In the heart of Edmonton, Canada, design studio Ste Marie has designed a sequence of three hospitality venues that unfold seamlessly from day to night. Tucked into the base of a new residential tower, Olia & Mimi, commissioned by Corso 32 Group’s chef, Daniel Costa, offer distinct atmospheres linked by a shared spirit of ease, pleasure, and ritual. Each space is programmed for different times of day and types of interaction, ranging from morning espresso to evening dining and late-night lounge use. Designed for both public life and resident intimacy, the venues connect via private and street-facing entries, turning the ground floor into a cultural and social threshold — an everyday extension of home, and a neighborhood destination in its own right.
Olia introduces a slower tempo and warmer palette, supporting extended evenings and shared conversation over a simple, seasonal menu inspired by the rich culinary traditions of Italy. Designed as a place to linger, evoking the refined intimacy of a private members’ club, the space is composed of custom Portuguese walnut tables and supple ecru leather benches, polished creamy marble, and high-gloss tawny-toned lacquered cabinetry around a glowing backlit fluted glass bar.
Anchored by diffused oversized custom pendant lights, ambient light shifts from daylight filtered through sheer drapery to a soft, buttery yellow ambient glow. As the room settles into dusk, light grazes across polished surfaces and quiet corners to subtly adjust the mood without interruption. Sculptural accent lighting and custom artwork add pops of color, texture, and rhythm to contribute to the space’s layered composition, and to support its gradual transition from daytime vibrancy to evening calm.
Mimi extends the sequence into the later hours with an environment structured around cinematic references and an up-tempo vibe. The palette combines deep browns, glossy reds, amber tones, Rosso Rubino marble, and chrome detailing, while custom burnt orange velvet sofas, reminiscent of 1960s sunken lounges, and monolithic burled walnut panels, line the space.
The lighting program, anchored by a repetition of large capsule pendants, produces a consistent low glow across the space. Artwork nods to Italo disco and iconic cinema, while the L-Acoustics system fills the room with a curated soundtrack of vintage soul, jazz, deep disco, and sometimes features Chef Daniel stepping in for an impromptu set.
Guests drift in late, sipping cocktails under the canopy of warm light, and settle into the rhythm of the room as night unfolds. The cocktail and snack menus extend into the night, allowing the space to operate as a lounge, informal performance setting, and after-hours bar within a single footprint.
Together, Olia and Mimi form a continuous narrative — a progression of spaces that reflect and respond to time, mood, and movement. Designed to shift with the rhythm of the day, the trio encourages fluid transitions: from quick encounters to lingering meals, from quiet corners to late-night gatherings. Rather than fixed destinations, these venues operate as extensions of daily life, each with a distinct tempo, folding hospitality into the habits of a building and the tempo of the street.
Photography by Conrad Brown.
Like what you see? Get it first with a subscription to aspire design and home magazine.