Industrial Styling 101: Renovation And Restyling With Itaewon Class
On its first anniversary, take cues from Park Sae-ro-yi and his team’s hands-on space makeovers in Itaewon Class
Itaewon Class (JTBC, 2020) is a Korean drama that has had considerable ratings success and has been seen worldwide streaming on Netflix. Based on the webtoon of the same name, it is the first drama produced by the film distribution company Showbox. This is the first anniversary of this drama but its characters, amazing music, locations and redemption story always fascinates us, deserving a re-watch. The drama revolves around the life of Park Sae Ro Yi, played by Park Seo-Joon, a young man with a complex past, a reserved soul, and strong principles.
The life of Park Sae-ro-yi (Park Seo-joon) was disrupted after he was expelled from school for punching a bully and after his father's death. After his prison sentence, he decides to follow in his father's footsteps and open a bar-restaurant in Itaewon, DanBam-Honey Night, but initially will not have the success he had hoped for. Only after meeting young influencer Jo Yi-seo (Kim Da-mi), the help of her staff and participating in a broadcast to elect the best Pub in Korea, will she achieve the success she had hoped for. Crucial is the desire for revenge against the Jang family, responsible for the death of their father and owner of the Jangga Group, a famous South Korean food conglomerate.
The pub in this drama plays a fundamental role is in fact the basis on which the protagonist will realize his redemption for himself and his friends. The name DanBam in Korean means 'honey night,' representing Park's dream of a peaceful life free from worry and loneliness.
Aside from this compelling story, we took some makeover and renovation pointers from Park Sae-ro-yi’s two pubs in Itaewon Class. Let's revisit DanBam, and take some pointers on how to rock the rugged, effortless, industrial look:
Photo Gallery
Photo Gallery
The First DanBam
The first DanBam was located in Seoul's Itaewon youth and international district in a great location and close to Jangga's competing pub. He initially failed to take off despite the efforts of Sae-ro-yi and his staff. Sae-ro-yi's industrial style was inviting, but hiring Jo Yi-seo as the venue's manager will allow the pub to achieve the success it had hoped for.
Photo Credit: @itaewonclass.official
The First DanBam
His intervention prefers the optimization of spaces, the accommodation of the most captivating lights and furnishings.
Photo Credit: @itaewonclass.official
The First DanBam
The room is not huge, but it lacked proper lighting. The installation of a projector helped him make this space more inviting.
Photo Credit: @itaewonclass.official
The First DanBam
The team upcycled metal chairs by repainting them with more vivid colors.
Photo Credit: @itaewonclass.official
The First DanBam
In addition, the neon lights that illuminated the environment were replaced with copper pendant lamps.
Photo Credit: @itaewonclass.official
The First DanBam
Metal drums were also employed as upcycled tables.
Photo Credit: @itaewonclass.official
The First DanBam
Capping the pub is a generous rooftop terrace. It is an outdoor space that offers respite with colorful chairs, murals, many plants and partition panels to respect privacy.
Photo Credit: @itaewonclass.official
The First DanBam
Use of raw finishes added character to the space that is industrial in theme. Walls were not finished, and remained in its raw concrete state, enhancing the space's rugged appeal.
Photo Credit: @itaewonclass.official
The First DanBam
The real-life location of the DanBam bar is located at the end of Nok Sa Pyeong Road in Itaewon, Yongsan District, Seoul. The real venue is called Undukjib and is a gopchang (tripe) restaurant which open in 2018.
Photo Credit: @itaewonclass.official
The Second DanBam
Sae-ro-yi will be forced to leave the first venue because he was bought by Jangga and will make the decision to buy one in another less central area, but also in Itaewon. Part of its marketing plan was to capture the renovation efforts on social media in order to create buzz in anticipation for its opening.
Photo Credit: @itaewonclass.official
The Second DanBam
At the entrance, placed above a large wooden table hangs the chandelier of bottles made with a grid on which are placed upside-down bottles creating a suggestive scenographic effect.
Photo Credit: @itaewonclass.official
The Second DanBam
The choice of raw materials and finishes further reinforces the concept of a trendy, industrial-themed and low maintenance place. Unlike its first incarnation, in the second DanBam, the use of plants softens the space by bringing the outdoors in.
Photo Credit: @itaewonclass.official
The Second DanBam
The furnishings are a mix between industrial design and vintage, the material mainly used is wood , a nod to European pubs. The seats are made of wood and iron and different from each other. Neon lights provide casual, playful graphics as signage.
Photo Credit: @itaewonclass.official
The Second DanBam
The rooftop space is similarly outfitted in upcycled materials such as wooden shipping palettes that have been turned into seating and colorful accent cushions for a very laidback, casual vibe.
Photo Credit: @itaewonclass.official
The Second DanBam
In real life, the second DanBam in reality is called Oriole is a brunch café and rooftop bar located in Seoul's neighborhood Huam in the Yongsan District.
Photo Credit: @itaewonclass.official
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