A dessert-filled escape inspired by youthfulness and Salvador Dali surrealism
Emerging dessert parlour, Dyce approached creative agency FormRoom to develop a dynamic and fantastical interior brand identity for their first permanent space in James St, Marylebone. Evolving upon the three brand pillars; Approachable, Unexpected and Immersive, FormRoom created a memorable aesthetic with a fusion of youthfulness and Salvador Dali inspired surrealism. The space illustrates a conceptual take on the dessert ingredients, including melting ice cream and bubble tea. A moment of childlike escapism balanced with a contemporary edge.
“Whilst the brief called for an ‘Instagramable’ interior, we pushed to develop the concept even further, incorporating elements that invite playful interaction in movement to also appeal to video sharing platforms like Tik Tok or Snapchat,” the studio said.
“It was important too to consider how the store could feel approachable to all ages while catering to the different needs of social sharing demographics.”
Bubble tea inspired cocoon chairs appeal to Instagram-driven millennials and amphitheatre-style seating allows the space to feel welcoming to families. The design blueprint also limits excessive dwell time in favour of a faster customer journey and experience.
The colour palette expands upon the on-trend 'pink' with unexpected but complimentary colour contrasts. The bold shapes, textures and pastel coloured interior ignite customer curiosity while catering to the demand for shareable moments. Speaking to founder of Dyce, Zahra Khan, “This is a place where people can escape the real world and enjoy a moment of joy away from the everyday.”
The curvaceous two-tiered seating is inspired by the smooth dripping nature of soft serve ice cream. Bespoke upholstered cocoon seating sits parallel, nestled within a field of soft pastel bubbles and surrounded in a warm neon glow. Above, the brand signage is accented by LED trimming and set against a pastel pink backdrop.
Dessert visual cues continue throughout the space with curved floor artwork to mimic the ripples of ice cream; an unexpected wayfinding and subtle nod to the surrealist aesthetic. The use of corrugated metal panels treated with an iridescence vinyl continue the juxtaposition of playful and rustic edge to the counter.
The striking ceiling installation combines suspended concave and convex iridescent mirrors, representing bubbles from Dyce’s core product offering. Subtle accents of black trimming give the soft colour palette a defined finish.
The mirror wall acts as an extension to the ceiling installation, bordering a large convex mirror encircled with the brand phrase ‘Don’t Burst My Bubble.’ A unique ‘fish-eye’ effect and lightenhancing feature. The distorted visuals reflect the interior space and cater to the young demographic drawn to spaces with shareable moments.
