Boutique Design - July/August 2015 - 10

the buzz

ChRIStIAN SChuLz
CLASS OF 2008

WHAT CHANGES HAVE YOU SEEN IN THE DESIGN FIELD SINCE BEING NAMED
TO THE B18?

Two main things: Clients are spending more money per square foot on their respective
projects, and there's also a lot more investments being made on projects in the U.S. That
said, the lessons of past "big spending" and inflated budgets with little return in the long
run have not been forgotten by most savvy business owners and developers. With the
overall increase in development work, our firm is seeking the next generation of successful
designers, but have found it harder to locate experienced, mid- to senior-level talent.
HOW DID BECOMING PART OF THE B18 IMPACT YOUR CAREER?

It was a real honor to be nominated back then, and I can tell you it was a very nice
feeling to be noticed and rewarded by my peers and colleagues for my hard work. Most
designers who are successful in developing their careers get there because of the true
passion they have for creating beautiful, meaningful and memorable spaces. For me

THEN: sbe, senior design manager, Los Angeles
NOW: [Studio Collective], partner/design director,

Los Angeles

personally, it was a boost of confidence and also allowed us all to have a voice in the
work we were part of at that time.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW?

The design of several exciting hotel projects of varying scale and magnitude,
from the newly opened Landsby Inn, a smaller boutique property in the quaint,
Danish-settled village of Solvang, Calif., to an equally casual, fun and hip surfinspired hotel-The Hokele Suites, right off the beaches of Waikiki in Hawaii, to the
complete overhaul of a massive Spanish Colonial, urban center property-The Hotel
Figueroa in downtown LA (shown). Most of those projects include dining, lounge
and poolside amenities that we also provide design direction for. In addition, we
are starting to co-develop projects we are designing, such as the recent opening of
Sweetfin, a fast-casual concept in Santa Monica, Calif., and Estrella Restaurant, an
approachable, three-meal dining destination and bar on Sunset Boulevard.

RESIDENTIAL PROJECT IN SAN DIEGO
HOUSES A MAJOR HOSPITALITY VIBE
Paul Basile and his eponymous San Diego-based design/build studio have
already had a major impact on Southern California's restaurant scene,
creating such buzzed-about locales as two Plan Check Kitchen + Bars in LA,
as well as Craft & Commerce and Ironside Fish + Oyster in the firm's hometown. (The latter project was featured in the July + August 2014 issue of
Boutique Design. See "Fish Tales," page 32 of that edition.) Now, BASILE Studio
has brought its high-energy theatrical touch to the residential realm, creating
the common areas of Broadstone Balboa Park, a new, 100-unit upscale
housing development in San Diego's Banker's Hill neighborhood.
"The fun of this project was that developer, Alliance Residential Co.,
wanted us to bring the same social component we offer to hospitality into a
residential setting," says Basile. "The client also wanted interactive elements,
and we delivered with a life-size Wheel of Fortune game, a Magic 8-Ball belly
bar, and even hydraulic lounge chairs."
Other eye-catching elements within the complex's lobby include a plaster
wall bearing a silver image of a eucalyptus forest created by local artisan Sasha
10

boutiquedesign.com July + August 2015

Seyb; a tufted sectional sofa with brass trim; wood-block coffee tables repurposed from early 20th century bungalows; and a row of metal globe posts.
Despite its hospitality vibe, Basile notes that the Broadstone spaces created
by his firm include some elements that reflect the complex's residential nature.
"With restaurants, we have to be cognizant of the high volume of traffic-
there's a lot of wear and tear-but there's less of that in this project, so we were
able to soften the spaces using a wider array of materials, including leather,
linen-style draperies, and hand-knotted wool area rugs," he says.

A M A N DA D E M M E ( S C H U L Z ) ; C O U R T E S Y O F [ S T U D I O C O L L E C T I V E ] ( H O T E L F I G U E R OA ) ;
A D R I A N T I E M E N S ( B R OA D S T O N E B A L B OA PA R K )

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Boutique Design - July/August 2015

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