In the fall of 2021, we were involved in the extensive renovation and remodel of the downtown Las Olas restaurant, “YOLO”. Karen Hanlon (KH Design) did the original design of the restaurant in 2008 and was tasked with re-imaging the space for the next decade and beyond. Karen is an incredible designer and was awesome to work with. We anticipate working with her on many other projects in the future.
Our original project in the “YOLO” restaurant consisted of installing our ‘Vegas Slate’ Signature stone in the restaurant’s main pass-through hallway that leads to the kitchen and late-night hot spot “O Lounge”. Karen was intimately involved in the layout of the stone patterns. Each piece of our Signature Collection is truly unique, and ‘Vegas Slate’ has a ton of movement. It was quite a privilege to watch Karen’s mind work as she pieced her design together. We installed our 2’X4’ thin stone sheets in a brick(staggered) pattern with clean grout lines on the entire wall and adjacent wine cabinet. We also were asked to continue the stone around the corner leading into the kitchen. This was not part of the original design, but given how simple our stone was to install, it was an easy decision to use a few sheets of stone rather than simply paint in that corner nook. Once on site at “YOLO”, this was a quick installation for us. We installed about 50 sheets of stone, grouted, and sealed. It took us 4 days to complete the job. In and out!
Vegas Slate Hallway
First few pieces getting placed on the entry wall.
Almost done. The effect is starting to take shape.
Grouting the triangles.
The entrance to YOLO, in both the original and new designs, features very large letters, Y-O-L-O. They are big enough to sit on, take pictures in front of, etc. A bold, dramatic statement is made for sure! In the new design, behind these stunning letters, intended to be a feature wall with full slab stone. We were contacted in the summer of 2021, very close to the time our ‘Vegas Slate’ installation was to begin. The slab stone wall design for the “YOLO” entrance wall had exceeded their budget significantly. Karen asked us to look at the space to see if we could come up with a solution. We knew SlimStone would be affordable compared to the slab stone, and we knew we had the material stocked locally in Pompano Beach. But we also needed to come up with a design that could achieve Karen’s vision and complement the existing finishes in the space. The timeline was short. Even if we nailed the design, could we get it done on time?
Yes!
We were proud to be able to develop a contemporary 3D triangle design with the help of our man, Heath at Fitsaw Construction. The theme of the new remodel of “YOLO” centered around a stunning custom art piece “The Burning Tree” that sits in a fire pit on the spacious patio area on the exterior of the restaurant. Karen, working closely with YOLO’s owners, ‘The Restaurant People’, chose ‘Timberland’ from our Signature stone collection and created a dynamic forest look for the interior grand entrance wall that worked seamlessly with the “The Burning Tree”. Heath spent countless hours in our Pompano Beach warehouse, meticulously creating these 3D ‘Timberland’ triangles. From the conception to the drawings, design, layout, and final installation – this was an incredible team effort. We couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity to work with Karen and The Restaurant People.
When first presented with this opportunity, the solution wasn’t immediately apparent. Nic Venter, our head of sales, was adamant that we could deliver a solution. Even the experienced contractors and builders had lots of questions. We gained tremendous confidence during this project because we were able to answer those questions, and ultimately deliver a spectacular result for the client. Restaurant Design is such a natural partner with SlimStone. We can produce some dynamic, exclusive designs with our thin, flexible stone. Get in touch with Nic today and let SlimStone help transform your restaurant space.
