Tasked with completely remodeling popular 13-year-old LA organic American eatery Hedley’s, designers John Sofio and Dominique Labaki from Built, Inc., an LA-based design-build firm, created an intimate, midcentury modern design with residential details and vintage decorative pieces.
“The layout prior to the remodel was just a mixture of two- and four-tops, so we wanted to create more of a home feel where people might be sitting at a counter or bar, tasting wine, and we made the couch banquettes similar to a nook in a kitchen,” Labaki says. The Lilac Moresque marble countertop bar also allows single diners to sit with others and serves as a focal point.
To warm up the 35-seat, family-run restaurant, Labaki’s team lowered the chevron-patterned slat ceiling from the back to the front to create a more intimate setting. The pattern carries over to the back wall, and the overall effect is to allow light to come through, creating a beachy brightness to the space. The olive green front patio invites guests to soak up the sunshine outside.
6 Hedleys Photo Courtesy of Built Inc. To further create a homey, nostalgic feel, designers paired custom-made wallpaper with vintage framed photos, shooting ducks and bird-themed decorative vases as well as other elements sourced from antique stores. Walnut chairs and tables add a masculine contrast to the light yellow, blue, orange and green colors present in the wallpaper while black and beige upholstery tones down the space to make it feel airy yet warm.
The biggest challenge of the remodel, Labaki says, was the short time frame; the whole project from start to finish was completed in just seven weeks.
Photos courtesy of Built, Inc.