Love is in the Grill: Designing Romance for Romantic Baboy
Romance is already in its name as Romantic Baboy. But, there are still a few things, design-wise, to explore to make it live up to its brand. What better occasion to put this goal to work than the Valentine’s season? Interior Designer Paolo Castro, principal designer of Bespoke 88, took on the task to create a romantic ambience fit for the upscale version of the famous Korean grill in McKinley Hill, Taguig City.
For this project, Castro was given the brief to design a space that will embody the name of the restaurant. In addition, the interior should also add to its value and give it a modern look without being intimidating. As for the location itself, the restaurant sits on a development inspired by the romantic ambience of Italy. Notably, this is the setting of the famed Shakespearean tragedy, Romeo and Juliet. These elements, along with the restaurant’s red and gray palette served as the building blocks for the design.
According to Castro, the main design problem maximizing and connecting a two-level space with an irregular shape. The lower area has a very low ceiling, while the upper space has a very high ceiling. For this, he turned to the star-crossed lovers Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet for inspiration.
His main idea was to treat the upper area as an outdoor dining space underneath the stars. He also imagined this area as set against the wall of the Capulet house. The windows of this wall also represent the iconic balcony scene of the play. As a nice touch, it’s a nod to Romeo and Juliet’s declaration of undying love for each other. Meanwhile, he envisioned the lower area as the interior of the house.
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The result was a mix of neo-romanticism interior concept and Romantic Baboy’s industrial design. It also maximized the upper and lower areas. The red accents came in the form of witty quotes in red neon lights and red roses all over the space. Meanwhile, gold accents in the form of furniture and lighting fixtures complete the look. The brick walls, ceiling, and flooring served as the dark gray canvas of the entire design.
Photography by Ezekiel Isaiah M. Bertumen
