22RE, one of AN Interior’s Top 50 Architects and Designers, marks its first hospitality project with BAR di BELLO, a new Milanese-style bar and restaurant. The design is an apt reflection of the menu’s offerings, which range from classic Milanese risotto to upscale starters. Art deco elements and an open dining hall layout transport the Silver Lake outfit into a portal to another time and place.
Typical of 22RE’s projects, the interior is defined by walnut tones and custom millwork, contrasted by aluminum and stainless-steel accents. Wood clads the walls, bar backsplash, ceiling, and swooping banquette that bisects the 2,000-square-foot floorplan. Marble and stone mosaic flooring, as well as red travertine for the bar counter make for a departure in material and color.
Curvature enlivens the almost mono-materality. On the ceiling, circuit cutouts are inset with fixtures from Disderot, setting a geometric tone. More organic forms form the portholes on the kitchen door and curved edges along walls.
Lighting by Hans-Agne Jakobsson and furnishings that draw from Italian modernists infuse the space with a Milanese chic. Afra and Tobia Scarpa sconces, custom tables, and chairs by Vico Magistretti embody the swankiness of a restaurant slinging a suite of negronis and martinis.
The design ensures BAR di Bello is a place to see and be seen. In the summer, BAR di BELLO will also open its outdoor space, designed by 22RE and Sarita Jaccard.