---

We seek out some gloriously exuberant materials and finishes, finding the divine rather than the devil in the details.

---

Words By Kay Hill

Night of City

Image Credit: Viaplant/Kiss Bálint

Night of City is a 46-room, 6,300 sq m entertainment space in Hangzhou, China, designed by JFR Studio and inspired by concepts of astral travelling and alternate realities. Featuring metallic surfaces, kinetic mechanical structures, specialised lighting effects and visual animations on custom panels, the spatial experience is constantly changing.

Design JFR Studio
Client: Night of City

TATI

TATI is a new restaurant in Budapest with a farm-to-table concept that emphasises seasonal and sustainable produce. Designer Hungarian Socially introduced the farming theme into the interiors with everything from bales of straw to a horse sculpture. Th e highlight is the massive u-shaped bar created by Viaplant from its unique plant-based solid surface material, made in this case from reeds and hay.

Design: Hungarian Socially
Client: TATI
Bar: Viaplant

Sketch

Image Credit: Mark Cocksedge

The already wildly decorative interiors of The Glade room at Sketch restaurant became wilder still during London Design Week when Lasvit added a special edition of its Herbarium chandelier to the mix. The chandelier was made from hundreds of meticulously hand-made glass pieces, where molten glass was poured over dried flowers, herbs and branches and the plant imprint painted in gold to echo The Glade’s botanical setting.

Bespoke chandelier: Herbarium by Lasvit
The Glade design: Carolyn Quartermaine and Didier Mahie

Giselle

Image Credit: Natelee Cocks

Traditional woodcarving is given an extravagant contemporary twist at Giselle, a rooftop restaurant in Miami created by South African designer Tristan du Plessis. The Club/Night Venue category winner in the Restaurant & Bar Design Awards 2023, the French laceinspired Dream Room features baroque-style painted woodcarvings and Italian marble tables.

Design: Tristan du Plessis Studio.
Client: The Restaurant People
Branding: Jana+Koos

Hotel AMAN

Image Credit: John Athimaritis

Hotel AMANO Covent Garden has been created in the shell of an old 1980s office by Woods Bagot, with a palette of rich, tactile materials that are shown to their best effect by lighting from Nulty. Layers of light in the basement bar draw the eye to the veined marble bar counter, the tables with neat brass lamps and the dark wood panels.

Lighting design: Nulty
Client: Hotel AMANO
Architect: Woods Bagot

Sushisamba

A riot of surfaces and textures create a changing scene from day to night at Sushisamba in Doha, Qatar, winner of the Middle East & Africa – Surface Interiors category at the Restaurant and Bar Design Awards. ICRAVE’s design, inspired by Sushisamba’s fusion Japanese and Brazilian food, includes tree-like, threedimensional perforated walls and ceiling petals creating constantly moving patterns of light, while the custom Brazilian-style terrazzo flooring anchors the space.

Client: Sushisamba
Design: ICRAVE

Avocado Dreams

Image Credit: Gareth Gardner

Avocado Dreams is a new range of colourful sanitaryware created by designer Bethan Laura Wood for Kaldewei. A tongue-in-cheek reference to the dreaded 1970s green bathroom, Avocado Dreams brings a trio of different shades of psychedelic-style patterns to the Meisterstück Oyo Duo bathtub, Superplan Zero shower tray and Miena basin.

Design: Bethan Laura Wood.
Client: Kaldewei.

Croydon Colonnade

Croydon Colonnade by Adam Nathaniel Furman is a dazzling colonnade of 16 columns and several walls that create a spectacular new public space in Croydon. The 8m high columns are formed of handmade, threedimensional porcelain tiles in two distinct styles, inspired by the stonework of Durham Cathedral and Croydon’s own 1960s architecture.

Design: Adam Nathaniel Furman.
Client: Croydon Council/Tide Construction
Tiles: Craven Dunnill Jackfield

Cambridge Country Club
RAK Ceramics

FROM PROVINCIAL red brick golf club with a portacabin beauty facility to a purpose-built luxurious golf and leisure retreat, the Cambridge Country Club has become a health and wellness destination for people near and far since the completion of the multi-million-pound development. Interior architect May Fawzy of MF Studio partnered with RAK Ceramics to deliver a project that would give the village of Cambourne in the south Cambridgeshire countryside a leisure facility to be proud of.

Providing a one-stop solution with quality products backed up by a reliable delivery and support service, RAK Ceramics was able to provide surfaces and sanitaryware for use throughout the newly built Country Club.

‘In our approach to this project, our foremost considerations were the flow and ambience of the clubhouse,’ explains May. ‘Our primary goal was to curate an environment where each space seamlessly connects with its users, providing an exceptional experience.

Inspired by the world of hospitality, we sought to infuse every corner with a sense of warmth, luxury, and comfort. Our design ethos revolved around encapsulating the essence of a premium hospitality experience. ‘The selection of finishes was meticulously aligned with the original brief, emphasising the creation of a premium space for club users. We carefully handpicked materials and textures that not only met our aesthetic aspirations but also embodied enduring quality. Timelessness was a pivotal criterion guiding our choices, ensuring that the finishes we selected would stand the test of time and continue to exude elegance and sophistication.’

First impressions count, of course, and the interior design team worked with RAK Ceramics to make the most of them in the venue’s main entrance and reception area, where guests arriving at the country club are met with large format Calacatta Gold tiles on the main walls and floors. With huge statement chandeliers above, the entrance sets a precedent for all that is to come as guests make their way throughout the club and enjoy the many facilities.

‘The double-height space exudes an unparalleled sense of grandeur, leaving an indelible first impression on all who enter,’ comments May. ‘The carefully chosen neutral and light colour palette contributes to an atmosphere that is both inviting and welcoming to our valued guests. A standout element is the reception desk, featuring a captivating marble-effect backdrop that imparts a touch of opulence reminiscent of the finest hospitality establishments.’

RAK Ceramics’ surfaces feature throughout the location, from the RAK Reive floor tiles in the lavish spa and shower rooms and nature-inspired flooring in the bar and restaurant to RAK Detroit metallic finish tiles in the pool area and changing rooms and porcelain flooring and countertops in the golf shop.

Sanitaryware from the leading brand has also been supplied, with the designer collection RAK-Petit floor standing washbasins featuring in the WCs and the public bathrooms all finished with RAK-Precious basins teamed with matt black brassware. ‘This project encompassed a significant number of toilets, showers and changing rooms,’ says May. ‘Our objective was to source products that seamlessly merged aesthetics with durability. We pursued a minimalist design infused with a touch of opulence, a quest that led us to the exquisite offerings within the RAK Ceramics collection.’

The Cambridge Country Club has become a health and leisure destination for the people of Cambourne and the surrounds. Where once members would pop along for a quick round of golf or a single beauty treatment before heading elsewhere, the refurbished facility is now a place that people want to stay, either to use the beauty facilities, to play golf, to make use of the pool and exercise suites or simply to catch up with friends at the bar and restaurant.

After such a successful launch, plans are now afoot to extend the facilities further and offer even more to the local community, including with onsite lodges and a luxury kitchen studio, and RAK Ceramics is poised to be of service once again. www.rakceramics.com