Day Studio aimed to "make every table feel like the best" in London trattoria Burro
Italian trattoria meets Irish country house in Day Studio's interior for Burro, a sister restaurant to London's popular Trullo.
The Covent Garden restaurant is the new offering from Belfast-born chef Conor Gadd, who is also Trullo's head chef and co-owner.
Drawing on both Gadd's Irish upbringing and the Italian cuisine that has shaped his career, Day Studio founder Lisa Helmanis aimed to create an interior that reflects the hospitality traditions of both nations.
Speaking to Dezeen, Helmanis said she wanted to make Burro feel welcoming, "like it has always been there", but without being overly nostalgic.
"Long-standing restaurants inevitably evolve; when they open, they must feel contemporary without becoming beholden to trend," she said.
"The aesthetic language sits between an Irish country house kitchen and a well-loved local trattoria in Rome or Sienna – familiar, yet reinterpreted through a modern lens."
The designer sought to make every seat in the 100-cover restaurant feel special, appealing to solo diners, couples and big parties alike.
"We wanted to make every table feel like the best seat in the house," she told Dezeen.
The layout of the dining room plays an important role in this. While many restaurants have banquette seating around the edges, Burro's are neatly arranged through the middle of the space to multiply the number of cosy corners.
The arrangement is supported by walls split into two colour bands; the lower band is a reddish-brown, complementing the wooden furniture, while the upper band is a soft yellow, reflected by golden-hued mirrors that neatly wrap the structural columns.
The bar is another key addition, combining burgundy marble and concave stone tiles with a curved timber edge designed to invite touch.
"Materiality underpins the atmosphere," said Helmanis. "Finishes are selected for their ability to age gracefully, gathering patina rather than polish."
The project is resonant for Helmanis, a former journalist who designed the interior for Trullo as one of her first commercial projects in 2010.
Gadd joined the restaurant the same year, before going on to become head chef in 2013 and, later, co-owner. With Burro, they wanted to create a restaurant with the same conviviality, but a distinctly more grown-up feel.
Art is a big part of this; the walls are full of paintings and photography, including an eye-catching canvas by Irish painter Dan Ferguson and various works by Helmanis, who trained as an artist.
The designer explained how she likes to add one discordant element into her interior schemes, which often ends up tying the whole thing together. Here, it was the patterned velvet chosen for the seating upholstery.
For the furniture, the designer achieved a rare feat; she sourced 100 matching mid-century chairs second-hand, courtesy of a convent in Czechia.
Other details include sculptural table lamps and sconces from Snelling, textured glass and floor-to-ceiling curtains.
"In a neighbourhood often characterised by spectacle and turnover, Burro positions itself as a true local – a place to return to repeatedly," added Helmanis.
Other recent London openings include the Peckham Palais nightclub and London Fields record bar Bambi.
The photography is by Helen Cathcart.
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