Proving that the power lies in the idea. Venue 54 exemplifies that a feeling of luxury is possible even on a low budget through applying techniques like upcycling.

Chef Inars Birmanis aims to make his patrons feel like guests. It made sense to choose an apartment for his pop-up restaurant in Riga. We knew of free apartments in the Philosophers Residence and turned to the developers. While they welcomed the idea, a buyer could show up at any time. This unknown future and instability made it the perfect match for a pop-up dining experience.

That sense of incompleteness and the unknown inspired our design concept. The solutions are affordable, adaptable and easy to transport, rooted in the ideas of responsible reuse. Every piece has the chance at another life after the restaurant shuts its doors for the last time.

We had acquired a collection of offcuts and leftover construction materials, which served as both inspiration and source material for the interior. Most of the furniture is handmade, the result of informal on-site workshops under the guidance of Zane Tetere-Sulce. For weeks, the design team, chef Birmanis himself, his friends, craftsmen Aldis Buss and Agnese Landrate worked side by side, piecing together the now-furniture and accessories. The scaffolding acts as both a room divider and vertical garden space. As part of the brief, Birmanis specified that he wanted to grow ingredients on site.

At the table, guests will notice the contrast between its setting and the creative “chaos” of the space. The setting is deliberately elegant to put focus on and complement the beauty of the food.

A project characterised by creativity, a collaborative spirit and shared responsibility towards our environment.

Our design for the Mulberry patisserie in Riga acknowledges the history, reputation and ambience of the so-called ‘Quiet Centre’ neighbourhood. It’s characterised by historical grandeur, manicured parks and well-to-do residents. Mulberry is located on the ground floor of an authentic Art Nouveau building by renowned architect Konstantīns Pēkšēns. The 20th century building has just recently been restored to its original glory and is now among Riga’s most high-end historical apartment complexes. We chose to marry the interior with the exterior through the colour scheme. The colour of the mulberry was also a symbolic source of inspiration.

To honour history, we introduced 21st century interpretations of the wall panelling and cornices which had disappeared from the ground floor space. The furniture is a modern take on classic pieces. We embraced rich materials like velvet, marble, brass and wood. The flowing shapes of the furniture are a nod to Art Nouveau. The bespoke counter is both eye-catching and functional as it serves to display the meticulously crafted pastries and cakes.

The dining area is designed to encourage a slow enjoyment and celebrating life’s little moments. Cosy window seats lure passers-by to take a break and indulge. A handmade wall decor honours the craftsmanship and skill of the pastry chefs. The collage is made of sieves, spoons and spatulas. It references just how much work and attention goes into every pastry. This incredible attention to detail was also a guiding principle for us in the overall design of the Mulberry patisserie.

A dental clinic must be fundamentally functional and sterile, but that leaves plenty of room for creativity. There’s no rule that walls must be white, floors tiled and surfaces made of stainless steel. At Riga’s new LAVA Dental studio we introduced elements like colour, lighting and texture to ease the patient experience and enhance staff wellbeing. Delivered in a relaxed environment, quality dental care should be a stress and fear-free experience. The walk from the reception area to the treatment rooms is calming and sparks curiosity rather than tension.

We designed the reception area to encourage patients to feel more like clients at a beauty salon or spa. Inspired by the flow and movement of lava in its natural environment, our design features floaty materials, earthy tones and textures. Above the reception desk, soothing projections show scenes of transformation in nature, hinting at how a patient should feel after their visit – positively transformed.

While conjuring the concept for Snatch, we explored all sides of the Italian culture including the audacious, mischievous, even naughty slant. While classic elements like the column, atlas and marble have a key presence in the interior, we’ve interpreted them in today’s design language and mixed them together with neon, graffiti and leopard print. Is the result the epitome of taste or borderline vulgarity? Depends who you ask! We respect and admire the Italians’ daring spirit and ability to get away with what other nations would consider controversial.

Snatch restaurant brings a new style of Italian dining experience to Riga which has its share of more traditional trattorias and pizzerias.

A light, spacious and cosy two story family apartment in Jurmala. We played with colours, materials and textures to create a serene living space. We chose materials of the highest quality combining them with elegant, functional design pieces, textiles and light fixtures. This is an apartment of details.

We approached the children’s quarters with a particular creativity. Each child has a world of their own. The spaces are multifunctional and interactive. We played with scale, light and tactile variety to evoke the imagination and creative thinking.

