Press kit no. 760-05
Journalists, explore this publication-ready project. Create a free v2com media account to download high-resolution images.
Create a media account
Press Kit | no. 760-05
A sense of excess
Bistro japonais Kinoya
Montreal, Canada
Jean de Lessard, Designers Créatifs
An unconventional Japanese bistro has just opened on Saint-Denis Street
Montreal, Canada, 2012-09-06 -
Since the recent opening of Japanese bistro Kinoya on Saint-Denis Street, the Irasshaïmase salutes have not stopped in this izakaya, the Japanese answer to the tapas bar. Modern yet imbued with tradition, this little gem of Japanese cuisine deserved for its jewel case nothing but an unusually inventive design. Created by the talented designer Jean de Lessard, who had carte blanche for this project, the volumes and shapes of great simplicity are making this space shine with a total casual chic.
Although the interior stone and brick covering had to be kept, the metamorphosis is radical in this once darken place. "Any trace of the previous Italian restaurant with its huge pizza ovens has disappeared. One can now enjoy the show of performing Japanese chefs in their open kitchen ", explains Jean de Lessard.
Changes to the existing circulation axis, as well as the creation of new viewpoints with different ambiances have given the space an amazing sense of dynamism and fluidity.
A wink to tradition
The designer has given a humoristic twist to the traditional "tatami" room which is at the heart of the project. It breaks the "cafeteria style" effect which is due to the high ceilings and the rectangular shape of the place and forces us to question our perception of space. The long sculptural strip made of yellow birch wraps itself around, as would a furoshiki, to form a "box" that the designer has positioned slightly off the mark. The reason for this becomes apparent when one moves along inside the bistro bar. "Jean thinks of the smallest detail, he is a great designer and a perfectionist who is passionate about design! ", rejoices Ivy Dong, one of the owners. In this clean space, however, not a single detail is superfluous.
The gigantic flowers that run on the floor, walls and ceiling lead us into a world of fantasy and poetry. Such excessive demonstration is often seen in a manga universe. Here, the huge plum blossoms, peonies and stylized chrysanthemums have become contemporary representatives of the kamon (the heraldic insignia of ancient samurai clans). These identical patterns are also found on a tiny paper kimono displayed on the wall, the first of a series of ten works of art, which shapes and colors are a daring challenge to one another. This quintessential signature has become a part of the identity of Kinoya, so much that the aesthetic floral graphic is also displayed on the menu card.
The warmth and golden quality of wood, the delicate and sharp shades of pink against a masculine glossy black; the softness of materials in a more classic shade of grey all blend in with finesse, because for Jean de Lessard: "I wanted to create a place which would be sexy but not fake, a place where both men and women would feel good." Still, humour is never far away evokes the playfully clad-in-skirt bar stools created by the designer. Soft and indirect lighting is used to create different moods, as well as the play of chiaroscuro and of pitching "full" against "empty" through various architectural elements, such as the wood partition at the bar that the designer has detached from the wall.
If Kinoya was designed to be in the image of its trendy clients, it also reflects the personality of its young creative and dynamic owners faithfully. "We have so much fun working here", says Ivy Dong, and as for the chef Devin Chen, he concludes: "In my restaurant, I always feel as if I am wearing the yukata and that we are gathered on the tatami, my friends and I, for food and drinks and to have a good time! " Dōmo arigatō gozaimasu!
Mandatory mention of
photo credits: © M David Giral
Bistro japonais Kinoya
Technical specs
Client: Kinoya
Concept: Jean de Lessard, Designer Créatif
Graphic renderings: Atelier Isabelle Leclerc
Tatami box: Constructech
Electrical: Fizzanno Électrique
Glass: HSGlass
Lighting: Au courant Lighting
Material
Paint, yellow birch, laminate, laquer
Parameters
Total bistro surface: 1,500 square feet (23‘ x 75’)
Tatami box: 400 square feet
About Jean de Lessard
With more than 20 years’ experience, Montreal designer Jean de Lessard has designed numerous interiors, particularly in the commercial and deluxe residential sectors. His eclectic skill has led him to work on spaces with very diverse vocations, from the corporate offices of the world-class company Acquisio to the Cache-à-l’eau recreational centre for children, Hotel Trylon, and the redesign of the interiors of the restaurants in the Rouge Boeuf chain. He is regularly asked to travel to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia to analyze different interior design mandates.
