Boutique Design - January/February 2016 - 14

the buzz

bOutIQue
18 uPDAte
AShLeY RuMSeY
CLASS OF 2011
THEN: Designer, Yabu

Pushelberg, Toronto
NOW: Partner, Mason Studio,

Toronto

WHEN AND WHY DID YOU CHANGE JOBS?

I decided to start my own interior design company in 2011 with my business
partner, Stanley Sun. We were both at a stage in our personal lives where we
felt ready to take ownership of our career paths and become entrepreneurs.
We shared a similar vision for how we wanted to run our studio and what kind
of projects we wanted to pursue. In addition, after working internationally for
several years, I had a vision for how I could integrate with and contribute to the
design community in our home city of Toronto.
WHAT MAJOR CHANGES HAVE YOU SEEN IN THE DESIGN FIELD SINCE
BEING NAMED TO THE B18?

Our studio has had the great fortune to have worked collaboratively with
other designers in related disciplines to create spaces and experiences that
blur the lines between art, graphics, industrial, interactive and interior design.
By learning about and connecting with other studios, we've had the ability to
enrich our work with a collaborative approach that extends beyond the typical
process as trained interior designers. Along with our hospitality, retail and residential clients, we also are involved with design-related cultural events, institutions and seminars to maintain a dialogue within our community.
HOW DID BECOMING PART OF THE B18 IMPACT YOUR CAREER?

It brought credibility to my new business. When being interviewed by prospective clients, the accomplishment was one that drew a lot of positive attention
and contributed to our small list of accolades at the inception of Mason Studio.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW?

Our team of seven designers is currently working on a diverse portfolio of hotels,
restaurants, retail, condominium and exhibition projects. That includes Andaz
Ottawa by Hyatt; a two-tower, 45-story condominium in Schenzhen, China; and a
third locale for a Toronto-based juice retailer, Village Juicery (shown).

MR CHOW, a high-profile purveyor of Beijing cuisine, has
debuted in Las Vegas with the opening of a restaurant
at Caesars Palace. The Sin City property is the brand's
seventh, joining locales in Miami, Malibu, New York,
Beverly Hills and London. Like all of those locales, the
Vegas outpost was designed by founder Michael Chow,
who has also designed Giorgio Armani boutiques, as well
as his home in Holmby Hills, California.
This latest version of MR CHOW features a bright
champagne lounge that serves as the venue's entry
from the casino floor whose centerpiece is an eyecatching sculpture entitled "Balloon Venus" by artist
Jeff Koons. From the lounge, guest access the 1,600-sq.
ft. restaurant via a set of private elevators.
The centerpiece of the dining area is a kinetic sculpture suspended under a 60-ft. dome (shown). Created by
Chow and constructed by TAIT, the 3,800-lb. fiberglass
and aluminum framed sculpture is dubbed "The Moon,"
due to its lunar-like appearance. Throughout each
evening, the sculpture transforms into various configura14

boutiquedesign.com January + February 2016

tions during four-minute shows. The piece's white exterior echoes the room's monochromatic palette, while its
interior features an Yves Klein blue.
The restaurant also includes a wine room, which
showcases more than 150 selections behind a floor-toceiling glass partition. On the other side of the space
is a lounge adorned with bronze furniture and custom
Clive Barker artwork. The round, white Venetian
plaster and Plexiglas-lined dining room is decked out
with outer banquette seating that surrounds a floral
arrangement consisting of 150-plus lilies at its center.
Other design highlights include a dark wooden bar
with shelves that extend to the ceiling, as well as large
windows and French doors that lead to a terrace.
"MR CHOW's elevated Chinese cuisine and chic
atmosphere perfectly complements the impressive
culinary collection of celebrity-chef helmed restaurants of Bobby Flay, Gordon Ramsay, Nobu Matsuhisa,
Guy Savoy and more," says Caesars Palace regional
president Gary Selesner.

J A I M E H O G G E ( R U M S E Y ) ; S C O T T N O R S W O R T H Y ( V I L L AG E J U I C E R Y ) ;
C O U R T E S Y O F M R C H O W ( M R C H O W R E S TA U R A N T )

CHOW-ING DOWN AT CAESARS PALACE IN VEGAS

http://www.boutiquedesign.com

Boutique Design - January/February 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Boutique Design - January/February 2016