This is an emotionally intelligent interior for a saturated yet harmonious lifestyle.

The concept for The Catch Berlin is based on the contrast of hand crafted wooden details, made in the ancient Japanese technique –shou sugi ban – merged together with colourful glass and epoxy design pieces, inspired by Japanese traditions and today’s exaggerated Tokyo sea of neon.

Each wooden plank is different and crafted by experienced masters practicing wabi-sabi (a world view centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection). Characteristics of the wabi-sabi aesthetic include asymmetry, roughness, simplicity, austerity, modesty, intimacy and an appreciation of the ingenuous integrity of natural objects and processes. The Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi includes kintsugi, also known as kintsukuroi (golden repair) – the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery – treating breakage and repair as part of the history of an object.

The boat-shaped light is an example of combining different centuries in one piece. We took inspiration from the wasen – a traditional Japanese boat. Wa means “traditional Japanese thing”, while sen is one of the suffixes meaning boat or ship. The size and silhouette of the feature light reflect the exact prototype of a traditional Japanese fishing boat.

Of course, one can’t forget modern-day Japan in the form of manga-style bright colours and sexuality.

As a company, Trentini doesn’t offer ready-made concepts. The team involves the client in creating bespoke solutions. It was therefore important to design the new showroom as a space to let the mind roam free, inspire experiments, innovation and collaboration.

The Trentini showroom’s new home is a renovated 19th century building in central Riga. We chose to accent its history by painting the facade and authentic interior features white. The front of the showroom is designed to be adaptable and accommodate events such as product presentations, seminars and changing installations. Deeper within we used tinted MDF to build display rooms for housing product and design samples. To maximise on the available space, two of these rooms hover above the atrium. MDF is an efficient ready-to-use material which allows saving resources.

The Magnetic Latvia business information centre at Riga International Airport is somewhere to meet and discover the magnificence and potential of the country. A space to connect with potential business partners, organise seminars and presentations, learn about the services of the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, take a break or work between connecting flights.

Playing upon the Latvian landscape and the richness of nature, the interior design and decorations are finished in wood which symbolises its significance both in the local environment and everyday life. Wood has become the ultimate backdrop for the exhibited local design products furniture, ceramics, lighting, glass, linen and leather goods, fashion accessories, bicycles and balance bikes. A screen at the back of the space plays videos revealing the tourism and business opportunities in Latvia, the local landscape, creativity and traditions.

The story of Latvia comes to light in an aesthetic, enigmatic and adaptable space.

Philosophers Residence

The land on which the residence is built has a rich history that is directly related to philosophy. Both buildings are named after famous German philosophers – J.G.Hamann and J.G.Herder – and not without reason. Both of these Renaissance philosophers have lived here with a few years’ difference at the end of 18th century.

The main element of the lobby is its library – a 12-metre-high bookshelf, accented by huge “book pages” which hide the countless bookshelves of the residents’ communal library. The room is furnished with a variety of lounge furniture to encourage its use as a reading space or area for holding brief meetings. The concierge’s counter is made of wood playing on the theme of bookcase design. Light coloured finishing gives a sense of endlessness to the already huge space and accentuates the bookshelf. The second floor of the shelf’s construction is made of glass so that the giant book’s opening does not steal the space effect. The view out towards the Philosophers’ Alley with its centuries-old maples opens through the glass walls, giving extra effect to the three-storied lobby space.

FBO business jet terminal in Riga, Latvia functions as both a VIP area and a facility for dispatchers. This was a challenging and prestigious project. The OpenAD team was involved in decisions on every level.

The main prerequisites for the exclusive nature of the VIP hall, meeting rooms and the gallery were their size and the purity of the environment. Natural materials were used in the rooms and carpets are hand-woven. Brand-name furniture from companies such as Giorgetti was chosen intentionally due to its recognisability and outstanding quality.

In the dispatcher facility, priorities included acoustics, ergonomics and other functional aspects, as well as overall cosiness for workers who are there on a 24/7 basis.

A well thought-out open office layout focused on the wishes and productivity of the employee.

We positioned work stations near the windows along the exterior walls of the building to benefit from the daylight. The workspace area is separated by white and designed in neutral shades, while the core of the office with common areas and meeting rooms is more saturated in colour and furnishings. We made sure every area receives natural light.

