When designing a new restaurant in Los Angeles, famed interior designer Jeremiah Brent’s first thought was that he wanted it to not look like Los Angeles. In fact, when he first walked into the vacant Culver City space, he was most inspired by the European modernist movement launched in a city thousands of miles away: namely, Gio Ponti and his biomorphic, playful curves; the functional yet beautiful simplicity of Charlotte Perriand; and the geometric patterns of the Vienna Secession. “I incorporated elements that felt like an ode to the past, but which also felt weird now,” says Brent.
He then examines the origins of dining culture Paris with its many bistros, bistros and bars-à-vin. “The biggest inspiration for me was the intimacy of a street café,” he added.
Photo: Shade Degges
The result is Juliet, which opens on February 1st. Directed by Rohan Talwar, the restaurant behind beloved L.A. eateries Margot and Norah and David Fishbein of the Runyon Group, serves modern French cuisine in an ambiance designed by Brent: French tick-tock chairs and saffron velvet settees paired with Timber tabletops with scalloped edges are contrasted, all of which sit on the herringbone wooden floor. Striking wicker arches jut from the grey-blue walls, while rich mahogany trim runs throughout. The bar, however, dominates the interior, with its shiny red lacquer and marble top.
and a tap in the middle? A communal table that runs the length of the entire room is perfect for casual date nights or those looking to dine alone with a book and a glass of Sancerre. “It cuts the formality of dining in half,” Brent says of his offbeat design choice.