In 2010, Jean de Lessard received the prestigious International Best Interior Design Americas award in London, England, for his design of the offices of the marketing agency Upperkut. He has also won the Prix Intérieurs | Ferdie, in the Commerce Design Montréal competition, and awards from the Institut Design Montréal. He is a member of the Club des Ambassadeurs des Grands Prix du Design, and his designs have been published many times around the world in gold-standard interior design books and magazines.
Although the interior stone and brick covering had to be kept, the metamorphosis is radical in this once darken place. "Any trace of the previous Italian restaurant with its huge pizza ovens has disappeared. One can now enjoy the show of performing Japanese chefs in their open kitchen ", explains Jean de Lessard.
Changes to the existing circulation axis, as well as the creation of new viewpoints with different ambiances have given the space an amazing sense of dynamism and fluidity.
A wink to tradition
The designer has given a humoristic twist to the traditional "tatami" room which is at the heart of the project. It breaks the "cafeteria style" effect which is due to the high ceilings and the rectangular shape of the place and forces us to question our perception of space. The long sculptural strip made of yellow birch wraps itself around, as would a furoshiki, to form a "box" that the designer has positioned slightly off the mark. The reason for this becomes apparent when one moves along inside the bistro bar. "Jean thinks of the smallest detail, he is a great designer and a perfectionist who is passionate about design! ", rejoices Ivy Dong, one of the owners. In this clean space, however, not a single detail is superfluous.
The gigantic flowers that run on the floor, walls and ceiling lead us into a world of fantasy and poetry. Such excessive demonstration is often seen in a manga universe. Here, the huge plum blossoms, peonies and stylized chrysanthemums have become contemporary representatives of the kamon (the heraldic insignia of ancient samurai clans). These identical patterns are also found on a tiny paper kimono displayed on the wall, the first of a series of ten works of art, which shapes and colors are a daring challenge to one another. This quintessential signature has become a part of the identity of Kinoya, so much that the aesthetic floral graphic is also displayed on the menu card.
The warmth and golden quality of wood, the delicate and sharp shades of pink against a masculine glossy black; the softness of materials in a more classic shade of grey all blend in with finesse, because for Jean de Lessard: "I wanted to create a place which would be sexy but not fake, a place where both men and women would feel good." Still, humour is never far away evokes the playfully clad-in-skirt bar stools created by the designer. Soft and indirect lighting is used to create different moods, as well as the play of chiaroscuro and of pitching "full" against "empty" through various architectural elements, such as the wood partition at the bar that the designer has detached from the wall.
If Kinoya was designed to be in the image of its trendy clients, it also reflects the personality of its young creative and dynamic owners faithfully. "We have so much fun working here", says Ivy Dong, and as for the chef Devin Chen, he concludes: "In my restaurant, I always feel as if I am wearing the yukata and that we are gathered on the tatami, my friends and I, for food and drinks and to have a good time! " Dōmo arigatō gozaimasu!
Mandatory mention of
photo credits: © M David Giral
Bistro japonais Kinoya
Technical specs
Client: Kinoya
Concept: Jean de Lessard, Designer Créatif
Graphic renderings: Atelier Isabelle Leclerc
Tatami box: Constructech
Electrical: Fizzanno Électrique
Glass: HSGlass
Lighting: Au courant Lighting
Material
Paint, yellow birch, laminate, laquer
Parameters
Total bistro surface: 1,500 square feet (23‘ x 75’)
Tatami box: 400 square feet
About Jean de Lessard
With more than 20 years’ experience, Montreal designer Jean de Lessard has designed numerous interiors, particularly in the commercial and deluxe residential sectors. His eclectic skill has led him to work on spaces with very diverse vocations, from the corporate offices of the world-class company Acquisio to the Cache-à-l’eau recreational centre for children, Hotel Trylon, and the redesign of the interiors of the restaurants in the Rouge Boeuf chain. He is regularly asked to travel to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia to analyze different interior design mandates.
