The Michelin-starred restaurant Contraste in Milan was born in 2015 from the idea and commitment of three friends and partners Matias Perdomo, Uruguayan chef, Simon Press, Argentinean sous-chef, and Thomas Piras, Italian maître, who immediately made Contraste recognisable and appreciated for its innovative cuisine.
Contributing to the unique atmosphere inside the restaurant is the recent and significant renovation by Debonademeo Studio, which has redesigned the rooms through a versatile and engaging layout, governed by a feeling of natural fluidity.
Contraste is located on the mezzanine floor of an early 19th-century building and is a quiet refuge from the noise of the city, with rooms that are intimate in order to pay the utmost attention to service and guest care. Precisely for this reason, the large main hall has been transformed and divided into four different zones that follow one another, inspired by natural elements and characterised by a colour that evokes them. A system of draped curtains, strongly reminiscent of vibrantly coloured theatre wings, opens and closes the curtains as required. Each area has its own unique character, allowing diners a different experience each time they visit the restaurant.
The primary objective of the design was to focus on the experience that Contraste offers, therefore, silent tables where the dishes of the new menu can be enjoyed were conceived, thanks to the study of acoustics and the use of sound-absorbing curtains and flooring. Great attention was also paid to the lighting design, which during the day emphasises the daylight from the large windows and in the evening softly creates paths and corners of soft light.
The project united the historical soul of the location and the modern style of the interior design: in fact, a real scientific analysis led by a technical committee was carried out, which brought to light surfaces, stuccoes, decorative devices and frescoes from the end of the 19th century. Specialised restoration workers were also involved in the recovery of the building’s original elements.
The aesthetic search for new surfaces such as the vinyl flooring in pink, blue, light grey and anthracite stripes, or the boiserie and wall cladding was intended to give character and movement to the restaurant’s rooms.
In this important and accurate restyling project, some of Pedrali‘s most iconic furnishings, such as the Ester armchairs and Inox round tables, were chosen to furnish the restaurant rooms. Designed by Patrick Jouin, Ester represents the perfect synthesis of elegance, ergonomics and functionality. A precious monolith of leather, here proposed in the neutral shade of beige, with sinuous and soft shapes completed by refined die-cast aluminium legs. The upholstered polyurethane foam shell with elastic straps guarantees absolute comfort.
The Inox table is sober and functional, the base and column in an antique brass finish give identity to the space. In a bar table version and with a Fenix finish in fluorescent orange, it fits into the reserved Klein blue Relax room.
Thanks to this restyling, Contraste becomes not only a reminder of the gastronomic offer that has made it famous, but also an immersive journey through contrasting sensations. The flavours of the dishes on offer are combined in an all-round experience that embraces the perceptive alternation of the interior in which cold and warm colours, rough and soft surfaces, historical elements and contemporary design alternate.
Photo Serena Eller Vainicher – EllerStudio
