Rosmely is a steakhouse in Bari, with a long-standing reputation in the restaurant business and the retail sale of premium meats. For its dining room, the owners wanted an elegant and exclusive space, with just a few seats reserved for connoisseurs of high-quality grilled meat and fine wines. The challenge arose once the building site was already up and running: the refurbishment work had begun, but the atmosphere of the venue was still not quite right. Barberio Colella Architetti, brought in alongside the joinery firm Coletta Ebanisteria Italiana, stepped in at the last minute, with very little time to spare before the reopening.
The Firm’s proposal transforms the room, renamed the Steak Room, by minimising structural work and focusing primarily on additions, such as fixed furnishings and timber panelling. This approach turns the constraints – a tight schedule and an already underway construction site – into a method: rather than demolishing and rebuilding, the space is clad and fitted out. Thanks to the collaboration with the cabinetmakers, the project was developed and completed in just a few weeks, just in time for the reopening.
The integrated furniture and panelling system defines the entire room: sliding and hinged doors leading to the workspaces and bathrooms; a fitted wall unit incorporating large fridges for drinks and desserts; a large wine rack with integrated linear LED lighting and compartments for wine glasses; a slatted panelling above the natural oak units, illuminated from below. The furniture is made of poplar plywood with an oak veneer, stained black with a golden patina running through the grain; the tables are in solid oak with the same finish; and backlit round mirrors adorn the only bare wall, which is clad in porcelain stoneware.
The contrast between the soft lighting – integrated into the furnishings and provided by concrete pendant lamps – and the dark tones of the furnishings and walls creates the warm, cosy atmosphere perfect for grilled meat and a good glass of wine. On a small scale, the Steak Room applies the approach of the Firm founded by Maurizio Barberio and Micaela Colella: minimalist design, dry construction and timber craft – techniques already tried and tested in other projects by the Firm dedicated to high-quality, detail-oriented interior design.
Technical details
Location: Bari, Puglia, Italy
Year: 2019
Client: Rosmely Braceria, Bari
Joinery and bespoke furniture: Coletta Ebanisteria Italiana
Commission: interior design and bespoke furniture design
Typology: Interior design and bespoke furniture design for the hospitality sector — dining room of a steakhouse
Area: 50 m² (interior room)
Functional programme: an exclusive dining room with limited seating, a wine rack, a wall fitted with fridges for drinks and desserts, and access to workspaces and toilets
Status: built (2019)
Designers: Maurizio Barberio, Micaela Colella (Barberio Colella Architetti)
Main materials: oak-veneered poplar plywood, stained black with a golden patina; solid oak (tables); Ariostea Teknostone Tobacco porcelain stoneware; Creative Cables concrete pendant lights (Prism KPAC01CGN); Pedrali Queen 650 chairs; integrated linear LED lighting; backlit round mirrors
Photo credits: Giorgio Moschetti for Coletta Ebanisteria Italiana; 2night.it
