On this rugged stretch of the California coastline, where rich farmlands crash into the cliffs above the Pacific, time slows down and the landscape calls to romantics, adventurers and those seeking a reprieve from being ‘on’. This is home to The Lodge at Bodega Bay, recently named the Best Hotel in the World by the prestigious Condé Nast Traveler Reader's Choice Awards. We distilled the spirit of this property to its very essence: rustic yet refined, serenely elegant and lightly wild. The new custom logo typeface traces the wings of the migratory birds that make this place their home.

The property's newly renovated guestrooms embody the rustic yet refined, serenely elegant and lightly wild atmosphere of Northern California and the Sonoma Coast. Blending coastal influence with the agricultural vernacular of the region, our interior concept embraces washed, creamy whites, rustic woods, textural materials and soothing tones of blue which embody the ocean below and the sky above.

A palette of moody coastal hues - harbor blues, sea greens, and driftwood browns - mingle with rustic kraft paper, rich leathers and seagrass textures to keep guests connected to the natural world through every interaction.  A series of commissioned illustrations by locally-based artist Steven Noble carry the sense of place beyond the property, peppering the website and other digital mediums with the flora and fauna from around the coast.

The new name & accompanying brand elevated the property and set the stage for the expanded guest experience, from the first brush with the website when booking to physical mementos from a trip. A series of secondary logo marks combined with the branded illustrations create a varied array of customized retail products available on the property. 

The new logo is a hand-rendered potted olive tree, a familiar sight in the Valley. It is a welcoming gesture which anchors you in the landscape. We introduced a bright and cheerful yellow, an instantly recognizable feature, and illustrated an organic brand pattern of vibrant green olive branches.

Hand illustrated maps are an engaging and creative way to greet guests and encourage them to take off on foot or bike to explore their surroundings. Whether venturing near or far, guests can lose themselves in the delights of discovery without ever feeling lost.

The visual identity speaks to the botanical's powers with elegant rippling and undulating forms. The products were designed to be proudly displayed, not hidden away.

Nestled into a hillside in Lafayette, California, The Park is a locals favorite. From solo travelers to milestone celebrations, the restaurant is welcoming hub, the perfect place to clink glasses with friends old and new. Though much beloved by loyal guests, the dining room felt cold and unwelcoming, and the overall physical space not a match for the impeccable hospitality of the staff. Our team was tasked with updating the interiors and the brand to create a more intimate experience.

We envisioned a refresh that would create a more inviting atmosphere for celebrations and cherished moments. The given name guided this vision, reflected in timeless design elements and a palette of rich and verdant greens reminiscent of Parisian parks. The design and branding concept borrows the visual language of trellises, vines, and other natural features including a variety of plant life and a wallpaper mural from France, which wraps the interior walls to envelope diners in a romantic botanical scene.

In many cases, the existing high-quality furnishings were refinished and re-used, helping to keep the project's carbon footprint significantly lower than replacing with new. Seating was reupholstered in rich plaids and vinyl leathers, and wood table tops were refinished with updated stains.

The bar, a favorite gathering spot, was re-imagined in a deep chocolate-black stain and expanded with custom millwork to create a focal point in the room. The bar now has ample storage and display space for bottles, as well as a dedicated space for a TV that blends seamlessly when not in use. The pendant lighting creates a room within the bar space, emitting a warm, ambient halo above the bartop.

The design strategy extended beyond the physical space, influencing printed items, digital applications, and even uniforms, seamlessly integrating the new identity throughout the restaurant. Variations of the logo, created using a system of trellis-and-vine inspired designs, adorn menu covers, coasters and matches.

Known historically as The City of the Open Door, this phrase became a warm and inviting greeting to welcome guests to Portsmouth.

We discovered the home was originally built by a woman named Mary Kelly, a rarity at that point in history. She had worked her way to her fortune from virtually nothing, hand-weaving nets for the fisherman in the Great Bay. A custom netting pattern sprinkled throughout the brand collateral pays homage to her.

The brand suite includes various logo versions referencing the passage of time and the differing styles that had found their way into the culture in New England over the years.

The iconic logo, seen throughout the property from embroidered linens to turndown cookies, was reimagined in new proportions and in a rich gold, supported by a new brand palette of creams, grays and the faintest hint of blush.

To capture the playful spirit of both the hotel and the city of San Francisco, we developed a series of custom illustrations of the hotel’s iconic tassel keys and San Francisco landmarks that make up a map of local can’t-miss sites.

Menlo Tavern is a popular restaurant for locals as well as guests at the Stanford Park Hotel in Menlo Park, CA. We helped to expand their footprint by designing an outdoor dining concept for the warmer months. The visual system is playful and engaging, capturing the feeling of fun only found when the weather is warm and the drinks are cool.

We created a custom illustration of summer surf shacks, tasty burgers, and drinks and desserts among breezy palms as part of the branding and expanded it to a custom wallpaper covering the interior of the space.

Star Springs Ranch is a premiere vineyard with a pioneer spirit. Years back, a pioneering family headed West, driven to create a fiercely independent life among the big skies and crashing surf of California. On thousands of rolling acres that has been home to generations of cattle ranching, limestone mining, and even raising Thoroughbreds, they recognized the potential in the unique microclimate and planted the very first vineyard vines in the ground in 1986.

In deep conversation and collaboration with the Star Springs Ranch team, we were enveloped in the story of the land and the people that transformed it. Drawing on this backstory, Western ranching traditions and the foundational family values that drove the spirit of the vineyard, we developed an identity system to tell their story.

The resulting identity reflects the symbolism and magic of this special place. The primary logo is both traditional and rustic. The hand-rendered star and stream allude to an all-American spirit, while these elements morph into other unique symbols and marks that make up a visual suite.

A custom wordmark was drawn featuring undulating letter bodies and sweeping, bulbous serifs. These shapes are inspired by the waves and kelp forests over which the dining room floats.

The outline of the Bay cradles an embossed wave pattern on the leather menu covers, while a custom pattern featuring the surface of the water floods across different elements of the branded suite.

The actual causeway connects the mainland to Clark Island where granite was quarried for decades. We looked to this industrial past for our graphic reference, pulling old typography and lettering from state directories printed the year of its construction and designing a menu system around found stonecutters invoices. 

The single biggest change was the addition of the bar. Now, guests have a place to gather for a cocktail or informal meal. But the best part is the bar window. Now the end of the bar becomes an outdoor counter where guests can order from outdoors. This proved to be an enormously successful change, giving guests more ways to enjoy a drink or snack while giving the restaurant an additional source of income. We affectionately call this the Clark Bar, and it deserved a look of its own.