Chef Joe Flamm, winner of Top Chef: Colorado, has launched his new restaurant, Rose Mary, in Chicago’s historic Fulton Market district. The concept draws upon Flamm’s Italian heritage as well as his wife’s birthplace of Croatia. Los Angeles-based Studio UNLTD channeled an eclectic European ethos with a convivial-yet-utilitarian atmosphere influenced by historic Croatian taverns—known as “konobas.”
“The timing for Rose Mary couldn’t have been better as we were just back from a trip to Croatia,”says Studio UNLTD principal and design director Terri Robison. “It’s a country so rich with culture that we found inspiration waiting for us down every small alley and in every restaurant we happened upon.”
The dynamic interior design also echoes the natural splendor of Croatia’s Mediterranean coast. Abundant greenery is paired with folk-style textiles and accessories that instill a quaint flair, while whitewashed brick walls reference the pebble beaches along the Adriatic Sea. Red clay elements and deep azure blue tilework evoke inviting, earthen hues alongside rustic honey-toned oak millwork. Pale stone surfaces round out the airy design narrative, referencing Croatia’s numerous limestone quarries and infusing a sense of softness.
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