Ergonomics and acoustics were key considerations in the planning process. All work stations are ergonomic. The walls of the public areas are clad in acoustic panels and sound absorbing felt is used in the meeting rooms.

Ficus trees and other larger indoor plants help ensure air quality and a healthy microclimate.

From interior to menu, the slow living philosophy is Cock & Bull’s guiding principle. The restaurant encourages a return to our roots serving pure and uncomplicated meals with a focus on the best available ingredients. Meat is the hero. The experience reminds diners that eating animals is not unnatural but should be done responsibly. The chefs receive most of their ingredients from local family-run farms and businesses. One should not forget that the origins of our food are humble and honest.

Therefore, the leather, shou sugi ban timber, rough wood and metal applied in the design are references to farms and butcher shops. A large Josper grill takes centre stage. Diners literally see their food being cooked whilst seated. They’re in good company. A key feature of the interior is the large scale photographs of the farmers and producers who supply the restaurant. In respect of the slow philosophy, the photographs are a special commission from photographer Māris Ločmelis who uses the wet plate technique.

As the interior concept so clearly represented the restaurant’s values and owners’ intentions, it also became the backbone of the restaurant’s marketing strategy. With a location in Riga old town the restaurant easily draws tourists but needed to appeal to locals as well.

Small spaces require custom solutions. At this apartment in London the small space inspired the architect to design a number of one-of-a-kind furniture units. A bed effortlessly folds away and blends with the wall, transforming the bedroom into a workspace and vice versa, while a custom-made dressing table adds an air of modern elegance while serving a functional purpose. In this multifunctional cosmopolitan residence the taste and know-how of the architect is evident not only in the choice of high quality materials and sophisticated aesthetics, but also in the smallest details, such as the choice of paintings and home accessories.

The result of the the reconstruction is three townhouse-style buildings. Hidden in an internal courtyard of Riga, they benefit from a special atmosphere that differs from the city’s dominant feel and typical architecture.

One of the apartments is designed to resemble a loft with exposed metal structures. We combined cool concrete and brick finishing with linen, soft furnishings from natural materials, Dutch and Scandinavian accessories. Together, they create an industrial, but modern and cosy environment.

The interior of the 4Finance office accents and emphasises the structure of the building. The office is located across three levels, each of which has a separate function. The mid level reveals a panoramic view of the upper and lower levels.

The design creates a mini world of its own with streets and buildings. The monochrome colour scheme accents the composition and zoning. Details and furniture are made of white oiled veneer which make the room cosier and warmer.

A marriage between the modern and the classic visually, functionally and in the context of the brand. The clients are collectors of art and antique furniture. They didn’t want to work in a predictable law office environment.

We divided the interior into two zones – client-facing and staff only. The ‘front office’ includes a meeting area, conference rooms and executive offices while the back office is intended for use by employees. Unusually for law offices, the clients welcomed the idea of an open office. Since the number of employees is quite high for the amount of space, a classic approach wouldn’t be possible in terms of space, access to daylight and air flow.

The front and back offices differ one from the other with paintings as a shared element. A red thread cuts through the interior, symbolising energy, movement and vitality. The theme continues in the red accents such as the protective decals on the glass partition walls and locally designed and manufactured lighting solutions.

The reception area encapsulates how we paired the classic with the modern. To optically broaden the space and highlight the symbolism, we ordered a photo shoot of Latvia’s Rundale Palace. The photos have been edited into one single image. We created a striking welcome zone by using white print on black wall panels instead of the typical black on white. The reception desk is ascetic for the sake of contrast, visual neatness and a clear perception of the concept.

The front office interiors feature antique furniture from the clients’ own collection. We placed it in the conference rooms and paired them with ascetic, contemporary decor to obtain lightness. The back office is furnished with light coloured, contemporary furniture, some of which is taken from the old office.

Greenery is the keyword. The brief highlighted the importance of plants to the client.

The space allowed us to embrace the open-office concept. Only some groups of employees have individual offices. The open-plan area is focused around one key piece of multifunctional furniture. It consists of desk space, a rest area with sofa, a dining area and special places for the larger plants.

We painted the walls white and left some parts of the brick wall exposed. In the closed office spaces, we used the London Toile wallpaper from the Timorous Beasties series.

