Acclaimed hospitality designer, Paul Basile of Basile Studio, has teamed up with young gun restaurateur Kory Stetina to premiere Kindred in San Diego – a cocktail bar and vegan restaurant concept that has eschewed the rules of design with a creative interplay of dark and light, masculine and feminine and ornate flourishes coupled with rebellious graphics.
For Kindred, Paul utilised French Gothic details executed with modern tools to implement the timeless look of craftsmanship – almost every feature was custom made by his downtown San Diego-based design studio. Key elements of the 2800 square foot venue located in the South Park neighbourhood include a striking back-lit mirrored coffered ceiling, custom tête-Ã -tête oak seating installation, three metre high French Gothic inspired flip windows and an oversized glass and brass spirit chandelier.
A one-of-a-kind seating installation came from a unique inspiration, French rococo furniture. The tête-Ã -tête seating design was originally used as a way for courtiers to discreetly gossip, sharing secrets without looking like they were engaged in conversation.
Crafted from rift-sawn oak, the tête-Ã -tête showcases swiveling, steel arm, marble table tops with faux leather seats. Delicate peek-a-boo spindles add additional texture to the curved showpiece. A bespoke, mirrored, backlit coffered ceiling runs throughout the majority of the restaurant. Flying buttresses carry the detail of the coffered ceiling down the wall for an additional architectural flair.
A black, four-eyed wolf with snake horns weighing over 400kg is a striking art piece created by Southern California artist Brandon Kihl – a dark and eccentric focal point in an otherwise light and airy environment. The piece was made from a sculpted wire frame, covered with expandable foam, hand carved with dremel tools and finally, painted.
Textured plaster walls were originally inspired by the aforementioned wolf’s head – the texture appears as if the wolf has clawed at the wall in an attempt to escape. The textured wall was also modelled after the Devil’s Tower which is a gothic-looking rock formation in Wyoming.
To create the unique texture, Paul used sound-proofing foam, cut CNC curves, then brought in a plaster specialist, Sasha Seyb, who carved out the remaining textures while applying an integral coloured concrete texture.
The exterior marble facade features a bespoke, laser-cut logo, brass door and custom lighting fixtures. Gothic-inspired floor-to-ceiling windows flip up to the bustling street side allowing for open-air seating – ideal for the Southern California climate. The three metre windows are powered by an electric actuator.
Custom cast steel belly bars are topped with round marble tops to encourage standing room in the cocktail parlour area. Faux leather-topped white, custom-cast iron stools are tucked under one side of the 11 metre marble bar, while several faux leather tufted banquettes are interspersed along the back bar for additional bartender and guest interplay.
Additional showstoppers include an oversized glass and brass spirit chandelier, which looms over the large marble bar. Humour is at play with several elements within the space.
The delicate, hand-made, pink toile wallpaper – created by artist Dane Danner – features macabre versions of a fictional children’s female superhero found in several dark and ominous acts, eyeballs sword fighting, and a human hand holding a bouquet of flowers emerging from a venus flytrap’s mouth – a reference to carnivorous plants for a vegan food concept.
