Limousine by Ivy Studio
In Saint-Lambert, a quiet suburb on Montreal’s south shore, Limousine brings a new kind of destination dining to a neighborhood defined by century homes and a changing demographic.
Designed by Ivy Studio, the project is set on a prominent corner at Victoria Avenue and a residential side street, transforming a former café with a rare diamond-shaped footprint into a compact, high-impact interior with a confident sense of glamour.
At 1,700 square feet, the restaurant is planned around a central bar that mirrors the building’s geometry and gives the space its organizational anchor. The kitchen sits discreetly at the back, allowing the dining room to read as a continuous loop. Along the perimeter glazing, a long line of leather banquettes traces the edges of the plan, threading between the windows and the bar volume to create an immersive, softly guided circulation path. Arrival is deliberately theatrical: a glazed vestibule in smoked glass, finished with heavy velvet curtains, shifts the atmosphere immediately toward something darker and more intimate.
The design concept references the tailored luxury of vintage limousines, translated through a palette that prioritizes sheen, softness, and contrast. Cream-colored walls and a golden-bronze ceiling form a warm, muted envelope for deeper tones and reflective surfaces. Dark millwork and high-gloss black finishes sit alongside leather, chrome, velvet, and natural stone, while small black square mosaic tiles wrap the floor in a consistent, tactile field.
Above the bar, a sculptural diamond-shaped lightbox acts as the visual center of the room. Saturated in deep amber, it casts a cinematic glow that reads from the street and concentrates warmth at the core of the plan. Beneath it, the bar combines a wood front with golden mirror inserts and a green marble countertop. Fixed beige stools, upholstered in red velvet, add a deliberate jolt of color and plushness at the counter.
Seating continues the retro cues with a mix of custom and reworked pieces. The banquettes are built from tubular tan leather forms that soften the perimeter and bring a distinctive profile to the room. Vintage chairs have been upcycled and refinished in a dark chocolate stain, then reupholstered in mint green velvet for a fresh counterpoint. Glossy black tabletops trimmed with chrome heighten the overall contrast and frame the food presentation, while a single group table tucked into a corner is paired with a vintage chrome pendant and a stone top that echoes the materiality of the bar.
A significant millwork installation bridges the operational gap between the back-of-house kitchen and the front-of-house service zone. This custom unit integrates a service station, coffee counter, and a glass wine cellar lit for maximum drama. Dark-stained wood is outlined in cream and detailed in chrome, with smoked glass panels and a matching marble backsplash that balances practicality with spectacle.
Lighting is layered beyond the central lightbox, relying on wall sconces, table lamps, and smaller points of glow to maintain a low, inviting ambience. Artworks, floral arrangements, and nostalgic memorabilia tied to limousine culture reinforce a sense of personality without tipping into theme. In the restrooms, glossy cream-and-black checkered tile continues the material story, while vintage family photographs of the owners bring an intimate, lived-in note to the experience.
Limousine positions interior design as the primary driver of atmosphere: a compact plan made legible by geometry, a material palette tuned for warmth and reflection, and detailing that balances retro glamour with contemporary restraint. For Saint-Lambert, it signals a shift toward more deliberate hospitality spaces—places designed not only to serve a meal, but to hold a mood.
