Boutique Design - March 2019 - 30

PROJECT
PARTICIPANTS
BAVEL
CLIENT
Genevieve Gergis and Ori
Menashe, chefs/owners
DESIGN FIRM
Studio UNLTD: Greg Bleier,
founding principal/creative
director; Terri Robison, principal; Ania Bown and Eunice
Kim, designers; Becky
Becheanu, lighting designer;
Rebeka Di Palma, project
coordinator
ARCHITECT
Osvaldo Maiozzi
PURCHASING COMPANY
Studio UNLTD
GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Howard CDM
DESIGN CONSULTANTS
KRB Specialists (kitchen
design); SHA Acoustics
(acoustic design); Steve
Siegrist Design (landscape
design)
ART AND ACCESSORIES
Antiqued Mirrors Co.
Christopher Perez
Livinglass

BAVEL, ARTS DISTRICT

boutiquedesign.com MARCH 2019

GREG BLEIER
STUDIO UNLTD

2 Low, delicate backs on both
chairs and barstools create
a clear sightline to the bar.

LIGHTING
Anthropologie
Alphabet Lighting
Circa Lighting
Etsy/Yasemin Celik
Focus Industries
Hydrel Winscape
Intense Lighting
L'aviva Home
Lightolier
Lithonia Lighting
Pinnacle Architectural
Lighting
Tech Lighting
Tom Dixon
Tokistar Lighting
Volt Lighting Group
RESTROOMS
Qortstone
Linkasink
MAC Faucets
UPHOLSTERY
Architex
Designtex
Cortina Leathers
TRI-KES
WALLCOVERINGS AND
MATERIALS
BASWA
Dal-Tile
Kismet
Orco
Pental Surfaces
Portola Paints & Glazes
Spec Ceramics

TA N V E E R B A DA L ( B AV E L ) ; C O U R T E S Y O F S T U D I O U N LT D ( B L E I E R )

FURNITURE
American Furniture Mfg.,
Anthropologie
BARCA Tile & Stone
Barn Furniture
Bend Goods
Brothers of Industry
Design Within Reach
Jonathan Charles
Magis
Modul Marble
RH Contract

CROWD MAGNET
This eatery doesn't even need signage. Just look for the queue of eager patrons that spills out
onto the sidewalk and wraps around the curve of the valet parking area. What's so worth the
wait? Chefs/restaurateurs Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis' second restaurant (the husbandand-wife team's, Bestia, remains a staple in the neighborhood) is one of the hottest dinner spots
east of the Harbor Freeway (Highway 110) thanks to its hearty, un-intellectual Middle Eastern
fare (there's no side of pretentiousness), its full-on buffet of indoor/outdoor experiences and a
great location surrounded by the graffiti-painted buildings in the Arts District.
Greg Bleier, founding principal/creative director, Studio UNLTD, knew he and Gergis (she
collaborated on the design) had to create a look that complemented the food and a layout
that prevented congestion inside the building. The process started with fixing one of the
structure's technical difficulties. "Simply getting the power upgraded to support a restaurant
and the adjacent coffee-roasting facility was far and away the biggest challenge," says Bleier.
"It delayed the project months and became a major undertaking that necessitated a new
service pole and station. The patio was a bit of an undertaking as well, due to the complexities of height limitations (so as not to interfere with the daylighting of the interior) and the
ceiling requirements of a dining patio."
With those challenges addressed, Bleier moved on to the layout. Ample waiting space
at and room at the bar is a must, but as he says, the biggest design driver is the food-and
the people behind it. "Watching the team is like watching pirates on a ship working
together. They are on display and it's very much a show," he says. So, the standout design
elements, especially the extensive greenery (watered by a timed irrigation system) help
redirect guests' eyes toward the action. He sees the wine counter and bar as "stages" for
their respective team members.
All the world's a stage, and the people merely diners? Maybe, just maybe. After all, even
eating a meal in a vibrantly creative area needs some performance quality.

FLOORING
Fireclay Tile
Howard CDM
Sealed Concrete
Stone Source
Walker Zanger

http://www.boutiquedesign.com

Boutique Design - March 2019

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