Butterfly High by Umesh Desai & Associates
The idea behind butterfly high was to create a multi-purpose spot where folks from society would go eat, drink and enjoy amid the grasping atmosphere.
Humans have a strange yet extremely close connection to nature and art. These two elements [nature and art] are most easily connected to humans since they are always around in various formats.
Designers at UDA wanted to develop an intriguing mash-up, where the world of art meets a tropical paradise. The focus thus was to fabricate a mysterious yet intimate relationship between the customer and his/her equatorial adventure. There is a wide display of art, at strategic places interwoven with the elements of nature. These two provide harmony which is the base of our décor in the place.
"Considering the vicinity, which is known to house many corporate entities, the employees usual go out for dinning in big groups, for which they have to shell out a huge amount for the exorbitant prices the eateries usually display. The brief given was clean and simple, it evolved in accordance to modern-day guest needs. hence the brief was to create an all day casual dining restaurant and bar without compromising on the space and the upscale bar feel." - Nishant Umesh Desai, Creative Director, UDA
The key materials used are stone finish brown tiles on the floor with a dark paint finish ceiling and natural wooden rafters creating a shell for the walls that act as a canvas for the art displayed in the form of graffiti, chandeliers and various painting techniques over columns and the bar counter.
As ones enters, they are greeted with an all white lobby. The walls and wooden panel stripped-partition is finished in Duco painted wooden with a metal grill pattern behind the hostess desk amidst the offbeat distressed blue chandelier that hangs above.
The idea of the all white lobby was to divert the focus to the main entry door which is the highlight. The all antique wooden door is procured from a remote area in the rural outskirts of Gujarat. The colonial themed door was a perfect match to the otherwise extremely modern atmosphere the designers had anticipated. The door is finished in natural polish teamed with a spray paint technique with leaves & plants impression to give the customer an idea of what this exclusive dining has in-store.
"Design strategists were focused to serve multiple uses, aiding flexibility in design. These were incorporated right at the planning stage. During the brainstorming sessions, key emphasis was given to the furniture layout which would serve multiple customers with multiple purposes.
The layout is divided into 3 parts- the lounge seating on the right of the entry, the dining and hi-dining tables spread in the center along with a running sofa catering to a few dining tables for group seating and a private dining area encouraging the community style seating for conferences,meetings and dinners. The furniture consists of hi tables with high chairs, dining tables with dining chairs and lounge sofas with low height tables for the casual atmosphere. It comprises of a range of different gold finish mesh metal chairs, bright vibrant high dining wooden chairs, rustic leather finish revolving bar stools, hexagon pattern wooden tops, marble finish low tables with comfortable leather and pattern fabric. This assortment helps build the overall concept of the social function and gathering having multiple thoughts, moods and perspectives in mind." - Nishant Umesh Desai, Creative Director, UDA
The theme was to generate a balance between art and nature. The only noticeable structural member was the introduction of a massive column in the center was greeted by ferns and petals in the form of hanging metal pots with a variety of plants and flowers springing out. This was complimented with a drip paint technique on the edges of the column consisting of colors that were matched with the fabric of the furniture.
The bar counter is finished in a rich wood finish top along with a mirror cladding on the bar Faccia which also included a mixture of a drip and spray paint technique adopted by the artist. The concept was to give freedom of thought to the abstract mind one possesses. The art further continues on the display TV wall in the private dining area where the artist adopted his/her version different mindset blocks of social butterflies [humans]. However the focal point of art was kept for the huge canvas wall which is also seen from the outside of the restaurant. The thought behind this wall was to add old school art and craft technique and combine it with modern lighting technique which ultimately happened to be in the form of the butterfly high logo itself.
The logo of butterfly high comprises of two humans (aka social butterflies) in conversation. This provided basis for the graffiti and craft on the wall. we thought of developing a conversation between the natural jungle elements in their true color and form with that of concrete jungle elements finished in the gold and brass paint. The shouting pink led logo sits on the gold concrete leaves with the natural blue & green jungle as the backdrop. the ripples created in pop help add attention to the focus of the wall which sends a message to the customer as soon as one enters the place. The pink led signage stands out from the otherwise natural and exposed theme of the canvas making one turn an eye
"Good design can often tell a story. The story of an assortment of art and nature and of developing an atmosphere where the customer is dragged towards creative thinking, which is a rather beautiful one to remember. One that has an evident, dreamy, poetry. Through designing butterfly high, we have tried to create a little of the same poetry.
the place offers something for everyone!
Butterfly high is your palate pleaser/breakfast club/cocktail retreat/humble abode/ hangout crib & working pad. come collaborate, connect and create." - Nishant Umesh Desai, Creative Director, UDA
Project: Butterfly High
Location: Mumbai, Maharashtra
Design House: Umesh Desai & Associates
Know more about Umesh Desai and Associates:
Umesh Desai & Associates was established in 1984 by Mr. Umesh Desai, alumni of Rachana Sansad, Mumbai with over 25 years of experience. The company has a long and successful record of designing, developing and executing premier interior design projects in India and abroad and is currently run by the father-son duo of Umesh and Nishant Desai.
Umesh Desai & Associates has a strong team built with care through the years. The core team consists of architect-designers, site managers and project coordinators. The entire team works in sync on a project as per well-laid down guidelines and processes. Currently the core team consists of 10 professionals all reporting to Mr. Desai. The combined experience of the team is well-over forty years in the field.
The office is located centrally in Bandra (E) opposite MIG club. It is well-equipped with high-end computers loaded with all the needed design software. All communication is instant and the clients can stay in touch with the team at all times.
Umesh Desai and Associates has a good team of suppliers, vendors and contractors with whom there is an effective working relationship and good understanding. This has always translated into quality work on sites. Recently the team has completed a prestigious hotels in Dubai for which they have received a lot of accolades. Umesh Desai and Associates is considered among the top bracket of interior designers in the city.
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