Instagram trends are informing spaces – such as this Art Deco ice creamery in London
Ice cream parlour Milk Train and luxury eyewear retailer For Art’s Sake are steps away from each other in London’s Covent Garden. But the neighbours have more than just post codes in common: each can credit a chunk of their success to popularity with millennial Instagram users – a demographic both wanted to reach with the design of their spaces in the English capital.
And though locally based interior design agency FormRoom was not responsible for the For Art’s Sake boutique, Milk Train bears similarities. Art Deco design cues are heavily referenced within the interiors of both. But where For Art’s Sake reflects decadent, gilded touches from the period, the Milk Train space – light, bright and ‘dream-like’ – reveals its minimalistic side.
The location is a nod to Art Deco train stations, employing bold platform-style iconography inside and out to create a picturesque experience for its visitors. Globe lighting features, blonde wood benching and arch detailing help complete the scene. A dramatic ceiling feature that meant to symbolise a train’s trail of steam was designed to be easily adaptable for future artistic installations.
Of course, FormRoom’s aesthetic choices weren’t random. Online followers of the cotton-candy-sundae confections Milk Train spins up needed to be prompted to visit in-person. It’s a mission the agency clearly achieved: a click on the location’s Instagram geotag shows the sweet-enough-to-eat space has already become a favoured stop on photo-op bucket lists.
The design needed to be unique and interchangeable across all seasons
‘As this was their first permanent space, the design needed to be unique and interchangeable across all seasons,’ remarked FormRoom. ‘[As to allow] the brand interior to evolve as swiftly as Instagram trends do.’
The Milk Train space was submitted to the interior design competition of the year – Frame Awards 2020. Like the project? Keep your eye out on its progress. Fancy yourself a competitor? Submit your best work here.