It’s funky and quirky, the newest F&B project by Designsmith—The Bowl One.

The Bowl One restaurant in DIFC offers healthy food from organic produce and sustainable processes, and that formed the seed for the design concept. The client wanted the space to be an extension of her spunky, entrepreneurial spirit and so Designsmith stepped in to create interiors that were contemporary yet timeless with modern details and a dash of fun.

Mihir Sanganee, design director, says: “The design is dominated by clean lines intercepted with subtle curves to guide the circulation of the space. The majority of the materials used are natural finishes in subdued colour palates, allowing the wall graphics and decorative lighting to pop. One of the central design features, developed by our designers was the hanging system above the counter with a halo-like glow, which also doubles up as storage for the client’s home-grown pickling and margination process, helping the jars settle, and give that fresh organic vibe.”

Other design elements, such as the sliding panels on the back wall cabinets that double up as menu boards, and the entrance library staircase as well as all the seating and custom steel finished counter spaces, were also designed and produced in-house to complement the rustic nature of the space. The area between the outdoor and indoor seating is blurred via bi-fold doors, creating an inviting atmosphere. Al Halabi worked closely with the designers to develop the equipment planning for the kitchen and artist Sijin Gopinathan collaborated with the studio for the graffiti in the interiors. Gopinathan also executed the graphics on the walls that give the place its peppy vibe. The fit-out partner for this project were Excel Engineering & Contracting.

To leverage the impact of social media and to embed something truly characteristic of the client’s persona, we custom manufactured a circular swing seating as the ‘Instagram nook which, along with the graphics and the lighting in the background, truly captures the culinary aesthetic and design ideology of the restaurant.

Photo credit: Chandan Sojitra