Vaissie Studio’s now-empty Cartagena spaces remind us of ‘La Fantástica’s pre-pandemic era

Photos of Buena Vida by Mateo Soto.

Getting a late start on the international tourism circuit after one of the world’s most extended lockdowns, the city of Cartagena, Colombia will finally reopen to international travel this month, but the road back to its pre-COVID status as an ideal tourist destination could be long. The city has taken a particularly hard hit to its economy since Colombia’s government-mandated closure. While other parts of the country can rely on a variety of sectors for economic activity, tourism has long provided a key economic lifeline for businesses in the coastal city of Cartagena.

But the lockdown has brought tourism to a staggering halt, and it shows. Whereas pre-pandemic there was almost never enough room to walk comfortably on the sidewalk of el Centro, or Cartagena’s historic city center, those adventurous or privileged enough to have wandered the streets of the oft-called “La Fantástica” over the past five months will have found them uncharacteristically lonely and deserted.

Fortunately, the arrival of September brought an end to Colombia’s five-month lockdown, jumpstarting a new phase called ‘selective’ quarantine meant to reactivate the economy and restart international travel. For those in need of some visual wanderlust, we’ve highlighted a few of our favorite Cartagena spots we think might have the potential to reboot the city's sluggish tourism, in particular spots by local interiors firm Vaissie Studio. Led by French designer Mathieu Vaissie, a graduate of Interior Architecture from Paris’ La Sorbonne, Vaissie Studio is responsible for the development of a number of popular hotspots in Cartagena (featuring restaurants, bars, hotels, and retail stores). Keep reading for a few highlights. vaissiestudio.com

Buena vida Café

Photos of Buena Vida Café by Mateo Soto.

Located inside a three-story turquoise-colored colonial house in the San Diego neighborhood of Cartagena’s historic city center, Buena Vida is a Caribbean seafood restaurant and bar conceived with differing ambiences per floor. While the first two floors function as a restaurant, the open-air rooftop serves as a laid-back bar for sipping cocktails and watching the sun set behind the centuries-old edifices of the historic city center.

The interior concept was developed with warmth, texture, and tropical sophistication in mind. According to the designer, “One of our biggest challenges was combining bright colors, evocative of the Caribbean context, with tropical and geometric accents, without saturating the space.” Examples of this are the turquoise, pink, yellow, and forest green tones of the restaurant area, framed by a black and white diagonal tiled floor that breaks away from any traditional references to Cartagena’s typical mosaic tiles. buenavidamarisqueria.com

Photos of Buena Vida Café by Mateo Soto.

Buena Vida's interior design can be summed up in two words: Caribbean sophistication.

- Vaissie Studio

Colette

Photos of Colette by Mateo Soto.

While Buena Vida is an attempt to break with Cartagena’s classical colonial style while reconnecting with its contemporary context, Colette is a journey into early-1900s Paris, a return to the bistros of this bygone era, featuring tropical accents that speak to the Caribbean backdrop. The space provides everything a 1920s bistro should: sophistication, theatricality, and touches of the classical, without journeying into the obsolete.

Located in another major landmark of the historic city center, San Pedro Claver Plaza, the studio was tasked with designing and recreating custom-made pieces with classic details, like hand-carved solid wood furniture, a false ceiling with plaster moldings, wrought iron decorative panels, a wooden floor mimicking “aged” parquet, and textured paintings —all designed to dramatize the setting of a French bistro of the time. Even the floor transports to another era, with its custom-designed marble tile mosaic, greeting customers with a welcome phrase in French "Vive la France Tropicale." colettebistro.co

Photos of Colette by Mateo Soto.

Ely Café

Photos of Ely Café courtesy of Vaissie Studio.

Finally there’s Ely Café, a local favorite of the Bocagrande neighborhood of Cartagena— a beachfront sector filled with high-rises not far off from the historic city center. Designed as a vintage bistro, the place will make you feel right at home with a homey collection of books, cozy couches, a friendly bar counter, and a colorful gallery wall. And don’t forget about the food— one of the rare Cartagena spots to offer brunch all day, plus American bistro food, Colombian staples and fresh desserts which are the owner’s claim to fame. instagram.com/ely.cafe

ABOUT Vaissie Studio

Vaissie Studio is a creative agency dedicated to the development of interior design and decor projects. With offices in Colombia, France and Spain, the studio focuses on creating novel concepts through space design, offering its clients adequate solutions according to their needs, with comprehensive assistance that starts during initial phases until the final product is delivered. Over time, the studio has specialized in commercial projects, like restaurants, bars, hotels, retail, but also serves high-end residential projects. Elegance, originality, and the avant-garde are at the core of the studio’s philosophy and key to creating unique projects with a singular identity.

Phone Number: (+57) 321 817 1816 // (+33) 6 95 88 46 04
Follow them on Facebook/Instagram: facebook.com/vaissiestudio; instagram.com/vaissiestudio