Opening Exy

I was extremely fortunate to be asked to manage all concepts on EXY | Chic Greek Restaurant on 6th and F in the Gaslamp Quarter. I began with directing a photo shoot with photographer Marty Mann and Marketing superstar Julie Lanthier Bandy, we covered food and interior photography in one day. I also worked with George Glen Parker on designing the restaurant website. I started conceptualizing the logo which then became the exterior signage and grew into invitations, posters, corporate identity, banquet tools and menus.

Demolitian of the old LG's restaurant began with a bang. I had never designed the interior on a commercial property before and received great feedback on the final outcome. From planning out the look of the booths, to selecting awning colors, fabrics, tile, carpets, paint colors and artwork I had a great time immersing myself.

I decided on the Cameo Corian for the bar counter, and Kona laminate for the facing as I wanted a dramatic contrast in color without extending the budget. Originally I had selected wood flooring in the bar and lounge area, but realized damage and scuffing would be imminent so I worked with Young & Company to find a tile that resembled wood. Its fabulous stuff! I was going to just get sofas from West Elm but it worked out to be cheaper to have our vendor create the same sofas out of a faux leather I found through Maharam. The owner wanted floor to ceiling shear drapes, this proved to be challenging as we needed to find a fabric the reflected the light but was also within budget and flame retardant. Selecting the fabrics, carpets, wall paint and features I would have to say was the most fun, as the options were limitless.