Peppe Giacomazza is a celebrity TV chef in Belgium, and his restaurant “La Botte” is very popular in the town of Genk. His latest trump: “Peppe’s” – a bistro complete with a shop that is intended to radiate the friendly comfort and cordiality of an Italian family kitchen. The plain interior, which boasts very high-grade materials, was created by Belgian architects UAU Collectiv.
The restaurant section at Peppe’s is an invitingly bright room with spacious windows and a tiled porcelain floor boasting lively grey tones and exciting and unusual small format tiles of 15 by 15 centimeters that are a real eye-catcher. The Mosa tiles from the company’s “Scenes” series are perfectly suited for intense use in a restaurant and ensure that the wooden chairs with their colored metal frames really come into their own. The ceiling is painted black and houses the technical facilities to add a certain industrial touch. A 20-meter-long block made of white Carrara marble forms the counter top, the bistro’s highly elegant center. Behind it is a wall with tiled niches. Here, the architects opted for tiles from Mosa’s “Blend” series, and again for the small 15 by 15 centimeter format. The seven colors, which range from soft yellow, green and blue pastel shades as well as a very bright white form a refreshing contrast to the powerful, dark blacks, browns and grays of the bistro’s restaurant and shop zones. In this way, the industrial atmosphere is supplemented to include the typical Sicilian warmth.
“We wanted to avoid large tiles at all cost, as they seem so unemotional and do not radiate any warm feeling. We want to create visual stimuli and a strong sense of homeliness,” explains project architect Massimo Pignanelli and also makes a request of manufacturer Mosa: “I would also be delighted if Mosa made even smaller tiles, as we often work with rounded walls where it’s simply easier to lay such tiles. I have already asked Mosa about this and they have confirmed that they are looking into it. After all, here in Maastricht no one accepts no for an answer.”
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The mood in Peppe’s bistro and store for Italian specialties is defined by a restrained colour range and interior. Photo © Mosa
Like the patina of the furniture, the Mosa tiles from the “Scenes” series introduce a bit of Italy to Belgium. Photo © Mosa
The architects at UAU Collectiv chose Mosa Scenes tiles in varying gray tones as a contrast to the store’s concrete floor. Photo © Mosa
In the niches behind the counters, pastel tones from Mosa’s „Blend“ series set colour notes. 
The restaurant section at Peppe’s is an invitingly bright room with spacious windows and boasting a tiled porcelain floor. Photo © Mosa
The sanitary facilities also rely on Mosa tiles: “Scenes” for the floors and for the walls. Photo © Mosa
