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Visual Identity / Logo Design / Illustrations / Print and Digital Collateral / Brand Styleguide / Packaging-Labels / E-commerce website design
Thinking Strategically
Parterre Restaurant and Bar is adjacent to the historic Linden Row Inn, located in Downtown Richmond, Virginia. First, I needed to look at this project holistically, from location to type of cuisine. Parterre is not an isolated restaurant, off on it’s own. It’s adjacent to the Linden Row Inn, therefore It’s part of a partnership and the primary dining location for guests of the Inn. This new concept will occupy a space previously occupied by a different restaurant. When researching the history, I, naturally, first notice their visual identity and design. It had its own style, but one, in my opinion, that did not compliment that of the Inn. This is certainly acceptable, and I’m not suggesting every business have “matching” designs with partners. This would be boring. In this case, I felt it was beneficial and important to tie in aesthetically with the Inn.
Linden Row is a historic location in downtown Richmond. Their suites are stunning, adorned with antique furniture and vintage style. There’s an experience that guests have and want to have when they visit. It would be great to extend that to their dining experience as well.
Thinking Creatively
The decision to blend with the Inn made the color palette easy to define. The name, however, was a different story. Food & Beverage Director, Chase Seymour, along with his wife, Anna, started digging deep into the history. Linden Row has a strong connection to beloved Richmond poet, Edgar Allan Poe. They learned there is a reference in his poem “To Helen”, of a “parterre”. It is believed that the parterre he mentions is now the current garden patio area of the restaurant, on the grounds of the Inn. It is romantic find and a perfect fit for the space. Parterre was born.
Now that a name had been chosen, it was time for me to come up with a logo. One of my first visions was of the black raven, made so famous by Poe. It doesn’t seem terribly original, but design is inspired by many people, places, and things. I just try to allow it to come. It took several drafts of ravens before getting it right, but once it felt right, it was right.
The Result
In reflection, this entire project came together abnormally fast. Once the name and logo had been finalized, each deliverable seemed to come together rather seamlessly. Parterre not only serves great dishes, it serves a great experience. For Inn guests and locals alike, Parterre offers a welcoming and intimate environment, sharing a romantic history and an ideal setting for the moments we want to remember.
In its first year, Parterre received several 5-star reviews across multiple platforms and has been featured in several publications including The New York Times, Richmond Magazine, & Richmond Bizsense.
Primary typography was selected based on its visual presentation, which I felt was vintage and poetic. The Hamilton Serif font family is described as boasting sophisticated and hand painted textures throughout. A vintage style, it was inspired by vintage maps, wine, and whiskey.
For guests of the Linden Row Inn, I thought it would be fun to place a map of popular Richmond tourist sites, most located within walking distance from the Inn. The icons are custom illustrations.
I developed and designed the website on WordPress. Fully responsive and integrated with the Toast Restaurant Management system, as well as Open Table, customers could place food and gift card orders online. View the website project here.
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