FSR June 2023

Your Take

after. We need to understand the food, the style, the vision, and the technical requirements. We then work to capture the chef’s aspirations and vision and present surprising and innovative ideas that we can develop and refine based on a collaborative exchange. At The Desmond, Neroni’s personal taste is as honest as his food, and it was very important to him that the final res taurant design did not align with stereo typical choices and details. He trusted our team’s ability to capture the essence of his personal style in the overall look and feel of the space. Throughout the design process, I was impressed with Neroni’s ability to think “big and small” at the same time. He is a well-read curi ous person, and certainly a “big” thinker when it comes to conceptualizing a new restaurant, but never loses sight of the practical operational aspects that make a restaurant a success. He is able to think as the creative chef, operator, server, bar tender, and kitchen staff at the same

time. It is this attention to detail that creates a seamless experience and makes the guest feel special. Form and function At the end of the day, restaurants are businesses. We invest as much focus in finding creative solutions to opera tional concerns as much as we invest in creative tasks. The seamless blend of “form and function” translates into an efficient space that functions well, is aesthetically compelling, and meets the financial objectives of the enterprise. That seamless blend and the ability to deliver an experience that supports the menu gracefully and captures the right atmosphere. People today are looking more and more for honesty in the quality of the food, and this is being reflected in the design as well. Fortunately, we seem to have moved past the tendency to overdesign and “try too hard to impress.” Design that prevails over the food is

never a good idea. A successful restau rant design has the ability to keep sur prising the recurring customer and make the guest feel special and welcome over and over. Beatrice Girelli is the co-founder and design director of Indidesign. She received her Master’s Degree in Architecture at the University of Rome, La Sapienza, with a specialization in Historic Preservation/ Restoration, she is NCIDQ certified and has retained her professional Architectural license and board certifications in Italy and in the UK. In 2003 Beatrice started Indidesign, in Los Angeles, CA which grew quickly into a recognizable name in the field of interior architecture with an emphasis on luxury and lifestyle hospital ity projects and product design.

FOCUSING ON FINDING CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TO OPERATIONAL CONCERNS IS PARAMOUNT FOR CHEFS AND DESIGNERS WHEN COLLABORATING.

BEATRICE GIRELLI

WILL PRYCE / COURTESY OF INDIDESIGN

54 JUNE 2023

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