How did you come to start your own firm?
Dolores Suarez: We met at Georgetown University [in Washington, DC] and initially started as decorative painters together.
Caroline Grant: We were both in the corporate world and wanted to do something more creative. We launched our decorative painting firm in 2000 and our interior design firm in 2008.
Earliest memories of working together?
CG: For one of our first restaurants, we wanted to create walls that looked like parchment paper, but the budget didn’t allow for it, so we used our decorative painting background and created it ourselves—scaffolding and all.
Big break?
DS: In 2008, we designed Bobo, a French restaurant in [New York’s] West Village. It’s in a townhouse, and we wanted to make it feel like you were having dinner in your well-traveled aunt’s house who had collected pieces from all over the world. The design got us nominated for a James Beard Award, and for the 10-year anniversary in 2018, we redesigned the space. We wanted it to reflect the new and updated menu with lighter fare and a focus on farm-to-table. We chose natural materials and lightened the furnishings to feel open and airy.
What are each other’s strengths and weaknesses?
CG: Dolores is passionate about product design, which means our spaces end up looking unique because so much of it is custom. I’m better at thinking about the logistics of the space and the layout, and how the purchases we’re making will serve the needs of the space.
Tell us about a challenging project and your solutions.
DS: In By Chloe (a vegan restaurant we designed a number of locations for), the space was a white box and we wanted to create something with character and personality to reflect the younger downtown vibe. We created a custom tile design, which became a signature piece in all of its locations and brought the outdoors in by using fun rattan swing chairs. We also did a custom striped fabric that resembles a vintage textile.
Biggest opportunity of owning your own firm?
DS: You can shape the direction of the business and choose your clients, as well as your coworkers. You can make the job you want to have.
How has your firm evolved over the years?
CG: We started working out of our apartments and now have an office in SoHo and a tile product line launching in September inspired by the restaurants we’ve designed.
Why do you love design?
DS: No day is the same. We get to create spaces that bring people together.
CG: I love being able to communicate feeling and create an atmosphere through aesthetics.
The duo received a James Beard Award nomination for their inviting design of Bobo in New York, which they recently refreshed
Hints of color juxtapose the wood- and brick-clad bar area at Rosemary’s in New York’s West Village
Striped curtains, wood floors, and a fireplace define the sun-filled dining room at Bobo
