Recalling a family legacy, Louie’s Modern blends Southern hospitality with a taste for world travel. Opened by Sarasota, Florida’s Seidensticker family, the restaurant honors Louie Seidensticker, the family patriarch, just as the nearby Libby’s Café + Bar pays homage to Louie’s wife. “Louie was passionate about good food and sophisticated cocktails, as well as bringing people together,” says designer D.B. Kim, principal of Philadelphia-based Daroff Design.

Kim formed the foundation of the design from the menu concept-a selection of international cuisine with a modern twist. “The results are timeless interpretations on exotic dishes,” says Kim. The subsequent design translated classic comfort hospitality into a contemporary setting. “Functionality and simplicity in a modern approach was our design platform,” he adds. “The warmth of wood, organic textures, and a neutral color palette immerse guests in the region’s signature Southern hospitality.”

For a welcoming entrance, a modern fountain sits atop a polished granite pedestal and is illuminated by blue LED lights. Alongside the fountain, a dish rack screen finished in cocoa backs a small reception area, while hurricane shutters accent the lounge. “It is a refreshing, welcoming gesture and calms the anticipated arrival excitement,” points out Kim. From the entrance, the open kitchen showcases blue 3Form translucent soffit and white tiling. “The foreground of the space is the main dining area, where everyone can see the kitchen, which provides open dialogue between the two,” he explains.

A bar services both the main dining area and the lounge and carries over the same wood finishes and cool blue palette. “Many of the design details are presented as a sneak preview to an entire guest experience,” says Kim. Barstools made of rubber wood-an eco-friendly, highly durable material-pair with the hurricane wood and nougat-colored subway tiles that frame the main dining space. “We’ve approached the wall finishes with a simply refreshing modern attitude,” says Kim. “These materials are highly efficient and sustain beautifully in a tropical area.”

Basket weave vinyl seats replicate natural leather and boast high durability while pairing with modern floral upholstered banquettes. Dining chairs are covered in a neutral striped fabric with a hard wood frame and the banquet chairs feature a duotone design. “The styles of seating are timelessly modern without being thematic or trendy, which marries into the concept of the menu,” says Kim.

Following this contemporary approach, the lighting takes inspiration from organic shapes and forms with both architectural recess lights and accented decorative lights. Blue and-blown glass pendants illuminate the bar, while another set of pendants in a clear vintage finish cover the center communal table. Lighting the banquettes, minimal raindrop pendants hang overhead and are complemented by layers of rings.

“It is an interpretation of the modern Florida room,” says Kim.