Loren Daye’s holistic approach to design was cultivated during her time at Ace Hotel Group and expanded upon as principal of LOVEISENOUGH. Whether she’s crafting restaurant spaces or a mountain inn on the Massachusetts-New York border that is set to open in early 2022, Daye takes a deliberate approach, describing her process as pragmatic and sympathetic. Here, she talks about what it takes to create spaces that stand the test of time.
Dark wood slatting forms a booth and curves up the wall at Bar Bête in Brooklyn, New York
Collective design
Daye initially launched LOVEISENOUGH in 2009 but took a seven-year hiatus from 2011 to 2019 to work as a creative director and head of interiors for Ace Hotel Group. Four years ago, she relaunched the firm because “I wanted to share a studio atmosphere with people with differing opinions, special talents, and worldviews unique to mine,” she says. The environment is open and equal, where everyone shares ideas. “We love the unknown, we love beginning again, we love our work, we love our projects and our clients,” Daye explains. “Our studio evolves because we research and discover as a group and as individuals.”
Standout project
Daye worked closely with chef and owner Marc St. Jacques on Bar Bête in Brooklyn. They worked hand-in-hand with friends and design partners, including designer Little Wing Lee of Studio & Projects, “to deliver a warm, efficient, glowing space,” she says. Notable for its muted hues, global light fixtures, and plentiful curves, the project was hands-on and budget-conscious, with St. Jacques often at the center of the action. “Running a project like Bar Bête as a design-build is often messy and jagged,” she explains, “but a few careful decisions resulted in a simple composition that we hope will stand the test of time.”
Big appetite
Daye says she is drawn to restaurant design because it’s a way to “play a supporting role to whatever the chef is bringing to the table.” Whether it’s transporting guests to a Parisian brasserie with Le Crocodile in the Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn, or a crafting a massive multiuse space like Ducie Street Warehouse (formerly Cultureplex in Manchester, UK that houses a restaurant, café, coworking, event, gym, lounge, bar, and cinema spaces), she believes design can create lasting memories if done right. “In our studio,” she says, “we talk a lot about how to make space that endures.”
A former railway warehouse in Manchester, UK is reborn as Ducie Street, home to a lounge, restaurant, coworking space, and more
This article originally appeared in HD’s October 2021 issue.
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