A wink to tradition
The designer has given a humoristic twist to the traditional “tatami” room which is at the heart of the project. It breaks the “cafeteria style” effect which is due to the high ceilings and the rectangular shape of the place and forces us to question our perception of space. The long sculptural strip made of yellow birch wraps itself around, as would a furoshiki, to form a “box” that the designer has positioned slightly off the mark. The reason for this becomes apparent when one moves along inside the bistro bar. “Jean thinks of the smallest detail, he is a great designer and a perfectionist who is passionate about design! “, rejoices Ivy Dong, one of the owners. In this clean space, however, not a single detail is superfluous.

The gigantic flowers that run on the floor, walls and ceiling lead us into a world of fantasy and poetry. Such excessive demonstration is often seen in a manga universe. Here, the huge plum blossoms, peonies and stylized chrysanthemums have become contemporary representatives of the kamon (the heraldic insignia of ancient samurai clans). These identical patterns are also found on a tiny paper kimono displayed on the wall, the first of a series of ten works of art, which shapes and colors are a daring challenge to one another. This quintessential signature has become a part of the identity of Kinoya, so much that the aesthetic floral graphic is also displayed on the menu card.

The warmth and golden quality of wood, the delicate and sharp shades of pink against a masculine glossy black; the softness of materials in a more classic shade of grey all blend in with finesse, because for Jean de Lessard: “I wanted to create a place which would be sexy but not fake, a place where both men and women would feel good.” Still, humour is never far away evokes the playfully clad-in-skirt bar stools created by the designer. Soft and indirect lighting is used to create different moods, as well as the play of chiaroscuro and of pitching “full” against “empty” through various architectural elements, such as the wood partition at the bar that the designer has detached from the wall.

If Kinoya was designed to be in the image of its trendy clients, it also reflects the personality of its young creative and dynamic owners faithfully. “We have so much fun working here“, says Ivy Dong, and as for the chef Devin Chen, he concludes: “In my restaurant, I always feel as if I am wearing the yukata and that we are gathered on the tatami, my friends and I, for food and drinks and to have a good time! ” Dōmo arigatō gozaimasu!

Mandatory mention of
photo credits: © M David Giral
Bistro japonais Kinoya

Technical specs
Client: Kinoya
Concept: Jean de Lessard, Designer Créatif
Graphic renderings: Atelier Isabelle Leclerc
Tatami box: Constructech
Electrical: Fizzanno Électrique
Glass: HSGlass
Lighting: Au courant Lighting

Material
Paint, yellow birch, laminate, laquer

Parameters
Total bistro surface: 1,500 square feet (23‘ x 75’)
Tatami box: 400 square feet

About Jean de Lessard
With more than 20 years’ experience, Montreal designer Jean de Lessard has designed numerous interiors, particularly in the commercial and deluxe residential sectors. His eclectic skill has led him to work on spaces with very diverse vocations, from the corporate offices of the world-class company Acquisio to the Cache-à-l’eau recreational centre for children, Hotel Trylon, and the redesign of the interiors of the restaurants in the Rouge Boeuf chain. He is regularly asked to travel to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia to analyze different interior design mandates.

In 2010, Jean de Lessard received the prestigious International Best Interior Design Americas award in London, England, for his design of the offices of the marketing agency Upperkut. He has also won the Prix Intérieurs | Ferdie, in the Commerce Design Montréal competition, and awards from the Institut Design Montréal. He is a member of the Club des Ambassadeurs des Grands Prix du Design, and his designs have been published many times around the world in gold-standard interior design books and magazines.