insula studio completes 'la petrilleria' - an intimate italian bistro in rome

insula studio has completed ‘la petrilleria’, a deli shop and bistro in rome. the restaurant, owned by sara and luca petrillo, is located in the city’s elegant pinciano neighbourhood and provides a space where patrons can buy and taste genuine italian cuisine from the emilia-romagna region.

the eatery is located in the elegant pinciano neighbourhood

a compact space at just 63 meters squared, the bistro is dominated by a 7 meter long stone counter. in realizing their design, insula wanted to take advantage of the intimate atmosphere, rather than consider it a negative. ‘la petrilleria’ was designed with the aim to ‘realize a very familiar and warm place, with a comfortable, relaxed aesthetic. a place to sit, have a drink and easily meet people and socialize’ explain the studio.

a 7 meter long stone table dominates the space

a renovated vaulted ceiling adds height, and three full height, metal framed glass windows invite light into the space. the central stone counter anchors the eatery, and is illuminated by a long pendant lamp — the bistro’s defining feature. by the windows are placed red leather boudoirs and poufs, that — along with iron frame coffee tables — define two ‘chill-out’ corners. in summer these areas are recomposed as two mini outdoor living rooms, with windows opening fully to the street.

the restaurant serves cuisine from the emilia-romagna region, where the owners are from

to emphasize the warm and relaxed atmosphere of ‘la petrilleria’, all the light sources are concealed. in addition to the central lamp, two suspended open metal frames are installed to softly uplight the ceiling with a dimmable lighting while the shelves are fitted with indirect track lighting. insula has employed refined materials to form a harmonious environment, with a strong chromatic dimension. starting from the fossena stone brown grey, all the furniture — designed by insula — features textured materials such as leather, wood and steel that provide a welcoming, tactile experience. the floor is paved with black grès tiles with a french herringbone pattern.

‘the challenge was to evoke a convivial atmosphere, maintaining a contemporary identity’ continue insula. ‘to do this, we designed with passion and extreme care each elements and furniture’s details of the project, from the form to the materials, to the colour palette. we love people to live in a place with a story, but a brand new one’

cosy red couches line the walls

in keeping with the locations intimate atmosphere, all sources of light are concealed

the full length windows open like doors onto the street for summer time dining

 a plan of the restaurant 

project info:

location: rome
year: 2016
design: insula architettura e ingegneria srl (eugenio cipollone, nicoletta marzetti, paolo diglio)
interior design: silvia morozzi
area: mq 63
suppliers: cimarelli remigi, living srl, illuminati, inidraig, cemifsrl
materials: mutina, oli, globo, trevisan, dyson
budget: 160,000 euro
photography: all images © luigi filetici

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: peter corboy | designboom