Ste Marie has designed two interconnected hospitality venues named Olia and Mimi in Edmonton. These two destinations are located at the base of a new residential tower and commissioned by chef Daniel Costa of the Corso 32 Group. Residents who live in the tower are able to enter through a private internal access point while the public uses street-facing entrances.
Olia features custom Portuguese walnut tables, ecru leather benches, polished creamy marble, high-gloss tawny lacquered cabinetry, and a backlit fluted glass bar. Inside, oversized pendant lights shift from daylight filtered through sheer drapery to a soft buttery yellow ambient glow as evening approaches.
Mimi, which is designed for later hours, incorporates deep browns, glossy reds, amber tones, Rosso Rubino marble, chrome detailing, burnt orange velvet sofas reminiscent of 1960s sunken lounges, monolithic burled walnut panels, and a repetition of large capsule pendants producing a consistent low glow.
Image Credit: Conrad Brown
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Integrated Residential-dining Hubs
- Private internal access for residents alongside public entrances suggests a new model of seamless residential-hospitality integration that can reshape mixed-use revenue streams.
- Adaptive Lighting Ambience
- Oversized pendants that transition from daylight to warm evening glow indicate growing demand for dynamic lighting systems that tailor atmosphere to time and mood.
- Retro-luxe Material Palettes
- The pairing of 1960s-inspired velvets, burled walnut and Rosso Rubino marble points to a revival of nostalgic luxury finishes that could be reimagined as modular, upgradable surface systems.
Where This Applies
- Hospitality Design
- Interconnected venues designed for staggered day-to-night programming reveal opportunities for design firms to deliver turn-key concepts optimized for both resident privacy and public access.
- Smart Lighting Systems
- Lighting that shifts color and intensity across the day highlights potential for IoT-driven luminaires that integrate circadian science with venue branding.
- Materials Manufacturing
- Extensive use of specialty woods, marbles and high-gloss lacquers underscores demand for engineered luxury materials that offer lighter weight, sustainability and ease of refurbishment.
