Most of the advice you've heard about life probably also applies to design...

...both are primarily concerned about people...

"Art is around you, design is before you."

How does one judge art?  Who's to say that one particular piece is "better" than the next?  This is a question that comes up again and again in our industry.  We're constantly on display, gazed upon on by critical eyes and discerning palates, and with competition getting steeper and options getting broader, the need for badassery is greater than ever.  Arguably the most important part of our job is to try and express what is in our brains to the mass public and oftentimes what's lost in translation can make or break us..  We spent the better portion of two weeks interviewing and meeting with some of Austin's premiere interior design firms (if you need their contact information, please let me know, they were all great in their own ways!)  They each came with their vision, their craft, their talent, literally poured out over digital slides, collages, and renderings.  Some brought carefully crafted text to help illustrate their inspiration, others brought physical samples to bring a tactile association to an otherwise abstract concept.  ... in my humble opinion, our decision boiled down to one thing.

 "People ignore design that ignores people."

~Frank Chimero

Thankfully, the design teams all had very different visions which honestly allowed a little bit of ease in our decision because while all were creative and calculated, a few just struck a chord with our team.  In the end, while all the designs we felt understood our concept, felt our theme, and could see our vision, the firm that we ultimately went with we felt showed a level of concern for the guest that has and always will be our focal point with our team... perception is reality and to see things through the eyes of the end user is a talent worth utilizing.  They immediately found (and corrected mind you!) a major oversight that we were struggling with regarding the flow of the restaurant and it made all the difference for us.  

So thank you Leslie Fossler Interiors ... I can't wait to see what we come up with.

"Our goal.  Dead Center.  Food + Service + Ambiance = Badassery. "

In times of test, FAMILY is best.

Today as I was finding myself in a rather silly conversation over text message with my chef about our future staff; from some forgotten recess of my mind I remembered a little tidbit of trivia from my cultural past.  Swift's nests make bird's nest soup.  Here's a little backstory:

The key ingredient in bird's nest soup is truly a bird's nest but not one made of twigs and leaves, the sparrow-sized swiftlet's nest is primarily composed of saliva. A few species of swift, the cave swifts mainly, are renowned for building the saliva nests used to produce the unique texture of this soup. The complete structure is built within thirty-five days by the male swiftlet to accommodate one to two eggs and its shallow cup shape does not exceed the size of a human hand. The nests are harvested three times a year and the swiftlets are given time to breed and raise their young in the nest before removal. The original discovery of this as a culinary treat is unknown but it has been considered part of Chinese culture for over 1,500 years. The bird's nest is applauded for its medicinal properties including improved complexion, raising libido and benefiting the immune system. Both Hong Kong and the United States are the largest importers of birds' nests charging between $30 and $100 per bowl of soup while a single kilogram of nest can cost between $2,000 and $10,000.

I mentioned in jest that we should serve birds nest soup at our grand opening ... or at least to our investors due to it's substantial cost. Then I noticed something ...
... the Chinese character for the name of the bird is: 燕
I thought to myself ...

"Why does that character look so familiar?"

Keep in mind that although I speak Chinese fluently, I am, much to my family's dismay, illiterate... so it took a moment for it to register...

"...Wait, isn't that my sister's name?"

A quick call to my to my mother confirmed it... my little sister was in fact named after this small, beautiful bird.

My mother wrote this for me ... I jazzed it up a bit.

I was floored.  

My baby sister ... born on my 5th birthday ... whom I love so much, I find out today has been a part of this project since the very beginning when I named it ...  

Some people might call it coincidence ... I call it providence.

providence
noun
1. The foreseeing care and guidance of nature over the creatures of the earth.
2. God, especially when conceived as omnisciently directing the universe and the affairs of humankind with wise benevolence.
3. A manifestation of divine care or direction.

Nothing could make me more confident about Swift's Attic ... than having my family be a part of this.

A New Look... Another step ...

Every once in a while, if you're lucky... you get to experience serendipity.

serendipity : ser·en·dip·i·ty
noun
1. an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident.
2. good fortune; luck: the serendipity of getting the first job she applied for.

Building Swift's Attic has been a living, breathing testament that good things happen when good people get together.  From the incredible wooden floors buried underneath the carpet, to the beautiful brick walls hidden for years behind layers of sheetrock and wallpaper.  Everyday an adventure, every moment another surprise.

My good friends over at Pixel Peach have done it again.  Taking my scrambled murmurings and rough, unpolished vision ... they produced a logo that I have absolutely fallen in love with.

True genius.  Thank you for being a part of this.

... and so it begins

Good morning everyone!  I can't express how exciting it is to be able to finally start to share the journey that has been years in the making.  I will be posting construction updates as well as other tidbits and murmurings throughout the entire process ... 

Austin ... I can't wait to show you Swift's Attic.

~cK

Coming ... Fall 2011