In a recent project, I had the opportunity to work on a luxury hotel renovation where the goal was to redefine the interior ambiance of the lobby and create a space that felt both sophisticated and inviting. Instead of opting for traditional materials like wood or wallpaper for the walls, I proposed using custom leather wall panels from my company, Limassolian Leathers. The panels were designed to bring a tactile, warm texture to the space while exuding a sense of timeless elegance. We chose high-quality full-grain leather, treated to enhance durability, which gave the walls a rich, natural patina that improved with age. These panels pushed the boundaries of conventional wall treatments, moving away from flat, static surfaces to something that invited interaction—both visually and physically. The impact was profound. The leather walls became a focal point of the lobby, catching the eye of visitors and creating an atmosphere of understated luxury. The design received praise not only for its aesthetic appeal but also for its acoustic benefits, as the panels helped absorb sound, making the space feel more intimate and serene. By using leather in an unconventional way, we not only added a sense of bespoke craftsmanship but also showcased the versatility of leather beyond traditional applications. This project demonstrated that pushing the boundaries with unconventional materials can create memorable, impactful designs that elevate any space.
I convinced a coffee shop to invest in months-long, expert-level design, rather than Fiverr or Canva alternatives. Small business owners rarely have a budget that matches the caliber of visuals they want. They have to settle for budget solutions and take higher risks with a smaller wallet. This coffee shop aspired for more and the results were stunning. Coffee shops in my area, and throughout the country, look the same: Maybe a Papyrus font, with the word "artisanal," and a coffee bean in the logo. Michael Cera is the awkward guy in every movie he's in; Coffee shops have typecasted themselves to lackluster design, and they all look the same because they assume, "Well, that's what a coffee shop looks like, right?" This shop is in my hometown, and had a Canva logo that the owner made in a day. I pitched my services and after a few key talks and a lot of americano, the owner took my offer. Here's what we did: We questioned the root of all those similar-design coffee shops. The word "artisanal." What they're trying to do, whether they realize it or not, is separate from megacorporations like Starbucks. They're relying on "hand-fashioned" design tropes to represent that. I spent 3 months sketching every possible idea while we thought about those conventions of design. I decided to hand-draw the logo with inspirations from old badge-like layouts and lockups from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. It had to look like something you could hold in your hands, like a stamp, while standing toe-to-toe with Starbucks level cleanliness. Every plume of smoke and every iteration of the face (we decided on a womanly figure as a mascot) was hand-drawn in charcoal then brought into Photoshop. 150 sketches later and we've settled on one of my favorite logos I've ever produced. We reverse-engineered "artisanal" and created a visual identity that actually looks like if Starbucks were a single woman-owned premium coffee shop with homemade syrups, the only one of its kind on earth. The brand hasn't engaged in any active advertising, and its total yearly revenue increased by 22% for that year. It's a wonderful experience seeing your social media feed populate with pictures of the logo on a hot cup of coffee. I'm delighted every time I get to chatting with someone and they mention this one coffee shop out there that they really want to go to, it's all handmade and artisanal but "for real," and I get to tell them I made that logo! That's the definition of brand awareness.