Dimore Studio's La Dolce Vita Orient Express is "an homage to the golden age of travel"

Milan-based Dimore Studio drew on Italian design from the 1960s and 70s when creating the interior of luxury train La Dolce Vita Orient Express, the latest launch from the world's most famous train line.

The work of designers such as Cini Boeri, Claudio Salocchi and Mario Marenco influenced the studio's design of the train, which is the first in a number of new initiatives from the travel brand. Dimore Studio wanted its interior to feel "cinematic."

"The project was conceived as a journey through memory and imagination – an homage to the golden age of travel reinterpreted through a contemporary lens," Dimore Studio founders Emiliano Salci and Britt Moran told Dezeen.

"The intent was to evoke the allure, elegance, and mystery associated with the legendary Orient Express while filtering it through Dimore Studio's narrative approach to interiors," Moran added.

"Each space was designed to feel cinematic, like a scene suspended in time, inviting guests to be both observers and participants in an unfolding story."

The La Dolce Vita Orient Express, which has 31 cabins including the La Dolce Vita Suite, will travel through Italy, with destinations including Venice, Tuscany and Sicily.

For its interior, Dimore Studio chose polished brass, walnut wood and soft velvet.

"We used materials such as velvet, lacquered wood, brass, smoked glass, and mirrors – elements that recall the interiors of historic train carriages," Salci said.

"Each was chosen for its visual impact and ability to create a refined, immersive atmosphere."

The studio also wanted the interior of the train to be evocative of the type of settings that people associate with the Orient Express.

"The combination of reflective surfaces, rich textures, the leather details helped us define different areas within the space and reinforce the sense of elegance and intimacy typical of the original Orient Express aesthetic," said Moran.

The dining carriage on the La Dolce Vita Orient Express has shining metal walls, contrasted by rounded chairs and banquettes clad in leather in a warm orange hue. A carpet in brown and tan tones matches the chairs.

In the bar car, undulating velvet seats and a wall with a harlequin print create a playful, 1970s vibe, underlined by a colour palette of muted cream, blue and orange hues.

"The colour palette draws from the romanticism and decadence of early 20th-century travel – deep burgundies, smoky greys, mustard tones, and rich jewel shades, softened by patinated neutrals," Salci said.

"These hues were inspired by vintage train interiors, faded upholstery, and the atmospheric tones of old photographs. The goal was to strike a balance between opulence and intimacy, creating a visual rhythm that captures both nostalgia and modern sophistication."

Abstract patterns decorate the sofa seats in the seven-square-metre deluxe cabins, which have wood-panelled walls and ceilings that add to the nostalgic atmosphere.

In the 11-square-metre suite cabins, Dimore Studio clad the walls in red velvet and juxtaposed the soft fabric with gleaming steel tables.

La Dolce Vita Express is the first in a series of new launches from the Orient Express. Arguably the world's most famous train, it originally launched in 1883 and was immortalised in popular culture, including Agatha Christie's book Murder on the Orient Express.

It served a number of routes before being closed in 2009.

Orinet Express has been part of the luxury brand Accor Group since 2022 and is now making a comeback. As well as La Dolce Vita Express, two Orient Express hotels will open this spring.

These will be followed by the launch of the Orient Express Corinthian in 2026, the first of two Orient Express sailing yachts. The final new launch will be that of the original Orient Express, which used to travel from Paris to Istanbul, though the brand did not give a timeline for this.

The original Orient Express train was recently given a redesign by French architect Maxime d'Angeac, which was revealed in an exclusive video produced by Dezeen.

In other train news, Japanese studio Nendo gave France's high-speed TGV train a revamp earlier this year.

The photography is by Mr Tripper.

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