When John Sundstrom's new Lark (952 E Seneca) opened in December, we all knew it was a knockout space, and now the pros have sealed the deal. On Saturday, April 25, Lark and Bitter/Raw won Restaurant Design of the Year at the new-this-year Seattle Design Awards hosted by DList Magazine and purehome. The contest featured local winners in twelve categories, including Bar/Lounge Design of the Year (secured by Revolver Bar), and Lark bypassed finalists Restaurant Marron, 99 Park, Mezcaleria Oaxaca (Capitol Hill) and Quality Athletics for the restaurant trophy.
Lark 2.0 is designer Robert Cipollone's (Quinn's, Specialty's Café and Bakery) handiwork, and he knows the brand well after mapping out the original Lark and next-door Licorous with Sundstrom, his wife JM Enos, and co-owner Kelly Ronan.
Cipollone calls Sundstrom and co "masters at making super simple things elegant," and he worked to represent that theme in the restaurant aesthetic. A few standout features: the white-washed fir wood wall used as a wine display separating the kitchen and dining room (yet maintaining intimacy in between), the 354 old fashioned Edison-lamp-style LED lights that hang at different lengths throughout the restaurant, and the blue mohair velvet seat upholstery.
"We were asking, ‘How can we make something approachable feel special?'" Cipollone says. He's most proud of the fact that the end Lark result really "reflects what the owners wanted: approachable, friendly, sophisticated, elegant. I'm glad I was able to help them realize that in 3D."