CASE STUDY - MALIBU PIER

the RESTAURANT :

While overseeing the pier, I took an increasing role in the development of the Malibu Pier Restaurant & Bar at the land end of the pier.  Initially providing background history and local color to the interior designer, the role continued to grow becoming onsite liason for the designer and architect to provide valuable advice & creative insight.

In the final design phase, I created many of the key visual features that related to Malibu and gained mention in publications including Architectural Digest, the Hollywood Reporter and C Magazine.

GOAL  -Create a Malibu beach house vibe in a restaurant space & bar incorporating art, objets trouvé, light fixtures and artisan made pieces.  

DESIGN -  sourced key fixtures including designing a center light installation with rope lights from Holland.  Reworked exterior painting scheme to enliven facade.  Also consulted with owner to obtain eclectic pieces ranging form C. Jere brass wire boats to whale bones (one of which I stumbled upon while walking my dog on the beach).  

TYPOGRAPHY & DESIGN - completed restaurant logo, designed daily menus, postcards and exterior signage.  Worked on design of pier wide signage package including specification for public lighting.  

ART AQUISITION  - worked closely with the owner to achieve an art collection that reflected the eclectic feel of a Malibu Beach house including pieces by David Hockney, Ed Ruscha, LeRoy Grannis & a provocative surfboard by Richard Phillips.  Pursued the Dennis Hopper Art Trust to obtain pieces from his private collection including a vintage image of Jane Fonda as she prepared for her role in Barberella on a local beach.  Also guided the artist Sally England to integrate the shape of the Malibu wave into a macramé piece.

EXPERIENCE - while working from a unique insiders vantage, gained insight and experience in restaurant operations and customer experience.  This ranged from menu tastings to management recruitment to finding the appropriate soundtrack.  

Restaurant photos courtesy Jessica Sample.