Da Claudio Ristorante, Manhattan, NY

This interior remodeling project for Da Claudio, an Italian restaurant in New York’s Financial District, was commissioned to address three primary challenges within the existing dining space: excessive noise from hard interior surfaces, inadequate lighting, and a visually cluttered ceiling with exposed and disorganized utilitarian elements.

The design solution centers on a custom acoustic ceiling cloud system that simultaneously improves sound performance and establishes a strong architectural identity. Pleated, faceted felt panels form a sculptural, three-dimensional canopy that absorbs ambient noise while organizing the ceiling into a cohesive visual field. Integrated lighting transforms these acoustic elements into reflective surfaces, combining soft uplighting with focused accents to create depth, movement, and a balanced light distribution throughout the dining room.

Complementing the ceiling intervention, the seating layout was refined and the material palette carefully selected to enhance warmth, intimacy, and overall acoustic comfort. Subtle planting, tailored furniture, and controlled lighting work together to elevate the atmosphere, resulting in a dining environment that feels both refined and welcoming while significantly improving visual clarity, sound quality, and spatial comfort.