Taking a lively approach to the interior design of a restaurant serving Japanese favourites, ‘Lonely Mouth’ by Frank Architecture features deliberate design interventions to create a warm yet mood environment. The project name of Lonely Mouth comes from the word ‘Kuchisabishii,’ a uniquely Japanese word that literally means ‘When you’re not hungry, but you eat because your mouth is lonely.’
Working with a limited budget, the designers were inspired by Japanese minimalism, using existing materials and design elements where possible while layering in new textures.
The dining room area includes raked plaster, brown velvet corduroy upholstery, and warm wood tones. A wood dowel screen provides transparent separation between the bar and dining spaces, creating intimate pockets for guests within the restaurant. Selected art pieces reinforce the concept and include pieces by local Calgarians Harry Kiyooka and Rhys Douglas Farrell on the wood paneled walls. These works are accompanied by ‘noodle mimicking’ fibre art offering a fun textural element to space.
Repurposed elements are present throughout the renovation. The dining chairs are vintage, brought back to life with fresh, green upholstery, and eclectic bar shelves have been reinvented to feature the extensive curated sake collection.
The design brief also included reinventing the exterior façade to increase the connectivity between the interior dining room and bustling 17th Avenue. Overhead garage doors flank the approach to the restaurant, maximizing the natural light and blending the line between interior and exterior patio dining spaces.
