{This bar and restaurant is a project we conceptualized inspired by our favorite places to eat and the historic neighborhood this project landed in. We designed and brought the project to life alongside Mac Donald General Contractor and my business partner, designer Noah Johnson (noahmjohnson.com/thelittleroom). Together, we handled every detail from floor plans and project management to general design. We turned it over to the business owner to execute the final details.}

{Textured and worn-in, the space was designed to feel like it had always been there. Inside and out, every detail — the bar, the booths, the menus was meant to look like it had been pulled from The Little Room’s opening night 100 years ago. Classic, considered, and rooted in the design language of another era. Designer Noah Johnson brought it to life, his graphic design work doing much of the heavy lifting.}

{We began with the front of the building, which required the facade to be fully demolished and re-cast. The facade and doorway had been structurally compromised after a car struck the building prior to our project. We chose concrete because it made the most sense financially while also allowing us to achieve a period-correct look that matched the neighborhood’s Deco character. We drew inspiration from Art Deco facades in the Pico area and sent sketches to designer Noah Johnson, who elevated the concept with his passion for Los Angeles’ architectural history.}

{We started with an empty white box and a corner entry; a blank canvas. Plumbing and electrical had to run underground, which meant demoing more than a half of the existing concrete floor. Building out an entirely new kitchen and cook line added its own plumbing demands on top of that.}

{Once we had the fundamentals set in the dirt we re-poured the floor and got to designing. All underground plumbing, and electrical were completed before the floor went back.}

{The interior design drew on historical references from the Victorian and Craftsman homes in the West Adams neighborhood. Real wood pieces were hand picked from up and down the east coast, some potentially 150 years old: wood paneling, light fixtures, a fireplace mantle retrofitted as a backbar, refinished and stained by master carpenter Larry Haynes.}

{Coming from a family deeply rooted in the restaurant industry and having worked in restaurants myself, we bring a unique, boots on the ground approach to design, functionality, and operations. Every detail was carefully considered — from booth layout and eye-lines to back bar and kitchen flow. With major help and guidance by Los Angeles based Bartender and Cocktail master Vay Su, owner of Vandell bar in Silverlake, CA. We stepped away from the project allowing the business owner to do the final decorations and lighting design.}