Beauty with an edge

"At some point I think I said the space was going to be done in the style of biker bar chic, and I got in trouble," says interior designer John Stefanon, looking around District, the lounge he recently completed. "But there is definitely an edge in here."

The final look of the Leather District club, which opens to the public tonight at 9 after a private party, eludes a simple descriptive soundbite, although a few come to mind. The space is filled with dueling elements: Black versus white, nature versus technology, safe versus dangerous. But sit and chat with Stefanon inside his white vinyl and birch log-filled creation, and you realize none of these factors actually served as inspiration for District.

"When we started out last summer, we really wanted to create something different for the area," says Stefanon. "Shahrokh [Reza, who owns District with Igor Blatnik] was intrigued with Chrome Hearts, a line of gothic jewelry that was started by a biker. The pieces are beautiful, costly, and incorporate a lot of profanity. There was something about that Shahrohk really liked."

Stefanon started with the idea of pricey biker jewels, and from there was inspired by the intricate, handmade corset designs of Paris-based corsetiere Mr. Pearl .

"To me, the image of these two things combined would be what this space was all about," he says. "We kind of ran with the idea."

It may be difficult to see the literal inspiration of intricately embroidered French corsets and profanity-laced biker bling inside District, but the idea of danger laced with beauty is a regular theme throughout the space. Stefanon, who has designed the interiors of clubs such as Aria, Venu, and Underbar was also inspired by a number of other unusual elements.

District, 180 Lincoln St., 617-426-0180.