Constructed on a site that has been changing hands since the 80s, Thaipan studio has created a simplistic but charming aesthetic in its new interior for Butterfly – an organic milk bar chain in Thailand. A milk bar is a type of restaurant that exclusively serves dairy-based desserts and drinks.

While surveying the proposed site, Thaipan studio carefully considered the original building, making a note of its eccentricities and the antiquated materials used in its construction. When approaching a new project, the studio typically lets the history and context of a place inform their design, allowing a buildings past to color its present. In their plan for the butterfly milk bar, the studio chose a select number of materials – retrieved from the original site – to represent the concept as a whole.

Using the tiles of the original bathroom as a springboard, Thaipan has adorned the space in white and wood. Over 12,000 white tiles are used to create a clean, futuristic atmosphere, punctuated by the exposed wood of the restaurant’s furniture – purpose made for the location. The brilliant white interior is designed to be reminiscent of the restaurant’s main ingredient and ensures butterfly is a milk bar in both form and function.