Balima – Annabel Karim Kassar

₂₈ Balima, Saifi Beirut Lebanon, 2008 Interior

Interior, Restaurants & Clubs

Furniture Design

110 M2

Complete

Vibrant, designer café-cum-boutique Balima is located in Saifi,
a cozy Beirut neighborhood full of independent retailers and art galleries. Its playful, vibrant and colorful interiors reflect the experimental energy of the city.
Different seating spaces – the diwan, the couches corner and the banquette – display an innovative juxtaposition of natural and artificial materials, textures and colors, mixing traditional Middle Eastern style and clean, contemporary lines.
They are all served by a bar and open kitchen, emphasizing the welcoming spirit of Balima.
Architecturally, Balima is split into two spaces that blend retail and relaxation. The concrete-floored front section blurs inside and outside spaces as it opens out onto an inviting terrace overlooking Saifi Square.

The back section of the café has warm, wooden parquet flooring that creates a cozier, intimate, corner. The walls, false ceiling and metal structure of the bar are all black which helps transform the café-boutique into a lounge bar at night. Layers of light illuminate the massive, mirrored shelves, highlighting the designer objects displayed for sale.

Furniture designed by AKK Architects including Laser Perforated Tables, Marrakech seats and Mezz trays are included in the interior scheme, as well as Splashing, Stocking, Trophée and KBox Lights by CAI Light.