Nightclubs may be nothing new to West Hollywood partygoers, but Bootsy Bellows is a revamped brand concept with its own theatric flair. Owned by the h.wood Group, actor David Arquette, and the Hakkasan Group, the club is so dubbed in homage to the stage name of Arquette’s mother, a burlesque performer in the late 1960s and ’70s. John M. Sofio, founder of locally based design firm Built, was charged with redeveloping a space—once occupied by Trousdale nightclub—to house the nightclub, which originally opened three years ago and is currently poised for expansion in a number of luxury markets, including Las Vegas, Dubai, and Toronto.
“To create a finished look and feel that can be reproduced around the world, we studied the elements that make Bootsy Bellows a brand and elaborated upon its unique features,” says Sofio, “while adding layers of glamour and excitement to the space. “Our ultimate goal was to present an elegantly modern burlesque theater.”
In celebration of Arquette’s love for puppets and performance, the entryway has puppet theater theme, complete with with vintage marionettes from his personal collection that fit the burlesque vibe. The midcentury-inspired club’s intimate layout continues to two areas—a primary function space and a VIP room—connected by a sinuous corridor layered with vintage antique mirrors and metallic wallpaper.
Throughout the venue, vintage photos of iconic performers are paired with an extensive use of mirrors, while floors are decked in marble and porcelain. “Gold creates a beautiful richness in the main space, where we also used pink and teal hues to give it a more feminine soul,” Sofio explains.
Also in the main area, a modern backlit sign bearing the club’s name with a neon LED display fluidly activates with the music. And in homage to burlesque’s heyday, circular cabaret booths hug a curved back wall adorned with diamond-shaped panels covered in a rich pink material.
The VIP room comes alive with Carrara marble flooring beneath an angular ceiling clad in gold and bronze mirrors that radiate in a starburst pattern around a 1920s disco ball. The space has a high-end living room feel straight out of a Rat Pack-era home,” says Sofio. Leather-upholstered lounge chairs and banquettes sit around the perimeter in residential-style groupings with modular side tables, gold lamps, and retro flourishes.
The room’s bar is topped in a lustrous black and white surface that contrasts with its gold finishes trimmed in walnut, while liquor is displayed in a geometric shelving unit with a disco ball above. Adjacent to the bar, a small bandstand lends an additional sense of intimacy to the exclusive hideaway. “We were striving to create elegance in a chaotic nightclub setting,” Sofio says.
