Shades of grey: Salon creates illusion of light

19 : 11 : 2013 Functional : GreeM Salon : Trompe-l'oeil

Tokyo – The GreeM salon in Tokyo is not an ideal space for a business where good lighting is considered pivotal. But Takara Space Design, which designed the space, used trompe-l’oeil paintings to make up for the small windows, which only allow in a little natural light to the studio.

The design studio used warm artificial lighting and a grey and white colour palette to paint fake shadows and create the appearance of shards of sunlight on the walls coming from a non-existent window.

‘With the combination of painted lights, shadows and lighting, we tried to [create] the comfort of natural light,’ say designers from the studio.

Designers are increasingly using optical illusions to create dynamic new spaces and products that surprise and seduce the consumer. GreeM takes this design direction, Haptic Illusion, one step further by using illusion not only for visual interest but for a functional end.

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