The kitchen unit is made of a 6mm-thin metal sheet with integrated metal sink and pull-out rubbish bin. The kitchen walls are covered in flower pots placed on warehouse-style shelves.

An apartment near the seaside for use in summer months. We ensured the apartment is functional, bright and features quality furniture. We skilfully combined high end materials in a subtle manner. The wood panelling and matte natural stone contrast with the handmade carpets and linen textiles. Lighting was a key consideration.

7 HOUSES – 7 VALUES

Every lobby of seven is a contemporary artwork. The abundance of light romantic elements, conceptual art objects, a variety of designer furniture and paintings emphasize the mood of the value. The natural materials used in finishing creates a feeling of coziness and warmth, helps to relax and adjust to your home mood even before entering your own apartment.

LOVE– What in the world has neither price nor measures, nor weight?
FRIENDSHIP is like wine- the older the better
COZINESS is one of the treasures of the world
The main key to HAPPINESS is laughter
The TRUST is a two-way street
There is no way leading to it, HARMONY is the way
Mirror what you RESPECT

A two-storey apartment with a spiral wooden staircase and an enviable view overlooking the roofs of Riga. Its residents have the honour of feeling like Astrid Lindgren’s Karlsson-on-the-Roof.

The ascetic apartment provides space to breathe, its light and functional design has a relaxing effect. There are no exaggerations, it’s an airy and liveable environment. ⠀

Villa Hepburn is the most playful building within the Legend complex. It conjures the spirit of the 1960s.

The interior is dominated by white and nacre mixed with timber. We designed the reception area to resemble a huge pearl. Glass details and hidden lights create a gentle and slightly fragile feeling.

Villa Dietrich is characterised by femininity and a gentle and flowing sense. The ceiling of the entrance hall is seven metres high. The space’s interior is dominated by a round white staircase. A huge, stylised “necklace” weaves its way down from the fourth floor to the lobby conjuring a sense of gracefulness and accentuating the height of the space.

The vast mirrors and original lighting elements are the work of local designers.

Each of the villas in the Legend complex has its own character. The lobby of Villa Churchill is more strict and homogeneous than that of its sister villas Dietrich and Hepburn.

Stone is the most prominent material, powerful in its essence. We accentuated this by pairing the stone with concrete and other solid solutions like details made from rare timbers and two-metre-high cast iron door handles.

Honouring the historical value of the space and surroundings, the architecture and interior shine the light on delicately preserved authentic details. We uncovered bare brick and wood and integrated it with a lick of grey paint.

The wine room, coffee and tapas bar, and other parts of the restaurant are separated with furniture and curtains to provide privacy for individual groups.

The ascetic ambience serves as a backdrop for bright personalities, journeys of flavour and special occasions.

It’s always about the right place and right time.

Place Eleven isn’t just a regular office building. It’s a piece of sustainable architecture, it’s smart and the lobby is its essence. The lobby sees people coming and going, meeting, talking and making business happen. This constant sense of movement inspired us. With a little help from something as natural as sunlight we created a happening for residents and guests of Place Eleven. It happens only one time per day – the right time.

Inspired by sunlight we thought of place a large light laser in the lobby. The laser is beamed towards its target via mirrors which further direct the light towards a decorative wall of glass prisms, scattering white light all around.

That’s when IT happens.
Right place. Right time.
Place Eleven.

Design concept for cafeteria in the Place Eleven office building. The cafeteria continues the stylistics, mood, materials and design methods we used in the design of the lobby – light wood, colour accents and greenery.

The office interior of real estate developer Hanner is rooted in the activity-based concept. At its core, this is an open plan office without fixed workplaces, allowing employees to start every morning at a different desk. Wood and ascetic yet warm aesthetics dominate the interior. The layout is developed in a way that encourages communication and exchanging ideas. The interior expresses the characteristics of the team – dedicated, creative and full of ideas.

Apartment design for a female client who values quality and details. Dominant materials include textured and smooth wood panels and stone. Thanks to solutions like hidden storage areas and ergonomic furnishings, the result is pure and uncluttered. Every item on display is a deliberate choice.

The bedroom boudoir is hidden from the eyes of uninvited guests by a secret door installed in the wood panelling.

Urban planning was our inspiration for the functional planning of the McCann Riga office. We designed stylised “streets” with “houses”, podiums, and floor level flowerbeds.

