrace-effect, that has stones that become precious rock and small pebbles that transform into splinters of precious stone. It wasn’t only its strong character that struck us but also the expert choice of colour, in particular the cornflower blue combined with the greys, the electric blue in contrast with the blush pink splinters. These small details emerge on an almost neutral grey concrete background. This was what we were seeking, for an important project and for a client attentive to details and able to appreciate its beauty.
https://www.fioranese.it/en/floor-and-wall-tiles/ghiaia/

LifeTiles: What inspired you, instead, for the ‘VISTA – WINE BAR’ project, and why did you choose the SOUND OF MARBLES collection, specifically the FIOmood Black 30×60 Decoration?

We wanted to create a glamourous and sophisticated setting, in which nothing was left to chance. The SOUND OF MARBLES collection combined perfectly with the night blue, bronze and Nero Marquinia present in both the furnishings and in the floor itself. The collection has a very strong visual impact, especially in the decoration we used; we wanted to debunk a fashion rule that says you must never combine dark blue with black. Two such dark colours not only can be put together but can give each other strength.
https://www.studiogad.it/arredamento-locali/vista-wine-bar/
https://www.fioranese.it/en/floor-and-wall-tiles/sound-of-marbles/

LifeTiles: What are the essential elements to consider when developing an original commercial space?

This is a question that we try to answer every time we approach a new project. We must certainly not forget the importance of allowing the final customer to feel perfectly “in line” with the project. We like to believe that we are like “tailors”, customising the project according to the requirements of the client and their needs. These needs are sometimes really difficult to fully comprehend. We must never lose sight of the evocative potential of every project; the real stimulus is the satisfaction at the end in seeing that every element combines with another and the contentment in the eyes of our clients. Every project is different because every client is different from the one before. We don’t believe in standardised format repetition (obviously with the exception of projects starting with that intent).

LifeTiles: What are the advantages of using a porcelain stoneware collection for a high traffic environment?

Without overlooking the importance of proposing an aesthetically striking product, it is absolutely essential to propose materials that have technical and functional characteristics in line with the nature of the commercial spaces that are certainly places more subject to external agents.

LifeTiles: Is there a project that you would like to develop that you have not yet done?

The project that we have not yet developed is the next one and all those to follow. We try to propose new ideas, new “tailored suits”, new models and visions, without overlooking the details.