Location
Petitenget, Bali
Taco Casa Ubud
Services
Interior Design
Project Information
Category
Commercial
Floor Area
400 sqm
Samma Studio Team
Daf Ashari
Vany Vanessa
Agastia Betha
Contractor
Ketut Wijawan
Photographer
Marvin Lesmana
Translationg visions into responsible expression.
Samma Studio has recently refurbished the renowned Tex-Mex style restaurant Taco Casa located in Ubud, Bali. The Ubud restaurant – the first of many locations for this rapidly growing franchise – was due for a redesign after almost 10 years of being in business.
The studio interpreted Taco Casa’s brand through the incorporation of deep reds and mustard yellows on the upholstery – a color palette that is highly specific to the restaurant and referential to the food it serves.
RED BRICKS
BRASS
NATURAL STONE
The establishment is divided into two floors, with the ground floor acting as a restaurant and the floor above it acting as a bar and lounge. The upstairs bar and lounge had been introduced as a new concept that was to be the latest addition to all Taco Casa franchises. With the new concept came a necessity to set the two functions apart through interior design, and that was where Samma Studio came into the picture.
Because of the fast-moving nature of the restaurant, it had a high tendency to be crowded in peak hours. There was a need for practical, light furniture that can easily be moved around. This was implemented in the seating arrangement that was made to be highly flexible to cater to a variety of different groups. Through careful use of wood and velvet upholstery, the fluid seating arrangement is successfully disguised to appear more sturdy and fixed. The walls are a combination of exposed concrete, bricks, and wood that draws all attention to the upholstery. The restaurant section of the building relies on indirect lighting from the recessed ceiling and the back of a string of booth seating for atmosphere.
In designing the brand new upstairs bar, the studio worked with elements that had previously existed in the location. Because of its unique pattern, it was decided that the wooden floorboards were to be kept. Similarly, the concrete counter was also kept to eventually be repurposed as the bar. Other than these elements, the furniture was entirely custom-made. Low, comfortable sofas, ottomans, and armchairs were combined with low tables to set a more relaxed atmosphere that contrasts the fast-paced restaurant below. The bar is lined up with brass, bride’s veil style chairs with cushions. To maximize the narrow hallway space, a row of these chairs were also placed by the window to overlook the bustling Ubud road in front of the establishment. Large, gold-trimmed mirrors become a key element of the space.
The underside of the pitched roof is exposed to reveal the steel and wooden structures that add to the bar’s masculine feel. To complement the steel roof frames, the metal shelving behind the bar was painted black. Tropical indoor plants are present throughout the space to add color and soften the harshness of the steel. All of the chosen materials work together to elevate the dining experience, while the murals on the wall aid in keeping the essence of the restaurant. This renovation project did not set out to strip the brand of its character, but instead repackage the fun and casual feel of the restaurant into a more mature and sophisticated version of it.
