Boutique Design - November 2019 - 30

PERFECT TASTE

Laut Singapura, Gramercy
Salil Mehta knows exactly the balance of flavors he'd like in the
design. He's not just a hands-on client, he's also the designer and
the chef. As co-owner (with his wife Stacey Lo Mehta) and chef
of Laut Singapura, the Parsons School of Design-trained interior
designer set out to craft a 60-seat interior that paid tribute to
the diversity inherent in Singaporean street food but still held to
a single vision, rather than a Pan-Asian melting pot.
"We saw it as a chance to pull from the different cultures
and people in Singapore-Indian, Malay, Chinese, etc. so that
we could really pick and choose what design influences we
want (including even a European influence)," says Mehta. "For
example, the lights have an art deco vibe, but with wood carvings that are more traditional in Southeast Asian culture."
Exposed brick roots the space in New York, but delicately
carved pieces on those walls pull the attention back to the
other side of the world. Red lighting picks up a Chinese accent.
Teal seating, both painted wood and upholstered, makes sure
nothing feels mundane. If it seems like you've never seen many
of the pieces before, you probably haven't. Mehta worked with
small Indian businesses to create custom FF&E.
If there's one thing that Mehta wants designers to understand, it's that food has to come first. "When I started the
design process I really looked at the back of house (BOH) and
infrastructure costs first-such as the plumbing, HVAC, etc.
These are the things that are going to cost the most and are
going to mean the most to the longevity of the restaurant. My
advice is to determine the cost of all the BOH costs and then
figure out how much you have leftover to spend on front of
house (FOH)," he says. "Even the kitchen layout has a huge
impact on the staffing we can have." 
And, before jealousy strikes, Mehta's deep understanding
of his role didn't come overnight. "We made so many mistakes
over the last 10 years as restaurateurs that we were able to
learn a lot and figure out a lot of the logistical details," he says. 

4

5

PROJECT PARTICIPANTS
CLIENT/DESIGN FIRM
Laut Singapura

FLOORING
Tile World
LIGHTING
Bowery Kitchen Supply
WALLCOVERINGS
Etsy

4 Placing banquette seating and bench seating
in different orientations
offers a sense of privacy
in the main dining room.

30

boutiquedesign.com NOVEMBER 2019

SALIL MEHTA
LAUT SINGAPURA

5 A bright mural and muted seating
offer a perfect blend of richness
and spice. Plain recessed lighting
does the job without distracting
from the art or the food.

N OA H F E C K S ( L A U T S I N G A P U R A , M E H TA )

ART
Chris Soria



http://www.boutiquedesign.com

Boutique Design - November 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Boutique Design - November 2019

Boutique Design - November 2019
From the Editor
Check Out boutiquedesign.com
In This Issue
The Buzz
New in New York: Next in the City
Revolution, Evolution
Happy 100th, Hilton! So, What’s Next?
Perfectly Imperfect
Land of Plenty
Just Do It
Restaurants Deconstructed
Products: Bdny Exhibitors
Products: Colors of the Year
Products: Made in America
Exit Interview
Boutique Design - November 2019 - Intro
Boutique Design - November 2019 - Boutique Design - November 2019
Boutique Design - November 2019 - Cover2
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 1
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 2
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 3
Boutique Design - November 2019 - From the Editor
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 5
Boutique Design - November 2019 - Check Out boutiquedesign.com
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 7
Boutique Design - November 2019 - In This Issue
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 9
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 10
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 11
Boutique Design - November 2019 - The Buzz
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 13
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 14
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 15
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 16
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 17
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 18
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 19
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 20
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 21
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 22
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 23
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 24
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 25
Boutique Design - November 2019 - New in New York: Next in the City
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 27
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 28
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 29
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 30
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 31
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 32
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 33
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 34
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 35
Boutique Design - November 2019 - Revolution, Evolution
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 37
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 38
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 39
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 40
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 41
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 42
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 43
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 44
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 45
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 46
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 47
Boutique Design - November 2019 - Happy 100th, Hilton! So, What’s Next?
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 49
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 50
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 51
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 52
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 53
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 54
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 55
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Boutique Design - November 2019 - 57
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 58
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 59
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 60
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 61
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 62
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 63
Boutique Design - November 2019 - Perfectly Imperfect
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 65
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 66
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 67
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 68
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 69
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 70
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 71
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 72
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 73
Boutique Design - November 2019 - Land of Plenty
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 75
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 76
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 77
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 78
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 79
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 80
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 81
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 82
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 83
Boutique Design - November 2019 - Just Do It
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 85
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 86
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 87
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 88
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 89
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 90
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 91
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Boutique Design - November 2019 - 94
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Boutique Design - November 2019 - 97
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 98
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 99
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 100
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 101
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 102
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 103
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 104
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 105
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 106
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 107
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 108
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 109
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 110
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 111
Boutique Design - November 2019 - Restaurants Deconstructed
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 113
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 114
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 115
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 116
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 117
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 118
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 119
Boutique Design - November 2019 - Products: Bdny Exhibitors
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 121
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 122
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 123
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 124
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 125
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 126
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Boutique Design - November 2019 - 129
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 130
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 131
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 132
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 133
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 134
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 135
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 136
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 137
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 138
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 139
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 140
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 141
Boutique Design - November 2019 - Products: Colors of the Year
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 143
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 144
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 145
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 146
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 147
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 148
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Boutique Design - November 2019 - 150
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 151
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 152
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 153
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 154
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 155
Boutique Design - November 2019 - Products: Made in America
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 157
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 158
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 159
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 160
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 161
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Boutique Design - November 2019 - 182
Boutique Design - November 2019 - 183
Boutique Design - November 2019 - Exit Interview
Boutique Design - November 2019 - Cover3
Boutique Design - November 2019 - Cover4
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