Beyond the West (BTW), a new creative studio, has set up shop in Venice Beach, California.
Cofounded by Chris Sheffield, formerly of SLDesign, and Juliette Mutzke-Felippelli, previously of Joogii, BTW takes a boundary-pushing approach to creativity. The studio operates with a tailored approach to the development of interiors, branding, and product design.
Chris Sheffield and Juliette Mutzke-Felippelli
“Beyond the West is about the idea of the West—limitless possibility, cinematic drama, desert fever dreams,” says Sheffield. “It’s about being fearless and authentic, with storytelling as our guiding principle.
With decades of combined design experience, the duo has left their mark on various sectors and provided creative direction for industry leaders like Michael Mina, Steven Starr, Amy Sacco, and Rande Gerber. They have also developed hospitality concepts for entertainment giants such as Disney, MGM, and Virgin.
BTW’s inaugural project is the conceptualization of the Collins, a private Miami Beach members club, situated in a historic Art Deco building with beachfront views. The firm designed the interiors of the 130,000-square-foot club’s common spaces, including two signature restaurants, private dining areas, a screening room, a pool deck, and three bars. They also developed its brand identity, logo, uniforms, soundscapes, custom fragrance, and member programming.
Other projects in the pipeline include the renovation of a post-modernist architectural building in the exclusive Gables Estates community of Coral Gables, as well as an art-focused lighting concept slated to debut next year.
“Chris and I are a dynamic team,” adds Mutzke-Felippelli. “He brings that East Coast Philly fortitude and I have that California-dreamin’-let’s-go-for-it attitude, so it truly feels like we can take on any type of creative endeavor and make it purposeful and artful.”
A rendering of a private office in the Collins, BTW’s inaugural project
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