hd expo preview Photo by VIC MOSS What was your greatest challenge and solution? MARK ZEFF Founder MARKZEFF Project: Hearth & Dram at the Hotel Indigo Denver The sheer size of the space itself. There are 20-foot-tall floor-to-ceiling windows, and the challenge was to conceive and develop ideas to make the space feel intimate. We used our signature leather chairs made in Spain, which helped give the space its cool factor and soften the experience. We also added in several elements that are vintage and industrial along with the open kitchen with a rotisserie. This all takes you in a new direction- it's a bistro with a twist. What was your overall inspiration for the project? The idea was to create a modern bistro with a brand new look and feel and not be just another bistro with the usual aesthetic. The vestibule that you enter the restaurant through is a huge circular space clad in wood. It has the look of walking through an oversized wine barrel and this sets the tone and adds the effect in creating drama. How does it speak to great design today? Great design needs to speak to some sense of luxury, fantasy, and comfort; it also must evoke a sense of style that is not hitting you over the head. This is a hard thing to achieve in this very competitive hotel industry. You have to design with a point of view and originality. What is your favorite aspect of the restaurant? It's quite something when you realize you are sitting under a structure within this space-that is a real 'wow.' 204 May 2017 hospitalitydesign.com Panel: Great Design Today, May 4th, 3-4 p.m.http://www.hospitalitydesign.com