The Harlem restaurant, Vinateria, was designed by Salty Labs – a small collaborative design studio founded by Jonsara Ruth. The design was an experiment in limiting waste through re-use, remediating indoor air pollutants, revitalizing found objects and creating a curious, spirited atmosphere for eating and drinking in South Harlem.

“We can all agree on the value of reuse, repurposing, recycling, upcycling. But too often in interior design projects, these processes are treated as ends rather than means, with results that are usually more earnest than elegant. At Vinatería, a Harlem restaurant that opened in April, almost every material has had a previous life (or lives), but that’s not what you

notice about the room. Instead, you see a subtle layering of color and form and sophisticated details. Yes, the design is environmentally friendly. But above all, Vinatería is chic.” Viladas

The project was realized with the great dedication of alumni Catherine Murphy (mfaID ’11), Livia Di Mario (mfaID ’12) and Paolo Agostinelli (mfaID ’12), collecting expert Fritz Karch (AfterTaste ’13), and SCE faculty member Helen Quinn.

The full article and Gallery Pages can be found here.