Conservative restoration: Allestimenta srl
Interior design and lighting design: Debonademeo Studio
Furnishings: Custom made by Debonademeo Studio, Pedrali
Lighting: Custom made by Debonademeo Studio, Karman
Flooring: Tarkett
Walls: Wall&Decò
Photo credits: Serena Eller Vainicher
“When making a reservation, guests are invited to choose between two tasting menus, whose details are not explicitly outlined, except for their general lines of inspiration. The surprise continues at the table, in splendid rooms with historical elements, where dishes arrive unannounced, in a long succession, with ingredients mimicking other ingredients, creating a playful and surprising cuisine for those who want to break free from the ordinary.”
This is how the Michelin guide describes the starred Contraste, a Milanese restaurant that offers its guests unique experiences each time, both for the palate and the eyes. This is thanks to the three friends and partners Matias Perdomo, an Uruguayan chef, Simon Press, an Argentine sous-chef, and Thomas Piras, an Italian maître, who founded it almost nine years ago, and now also thanks to the design team at Debonademeo Studio, who have overseen the complete renovation, transforming the spaces into a versatile and engaging environment. An attentive restoration of the historical soul of the location, situated on the mezzanine floor of an early 19th-century building, has brought to light surfaces, stuccoes, decorative apparatus, and frescoes of the era, thanks also to skilled restoration craftsmen. The designers have associated this with a modern style with a strong impact.
The layout designed for the interiors eliminates existing intermediate walls, leaving a volume divided seamlessly into five different areas: four dining rooms and a relaxation area. Interconnecting rooms, each characterized by a dominant nuance inspired by the four elements air, earth, water, and fire.
Only a system of full-height velvet curtains opens and closes each uniquely characterized area as needed, promoting a pleasant fluidity. The aesthetic research is meticulous in favor of an immersive journey through contrasting sensations, ranging from the flavors of the dishes to the shifting colors, from cold to warm tones, from rough to soft surfaces, from elements of the past to contemporary furniture pieces. The Tarkett vinyl flooring in strips of pink, blue, light gray, and anthracite seminato matches the wallpaper custom-designed by Debonademeo Studio for Wall&Decò.
The metal arc lamps, crafted by Karman based on the designers’ specifications, delicately hover over the Inox tables and Ester armchairs by Pedrali. ‘Silent tables’, thanks to the study of acoustics and the use of sound-absorbing elements, are served by fluorescent yellow carts with maxi wheels also designed by Debonademeo Studio.
