Theodora | Home Studios

Theodora is a new restaurant in Brooklyn, NY designed by Home Studios, the award-winning design firm also based in Brooklyn. Founded in 2009 by former book editor Oliver Haslegrave, the studio’s aim is to help tell the stories of inspired outsiders through the artforms of architecture and interior design.

From the team behind popular Fort Greene Mediterranean spot Miss Ada, Theodora (located at 7 Greene Avenue) is anchored by an open kitchen and wood-fired cooking, and will offer dry-aged fish and seasonal produce. And the inspired offering extends beyond the culinary.

Long known for the established look and feel of their hospitality projects, which span celebrated nationwide restaurants and hotels, Home Studios embraced the restaurant’s warm, welcoming and unpretentious narrative and Mediterranean-inspired menu to inform the interior approach of Theodora, with the primary design goal of layering in the energy, eclecticism and Old World charm of cities, spaces and materials that have stood the test of time.

Featuring a spirit of reinvention and paying respect to the original building, Theodora is an extension of the studio’s expressive aesthetic, featuring unadorned materials that are both elegant and humble; expertly-crafted and highly-detailed warm wood millwork and seating; sculptural stucco walls; natural stone and glazed tile surfaces; and work from local artists.

Much like the ingredients of a meal cooked by fire, simplicity and quality are paramount at Theodora, with materials and details aiming to provide character as they age with time.

Examples of the restaurant’s exemplary design decisions and expert craft starts with the statement-making entry bar area, which aims to wow visitors upon first glance.

The back bar is simple but powerful, featuring a series of soft curve shapes carved into the plaster wall; however, the layered material details – aged plaster, ceppo di gre shelves, zellige tiles and curved, custom tiles used as columns to divide the back bar space – add greater visual interest for guests to gaze upon.

Additionally, there are two sets of bronze mirrors embedded into the plaster walls, allowing for an unexpected architectural moment.

Festooning the bar, a series of handcrafted ceramic custom pendant lamps made in collaboration with designers Ben and Aja Blanc, which feature a wavy-edge and playful ball detailing, blackened metal stem and unsealed canopy, will provide a beautiful patina over time.

Home Studios worked with its contractor to break a mixed-color new tiles, and reassemble them organically and irregularly, to create a custom mosaic tile floor in the bathroom and base trim throughout the restaurant in an effort to achieve an Old World handmade terrazzo appearance.

Terracotta flooring welcomes guests into the restaurant, whereas reclaimed wood flanks both the back dining area floor. Another thoughtful wood detail includes four oversized custom wood boxes created to accentuate the speakers and introduce a more retro look.

Home Studios also embraced pre-existing architectural elements and decided to keep the existing ceiling arch, while adding a new layer of raked plaster to give the existing architectural form a sculpted quality. This motif can also be seen in the rounded dry-aging cabinet, custom made out of plaster, to create a simple yet impactful design red thread throughout.

Additional interesting use of material includes the open kitchen, which features a Cle Belgian Reproduction Terracotta Star + Cross tile back wall, a tile cladded kitchen oven, and a limestone pass counter.

Guests in the dining areas will enjoy the roomy wood banquettes, soft ceramic wall sconces by Ben and Aja Blanc, and top-notch stone table tops paired with vintage Belgian, Dutch and mid-century Italian Ladderback Chairs featuring woven rush seats.

Thanks to the support and trust of Theodora’s owner, Tomer Blechman, Home Studios was able to combine diverse influences to create an inviting environment bursting with curated decor and playful details, imparting a sense of refinement and community.

Photography: Brian W Ferry

Website: https://brianwferry.com/