Boutique Design - December 2013 - 69

Herringbone
finalist

figue
La Quinta, calif.
DESIGNER Thomas Schoos Design, West
Hollywood, Calif.

Like the menu, the
interiors mix rustic and refined elements to create
a dialogue between the casual and sophisticated.
That's summed up in the signature surfacing and
bar front that alternates rough wooden boards with
polished green onyx in a tight herringbone pattern.
Large sharing tables are scattered through the
restaurant, referencing the warmth and sociability
of the Mediterranean cultures that influence the
fare and to the way people want to dine now. The
two farmhouse tables placed over one of the bars
tell guests that it's okay to eat in the bar-or
anywhere in the restaurant. Whimsical touches
give a nod to the mid-century modern style that
predominates in nearby Palm Springs, like a light
fixture shaped like a Sputnik satellite.
WHy IT'S A STANDOUT

THE TAkEAWAy More can look totally modern.
There is more color, texture and variety than the
run of the mill modernist interior offers. It takes a
careful balance to keep the visual peace. Reclaimed
wood is almost expected now, but it looks much
more dramatic when it opens onto the sleek white
Carrera marble cladding that covers the charcuterie area. Monolithic pieces of driftwood greet
guests at the entry, twisting and turning into an
organic sculpture. A few steps later, and it's all
about geometric fixtures and bar stools upholstered in a pony-hide pattern.

La Jolla, calif.
DESIGNER Thomas Schoos Design, West
Hollywood, Calif.
WHy IT'S A STANDOUT "All of the layering makes
this a really dynamic twist on how to blend indoor
and outdoor design," says judge Larry Traxler. Bringing a breezy California ambiance into an industrial
warehouse started by tearing the roof off the front
third of the building to create a courtyard/bar area.
Two fireplaces anchor either end of the space to mitigate the sometimes chilly ocean breezes. A retractable awning made from the existing barrel roof 's
trusses provides a tent-like envelope when needed.
Moving inside, guests start their journey through
an interior olive grove that wends its way past six
100-year-old trees. The structure's suspended ceiling
was removed to make way for the trees, revealing
curved vaults reminiscent of a ship's hull-perfect for
this seafood restaurant. Light fixtures help direct the
eye to varying heights to make this space more
interesting and more intimate. Antique row boats
get repurposed as chandelier frames illuminated by
a shower of Edison light bulbs hung asymmetrically.
A Beluga whale skeleton suspended inside a large
blimp-like steel structure draws attention to the bar.
THE TAkEAWAy Go big or go home. Industrial
spaces like this can shoulder a lot of design power.
Oversized canvases portraying sea creatures and
kitchen utensils in a modern, graphic style help
give a unified feel to the different zones within the
restaurant. To make sure guests want to explore the
entire space, the designers elevated the central
kitchen and fronted it with a viewing window that
extends along the back wall of the restaurant.

FABRIC: Designers Portfolio
(upholstery, leather, outdoor
banquettes, sheer curtain
fabric); FURNITURE: ABC
Home (lounge coffee table);
Arteriors Contract (bar
lounge ottoman, bar stools);
Big Daddy Antiques (sharing
tables, general dining table);
Blockhead Blocktops (dining
tabletops); Contract Furniture
Co. (dining table bases);
Casamidy (dining chairs);
Cleveland Art (POS station);
Control Brand (lounge chair,
dining chair); Dwell Studios
( lounge chair); Four Hands
(lounge chairs); Global Views
(lounge chairs, POS station,
feature chair); High Fashion
Home (lounge chairs);
Interior Illusions (bar lounge
sectional); Nuevo Living (bar
lounge coffee table, counter
stool, dining chair); Stone &
Steel (general dining table
top); Studio A (cocktail table);
LIGHTING: 2bmod, ABC
Home, Arteriors Contract,
AWK Design Antiques, Big
Daddy Antiques, Global
Views, Inmod, Interior
Homescapes, Nuevo Living,
PW Vintage Lighting;
Restoration Hardware;
Roost; Y Lighting; RUGS:
Art Resources (area rugs);
WINDOW TREATMENTS:

Powerful Systems (sheer
curtain system and
installation)

honor able mention

JaSon lang

finalist

ACCESSORIES: Designers
Portfolio (pillows); Downeast
Nautical (lobster traps); Holly
Hunt (courtyard lounge pillows);
Pindler & Pindler (courtyard
lounge pillows); FABRICS:
Designers Portfolio (courtyard
lounge upholstery); Pindler
& Pindler (courtyard lounge
upholstery); FURNITURE:
2bmod (courtyard lounge dining
chairs); Arteriors Contract
(courtyard lounge dining table
top, interior barstools); Chairs
1000 (courtyard lounge, lounge
chairs); Cleveland Art (interior
sharing tables, bar height and
regular dining tables); Contract
Furniture Co. (courtyard
lounge general table base,
interior dining tables); Fran's
Wicker & Rattan Furniture
(courtyard lounge love seat
and lounge chairs); Hudson
Goods (courtyard lounge service
station, coffee tables, interior
cocktail tables, POS station,
general dining chairs, barstools);
LivingInComfort (courtyard
lounge barstools); Restoration
Hardware (interior busser
station and sharing table chairs);
Rockingchairs.com (courtyard
lounge rocking chair); Room
& Board (courtyard lounge
L-sectional and lounge chairs);
Stone & Steel (dining table
tops); Tonic Home (cocktail
tables); Voila (courtyard lounge
host station; interior POS/
storage station)

SourceS
(figue)

Carnevino

Hong Kong
AvroKO, New York

Quentin bacon

matthew hutchiSon

matthew hutchiSon

SourceS
(herringbone)

agriCola

Princeton, N.J.
Vincent Celano/Gonzalo Bustamante,
Seed Design, New York
december 2013 boutiquedesign.com

69
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Boutique Design - December 2013

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