Let’s start at the top. There is something very special about people that are called to hospitality and by that, I mean CALLED. Not just people working in the sector, but those that get a charge from it. They tend to go above and beyond. They are the ones who make sure that the reservation is right, that the glass of wine gets delivered, that the person is remembered. I see this all over the world, the expression of care that happens in hospitality. This generosity. It touches me, for I too, am in service to the very same thing.
We are in an industry of beauty. For those of us in hospitality, whether we are aware of it or not, we are in service to creating our life to cause for another. It’s pretty extraordinary to be in a business that does this, for there is no greater thing in life, than to create yours for another.
I like to joke with our clients, especially our restaurant clients, that what they are doing is insanity. Creating takes guts and you can never be sure that it’s going to work. Our clients get it. They ALL get it. From rookies to seasoned developers. Our clients are from everywhere, every culture, every age. They have big budgets, small budgets. They are as diverse as you can get. Interestingly, they all have one thing in common. Across the board. Everyone we work with is DEEPLY compelled to create their vision and they put their LIFE ON THE LINE to create a place and an experience that is nuanced, specific to them and that is a place that people will LOVE.
That vision has a singularity that is beyond anything that has been created before.
I cannot stand seeing flash design that does not hold the heart of what is at stake. So much design is sub-par or bad all together, sometimes even when it looks good. Take the current ‘lifestyle’ design; an American adaptation of a post-posh British moment that is presented as well-appointed, brighter, lighter, pared down luxury that suggests casual, elevated living. It is popular and yet utterly disposable and meaningless. It’s nice. Not remarkable, not moving, just nice. I just can’t fall in love with nice and I definitely will not spend more than one evening there.
It is very different to authentically present your beauty. That is a share that has real value. People love being brought into what really matters. It takes getting to the origin of you. Your heart. Your being. And when people believe in you, revenue will follow.
Look at what we did for Macks Collins and for Bryan Kidwell with Piccalilli. When we were just starting discovery, they told me the menu would be a cross of Southern Eastern seaboard and low Asian. Our chefs love optimism and also darkness and a sense of the apocalyptic. They cook with a wild and beautiful array of color, using ingredients like nasturtium and borage, and combine all of it to a fantastic, futuristic culmination.
We designed Piccalilli as a waypoint in the future where two lovers could hope to meet when all has failed. We created the central drinking/dining bar much like Hopper’s painting Nightbirds, as a warm beacon to the street. We infused the palette with purple heart and emeralds and with an optimistic infusion of the tropical. With a brilliant never-seen-before creative lift from our long-term lighting design partner John Barlow, we paired jeweler’s lighting with architectural blacklight lighting to highlight Chef’s artistry so that all of the colors pop on the plate. We created a dual brand…that of life, the mustard sprig of Piccalilli and that of the moth, the darkness. It doesn’t happen at every table, but at a few, when you lift your fork, instead of just one shadow falling from your hand, there are two, one grey and one ultraviolet. Sweet, adventurous Piccalilli, also named for Mack’s daughter Lilli, is a love letter to exploration and to discovery. It is unlike any other place. We opened right into covid and Piccalilli has thrived, beloved by Angelenos.
It is our special job to understand and to ILLUSTRATE the magic you want for another person to have. This is an otherworldly process. It is part listening, part subconscious, part making, always paired with feedback and co-creation so that we can arrive at an ART that is an EXPRESSION of your journey and manifestation. This makes for the origin of your business. For truth. And for places that have a depth of language that rings into people’s souls.
We know the business. We know what you need. What we will do, we do together. We know the ins, ups and downs of the property selection, the lease negotiation, the permitting, the budget, the build…all of the technical aspects that you can be supported in. But way more than that, we know your calling is sacred.
We want YOUR people to find YOU. Like you find us.
I’ve spent two and a half decades designing hospitality spaces. I have been there, done that, seen it, built it. I spend my life uplifting people into their DREAM. This is what you can find with a GREAT designer. That’s the real game. The one that brings your life into being.
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