Theodora arrived in Brooklyn’s Fort Greene with much fanfare. It’s the second restaurant from owner Tomer Blechman, and a fancier older sister to the also popular Miss Ada (and now also has a bakery, Thea, from these teams, too). For a restaurant seeking to live up to its anticipation, create a sense of place and sophistication, but also feel at-home in a family friendly neighborhood, Blechman turned to hospitality design aficionados Home Studios.

Balanced and layered interiors are the studios bread and butter, and it’s paired well here alongside Theodora’s signature popular whipped ricotta on toast. The design team drew on the cuisine’s Mediterranean-focused menu, a sense of craft, old world charm, and eccentric moments for the interior. This becomes immediately apparent in the plaster that envelopes the space, including the pre-existing archways. Cladding the walls, plaster sets a quiet, elegant tone while creating sculptural moments, from the portholes at the exterior to the recessed nooks for two diners.

The entry bar also features plaster, as well as ceppo di gre shelves, zellige tiles and curved, custom tiles. Bronze mirrors are embedded within the plaster, bringing in moments of the unexpected.

Bespoke details further the charm of the restaurant: Tiles were broken and reassembled to create an original mosaic for the base trim and bathroom floor; and custom wooden boxes were made just to house speakers.

Flooring begins with terra-cotta at the restaurant’s entryway but shifts to reclaimed wood at the rear dining room. Here more millwork sets the tone via wood banquettes, lit underneath skylights. Lighting is further encouraged by soft ceramic wall sconces by Ben and Aja Blanc. Elsewhere, a series of handcrafted ceramic custom pendant lamps made in collaboration with the designers light the area. The custom details and soft curvature abundant in the space marries a Mediterranean style with modern, Brooklyn charm.