Considering the limited budget, we made use of simple materials like lacquered MDF, white paint and planks to create pieces of furniture and finishings. We were early adopters of the upcycling idea. See, for example, the counter made of household junk. Every employee contributed an item from their home that they no longer used, so everyone felt like a part of the creative process. The lamps are made of cardboard tubes which were once fabric rolls.

Proving that one man’s trash is another man’s gold. The McCann Riga office won ‘Best foreign interior’ at the Moscow-based Best Office Awards 2011.

The interior story complements those of the McCann and Inspired offices which are all located in the same building. The functional planning is based on the idea of a building with a central courtyard. The “courtyard” contains the workplaces and is separated with walls and windows, behind which are the meetings rooms and studio for media training. Overhead lighting follows this same pattern, marking the borders between the “courtyard” and deeper internal areas.

We used simple materials like boards, lacquered MDF and straw-coloured carpets. Artificial grass marks the area of a stylised green patch.

We created the space from functional planning through to furniture design. The result was a popular restaurant and nightlife spot in Riga old town. The budget allowed us to exercise our creativity in using affordable materials and upcycling such as wood cuts. All the furniture and design pieces, except the bar chairs, are the work of lead architect and designer Zane Tetere – Sulce.

The restaurant is in a renovated wooden building that dates back to the early 20th century. It’s located in Jurmala, Latvia’s summer capital by the Baltic Sea.

The interior design concept is based around the floor ornaments characteristic of wooden architecture. We selected history-inspired wallpaper and Modernist furnishings to accompany the flooring. Together, the elements combine to create a fittingly opulent space. Authentic wooden elements were restored in the facade of the building and its interior.

The clients – three doctors – had long dreamt of opening their own restaurant. Its concept was based on a hospital with very obvious references throughout. Every visitor felt a strong reaction – some were instant fans while others had to overcome the initial shock.

Walls were painted in a clinical white shade with a thin red line as an accent. Glossy white tiles added to the sterile hospital feel. We were able to source genuine, Soviet-era medical furniture and equipment which we combined with metal, MDF and tiles to create unique design pieces.

We divided the space into zones. The bar area was themed around a pharmacy. The large dining table was inspired by operating tables, made of steel and lit from above by a real old operating theatre lamp. Other areas included a sanatorium, dental studio, gynaecologist’s office complete with chair, an academic library and even a morgue. One of the washrooms was decorated from top to bottom in mirrors, creating quite the optical effect.

The restaurant gained major publicity in local and international media winning attention for Open AD and our daring creative spirit.

The interior concept is focused around the planned functionality of the space – a gastropub. The existing advantages of the space, namely brick walls and concrete floors are embraced. A slightly ethnic feel permeates.

An arched wall serves as the compositional centre and is clad in timber planks. A free-standing bar “grows” from the wall in both directions and is finished in the same timber material. Both bar and table surfaces are made of a wet-proof veneer. In the back of the space a floor-to-ceiling bottle rack is both practical and a striking visual element.

We painted the ceiling a dark grey-blue, which is fully matte, so it looks velvety deep. The brick walls are painted in a light colour which resembles the natural colour of yellow bricks.

The furniture is bespoke. The lamps are handmade from wholesale sugar sacks. The wall tapestries are a stylised element of Latvian ethnography.

A timeless interior.

The apartment is located in a renovated Soviet era factory building. The interior is based on exposing the existing concrete constructions which are complemented with simple materials such as veneer, metal, concrete and plaster. From day one, the apartment is the handiwork of its owner Edijs with the interior concept a creative collaboration with his friend Zane Tetere-Sulce.

Edijs was attracted to the property because of its ceiling height of 4,5 meters which made it possible to design an apartment across 1,5 levels. The floor on level 1 is made of lacquered oak with tiles in the entrance area. On level 2 the floor is lacquered veneer. The sliding doors are made from sheets of OSB.

Many pieces in the apartment have a special story. The bath is a vintage cast-iron piece treated in a special technique by master Juris Markulis who also produced the decorative plaster masterpiece on the bedroom wall. The mirror above the sinks is a second-hand market find. Numerous items including the table and chest of drawers are pre-loved but restored. The bedside tables are made of blocks which are usually used for constructing buildings.

Illustrating that creativity knows no bounds and limited budgets are no restriction.

Concept for kinetic wall