Magic..Like That Only…

LikeThatOnly’s signage befuddles me to start with. It is like..a jaunty scooter developed butterfly wings that turned into a Japanese fan. But then who said dreams should make sense and that is what this young, spirited restaurant in Bangalore’s Whitefield is. A dream sequence right from the whimsical tub with its watering can shower in the lobby, the kettle lights on a wall, the bug shaped seaters scattered around with random precision, the green foliage softening what is essentially a grey shell speaking of urban geometry. The exposed concrete, the smooth gray patinas, the balance between line and form, thought and spirit.

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And then I see a vision that belongs in a dream as well. I see designer Anshu Arora. Tousled yet strangely sorted, she is wearing something that belongs in this space. Asymmetrical yet coherent. We chat and I look around. There is a colour washed sensibility at play. And a mix of elements that work well together.Just like Anshu who is a designer of whimsical clothes did when she took on the challenge of transforming an empty box into an inviting space.

This is a design space that invites you to explore and find little surprises tucked away in nooks. You don’t just feed your appetite here but your eye, your curiosity. Look closely, a door reveals distressed hues in the gentlest blues. In the middle of an outdoor dining space, there is the welcome intervention of  a water body. There is cage serving as a candle holder. She says, “It is about connections, isn’t it? There is landscaping and concrete. A tub and water. A cage where candles are lit. Nothing is this or that. It all just like that only! ” Aah, the penny drops. The name fits the space too like everything else.

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Anshu continues,”The space was not meant to be one experience but many. It is meant to evoke memories, transport diners to other spaces and times.” So there are chairs that remind one of Mexican pool side loungers. Cushions that look like leaves. A wall installation has little windows that when looked into carefully, reveal porcelain dolls and convex and concave mirrors. A yellow wall echoes a yellow mirror frame. The colours could liven up a French patio or a Kerala courtyard. There are deep oranges, citrus greens and yellows, pinks but nothing screams. A lounge looks like a lived in Mexican home with furniture you can sink into with a book. In the formal dining space, lights fashioned out of strainers are flecked with metallic flies, a praying mantis and dragonflies that seem to have strayed close to the light source. A few dragonflies serve as chopstick holders too! The lush tropical paintings by Murali Nagapuzha  echo the frangipani tree in the courtyard, the bamboos and the palms and the creepers around

 Accessories include laser cut flowers, oil spoons that serve as candle holders, wine glass printed cushions around the bar (which is crafted out of distressed wood), crafted birds, butterflies, Chennapatna salt and pepper shakers, bronze lotus pads in water bodies, another wall installation that evokes wild red berries and rhapsodical grass and the list goes on.

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