Chances are, most bar owners have had the concept for their first big venture in mind for quite a while before things finally start falling into place. Sure enough, Balay began to take shape far in advance of construction commencing on the cozy spot in Milan’s Città Studi neighbourhood — and the design (by architecture firm Studio Mille with artistic direction by Oneplus) captures that perfectly.

On the one hand, the project draws from owner Ray Ibarra’s past experience as a chef working in prominent kitchens across the city. With that in mind, distressed plaster walls and the original tiled flooring honour the architectural character that Balay’s space has accumulated over its own past lives. 

But the restaurant’s tapas menu takes just as much inspiration from Ibarra’s Filipino heritage. With that in mind, the design can also be understood as a juxtaposition of industrial elements that evoke Manila’s busy urban environment and warmer gestures that honour the intimacy of the city’s homes. (“Balay” means “home” in several Filipino languages.)

Dark walnut wood and patterned curtains underscore this domestic atmosphere, but it’s the light above the bar that really drives the connection home. Here, capiz shell windows, a signature element of Philippine residential architecture, are adapted into a geometric pendant. (The fixture earns bonus points for also using components salvaged from old office lighting.) The rest of the design carries on that geometric focus, embracing clean, interlocking datum lines that bring a strong sense of rhythm to the interior and counterbalance some of its raw bones.

Adding to the personal spirit of the project, metal shelving showcases objects — including baskets, bowls, and even a well-worn travel bag — owned by Ibarra himself. This cabinet of curiosities gives the project the kind of authentic texture that’s hard to create from scratch — and underscores just how much of Ibarra’s heart and soul he has poured into this opening. Meanwhile, a pair of speakers built into the wall above this shelving unit and the open kitchen beside it set the foundation for Balay’s frequent DJ nights. With that in mind, the front counter is designed to double as a DJ booth.

Outside, plastic milk crates act as informal patio seating — a nod to an earlier, pop-up iteration of Balay that operated during this year’s edition of Milan Design Week as a preview of what Ibarra and Studio Mille had planned. Oh, and come next April? Balay’s permanent home is just a stone’s throw from Bar Basso.