Red-painted timber and metal contrast with jade terrazzo in Pirana, a bar and restaurant in Balham, London, created by design studio Sella Concept.The venue is owned by brothers Alastair and Nicholas Heathcote, who have set up a number of successful bars and restaurants across the UK capital in the past five years.

Sella Concept designed the space to have a casual and easygoing atmosphere, avoiding cliched references to South American culture.To do this, studio founders Tatjana von Stein and Gayle Noonan eschewed the soft, warm colours and traditional patterns that are typically associated with the region. They instead opted for a bold, retro theme, with banquette seating and signage reminiscent of a 1950s diner.

Renovating with the shell of a former restaurant, Sella Concept worked directly with the building contractor to subdivide the space into different areas, each with a subtly different mood. The design concept began by developing an understanding of how people will use the overall space, incorporating visual shifts and atmospheric transitions to accommodate changing behaviours within the venue.

The restaurant's colour and material palettes play with bold contrasting colours and textures. For example, blue and white mosaic tiles are set against red metal window frames on the facade while inside, the bespoke jade terrazzo floor clashes with the earthy red upholstery and the curved timber slats that line the bar.Apart from the chairs and lights, every fixture and item of furniture in Pirana has been custom-designed for the space by Sella Concept, including the booths, bar, banquette, tables, stools, floors and bathroom sinks.