A symmetrical view reveals the shop as a curated landscape of display systems rather than conventional retail fixtures. Green cabinetry merges into textured walls, allowing handmade objects and garments to stand out. The interplay of vernacular timber construction and contemporary detailing gives the space quiet sophistication.

A Hotel Gift Shop in Georgia Echoes Its Lakeside Setting with Minimalist Restraint and Material Poise

Words by Yatzer

Telavi, Kakheti, Georgia

Commissioned to redesign the gift shop at Lopota Lake Resort & Spa, a lakeside retreat nestled in Georgia's Kakheti wine region, Lado Lomitashvili of Tbilisi-based Studio Gypsandconcrete drew inspiration from the property’s defining feature, the picturesque Lopota Lake, translating its idyllic natural beauty into a contemporary design language of minimalist restraint in conversation with the building’s vernacular heritage. The result is a finely calibrated space where merchandising, materiality and spatial perception are deftly interwoven.

Close-up of a tactile stone door handle set within richly stained timber and raw brick reveals the studio’s attention to sensory detail. Primitive and precise at once, the gesture distils the project’s design ethos: local material memory reinterpreted through contemporary minimalism.

Photography by Grigory Sokolinsky.

This serene interior scene captures the balance between weight and transparency at Lopota Gift Shop. Chunky timber furniture anchors the room as slender steel uprights and glass discs appear almost immaterial. Soft daylight and exposed roof beams lend the minimalist setting warmth, rhythm and calm.

Photography by Grigory Sokolinsky.

Although the space already functioned as a gift shop, its former layout accommodated a far narrower range of products. The redesign was prompted by the desire to expand the offer while making the space feel more open and generous. To that end, Lado introduced a series of bespoke display elements—tables, shelving, stands and hanging systems—each calibrated to maximise flexibility without cluttering the room. At the same time, previously concealed roof beams were partially revealed, lending the interior added height, rhythm and a welcome sense of airiness.

The project’s defining gesture is the use of green glass. Mirrored on one side and translucent on the other, the glass is used for freestanding partitions, shelving planes and cabinetry as a direct reference to the lake outside, evoking both the water’s reflective surface and its submerged depth. The use of stainless steel in the display elements further enhances this cool, optical language, while the timber ceiling beams and robust wooden furniture introduce warmth and gravitas. Walls finished in greenish-grey stone gravel, alongside sections of exposed local stone, lend texture and tactility, grounding the interior as an atmospheric extension of its lakeside setting.

A frontal composition highlights the shop’s layered material palette: smoked timber, muted green walls, polished steel and translucent glass. Floating circular shelves rise like vertical installations, while robust wooden tables ground the space, expressing a refined retail language shaped by order, tactility and optical lightness.

Photography by Grigory Sokolinsky.

Wide view of Lopota Gift Shop by Studio Gypsandconcrete, where green mirrored glass planes and stainless-steel shelving animate a compact neo-vernacular interior. Dark timber rafters, sage-toned walls and sculptural display elements create a moody dialogue between rustic structure and minimalist precision, with reflections visually expanding the room.

Photography by Grigory Sokolinsky.

Seen through overlapping glass partitions, the interior becomes a shifting composition of transparency, reflection and depth. Stainless-steel counters, pale green drawers and suspended shelving introduce an industrial crispness, softened by earthy tones and natural light. The result feels both gallery-like and deeply rooted in place.

Photography by Grigory Sokolinsky.

A symmetrical view reveals the shop as a curated landscape of display systems rather than conventional retail fixtures. Green cabinetry merges into textured walls, allowing handmade objects and garments to stand out. The interplay of vernacular timber construction and contemporary detailing gives the space quiet sophistication.

Photography by Grigory Sokolinsky.

A quieter corner focuses on bespoke cabinetry in deep green and a perforated stainless-steel wall display that catches changing light. Vintage sconces add a warm, jewel-like glow against dark timber walls, underscoring the project’s blend of industrial refinement, craftsmanship and intimate atmosphere.

Photography by Grigory Sokolinsky.

Every furnishing piece was custom-designed by the studio, with the exception of vintage Italian wall sconces whose buoy-like form quietly nods to fishing floats and the lakeside context. The merchandise, meanwhile, reinforces a strong sense of place: Georgian felt goods, locally made lavender sachets, traditional ceramic objects and natural beeswax candles by Jamieri offer visitors a tactile souvenir of Kakheti’s craft traditions.

As with the most thoughtful hospitality retail spaces, Lopota Gift Shop succeeds by turning browsing into an experience of atmosphere, memory and place.

Looking toward the windows, the shop unfolds as a calm, immersive environment where architecture and merchandise share equal presence. Linear lighting traces the dark timber ceiling, while green glass screens echo the nearby lake. Minimalist restraint and rustic character coexist in measured harmony.

Photography by Grigory Sokolinsky.

A Hotel Gift Shop in Georgia Echoes Its Lakeside Setting with Minimalist Restraint and Material Poise