In 2010, Jean de Lessard received the prestigious International Best Interior Design Americas award in London, England, for his design of the offices of the marketing agency Upperkut. He has also won the Prix Intérieurs | Ferdie, in the Commerce Design Montréal competition, and awards from the Institut Design Montréal. He is a member of the Club des Ambassadeurs des Grands Prix du Design, and his designs have been published many times around the world in gold-standard interior design books and magazines.
- 30 -
For more information
Media contact
-
-
Jean de Lessard
- jeandelessard@videotron.ca
- 514.729.2732
Attachments
Low-resolution images
~
3.94 MB
High-resolution tif images
~
70.4 MB
Terms and conditions
For immediate release
All photos must be published with proper credit. Please reference v2com as the source whenever possible. We always appreciate receiving PDF copies of your articles.
Photo credit:
M David Giral
Download
Very High-resolution image : 17.07 x 11.36 @ 300dpi ~ 5.5 MB
Photo credit:
M David Giral
Download
High-resolution image : 16.76 x 13.91 @ 300dpi ~ 7 MB
Photo credit:
M David Giral
Download
Very High-resolution image : 11.36 x 17.07 @ 300dpi ~ 7 MB
Photo credit:
M David Giral
Download
Very High-resolution image : 11.36 x 17.07 @ 300dpi ~ 4.8 MB
Photo credit:
M David Giral
Download
Very High-resolution image : 11.36 x 17.07 @ 300dpi ~ 5.8 MB
Photo credit:
M David Giral
Download
Very High-resolution image : 11.36 x 17.07 @ 300dpi ~ 4.6 MB
Photo credit:
M David Giral
Download
Very High-resolution image : 11.36 x 17.07 @ 300dpi ~ 5.5 MB
Photo credit:
M David Giral
Download
Very High-resolution image : 11.36 x 17.07 @ 300dpi ~ 4.4 MB
Photo credit:
M David Giral
Download
High-resolution image : 10.69 x 16.06 @ 300dpi ~ 5.2 MB
Photo credit:
M David Giral
Download
Very High-resolution image : 17.07 x 11.36 @ 300dpi ~ 7.2 MB
Download
High-resolution image : 16.32 x 10.88 @ 300dpi ~ 6.8 MB
Download
Medium-resolution image : 9.33 x 6.95 @ 300dpi ~ 3.2 MB
Download
Medium-resolution image : 9.33 x 6.97 @ 300dpi ~ 4.1 MB
Download
Medium-resolution image : 9.33 x 6.99 @ 300dpi ~ 3.8 MB
Advertising
You may also like...
Montréal, Canada, 2020-05-12
Kinoya II: A polygonal study in space
JEAN DE LESSARD, DESIGNERS CRÉATIFS
Same company
Montréal, Canada, 2019-04-09
VUJÀ DÉ: Creative Tension Between Form, Art, Structure and Fashion
Jean de Lessard, Designers Créatifs
Same company
Montréal, Canada, 2017-10-12
Exuberant Nights in the Land of the Morning Calm
Jean de Lessard, Designers Créatifs
Same company
Montréal, Canada, 2017-06-16
Aloha Espresso Bar: Café for the New Flavors and History Buffs
Jean de Lessard, Designers Créatifs
Same company
Same company
Same company
Same company
Montréal, Canada, 2015-06-08
Reinventing a walk on the bottom of the sea
Jean de Lessard, Designers Créatifs
Same company
Montreal, Canada, 2014-09-11
Chaos and confinement: intense emotions and intimacy factors of the Kinoya equation
Jean de Lessard, Designers Créatifs
Same company
Montreal, Canada, 2014-04-16
Inviting civilized mayhem to the restaurant
Jean de Lessard, Designers Créatifs
Same company
Same company
Same company
Same company
Montreal, Canada, 2010-10-24
Winners of "Best Interior Design in USA"
Jean de Lessard, Designers Créatifs
Same company
Same company
Montreal, Canada, 2026-04-08
The Impact of Interior Design in the Workplace
GKC Architecture & Design
Toronto, Canada, 2026-03-11