Restaurant Phoebe in Copenhagen

At Phoebe in Copenhagen, handmade tiles introduce pattern, texture and reflection to the restaurant interior. A chequerboard of CO VA 07 Tronco and CO VA 18 Arena tiles by Conie Vallese runs across the floor and continues along the lower walls, creating a graphic rhythm throughout the entrance and adjoining spaces.

The two 10×10 cm tiles pair a deep red-brown with a warm, creamy neutral. Their small scale gives the classic checkerboard pattern a finer rhythm, while the handmade character of each tile prevents the repetition from becoming too precise. Subtle variations in surface, edges and glaze catch the light differently from tile to tile, giving the floor a shifting, reflective quality as you move through the space.

The deep tones of Tronco connect naturally with the Oxblood-painted woodwork surrounding the tiled areas, while Arena brings a softer transition to the warm walls above. Rather than treating tiles as a purely functional surface, the interior uses them as an architectural element, defining thresholds, wrapping corners and bringing pattern into the rooms.

The result is a contemporary interpretation of the traditional chequerboard floor: graphic from a distance, irregular and tactile up close.