Fuzz, Antwerp | Studio Stranger
For Fuzz, chef Tom Loockx’s new restaurant in Antwerp, Bea Joppen contributed custom leatherwork and upholstery to an interior designed by Yoeran Stranger. Our work brought together three elements: deep red leather upholstery for the banquettes and chairs, and a substantial leather curtain measuring 2.10 × 3.30 metres. One material connects the seating and the surrounding space, adding warmth, texture and a strong architectural presence.
Located on Oudeleeuwenrui, Fuzz is Loockx’s first restaurant of his own. Following experience at restaurants including The Jane, August and Stable, the chef has created a place where the atmosphere is an essential part of the evening. The restaurant’s à la carte concept allows guests to shape their meal, while the interior provides a distinctive setting in which to enjoy it.
The building brings its own character to the project. Once a carriage repair workshop and later used as a warehouse, it retains high ceilings, exposed brick walls and original timber beams. Yoeran Stranger’s interior introduces contemporary elements within this historic structure, bringing the existing architecture into conversation with a new restaurant setting.
Against this backdrop, the deep red leather introduces a rich, tactile layer. Its colour gives the seating a clear presence within the room, while its texture creates a connection with the people using the space. Alongside the brick and timber, the leather contributes another distinct material character. The contrast between these surfaces gives the interior depth and makes the upholstered elements an integral part of the overall composition.
For the banquettes and chairs, our contribution focused on translating that material language into the furniture guests encounter throughout their visit. Carrying the same leather across different seating elements creates continuity through colour and texture. Each piece retains its own form, while the repeated material ties the seating together. The upholstery becomes part of how the restaurant is experienced, both visually and through direct contact.
The leather curtain extends this approach beyond the furniture. Measuring 2.10 × 3.30 metres, it gives a familiar upholstery material an architectural scale. A large hanging surface offers a different way of experiencing leather: its colour, texture and physical presence become part of the room itself. It is a particularly distinctive element of the project, carrying the material from the seating into the wider interior.
That movement between scales is central to our contribution at Fuzz. On a chair, leather is experienced close at hand. Across a banquette, it becomes a continuous surface. In the curtain, it takes on a larger spatial presence. Together, these applications show how a single material can connect furniture and architecture while bringing something different to each.
Fuzz brings our upholstery and leatherwork into a shared interior concept, with the deep red leather forming a recognisable thread throughout the space.
Project: Fuzz, Antwerp
Interior design: Yoeran Stranger / Studio Stranger
Leatherwork and upholstery: Bea Joppen
Scope: Banquette and chair upholstery; leather curtain, 2.10 × 3.30 metres