15 Jun Sienna Mercato by Susan Certo
We are featuring Sienna Mercato, a restaurant in downtown Pittsburgh that features Cobble Hill by Stacy Garcia for York Wallcovering through D.L. Couch. We spoke with designer Susan Certo about the project.
Stacy Garcia: What was the inspiration for this project?
Susan Certo: I was inspired by the structural elements of the original building when we began demolition. The building, which is a historical landmark, has amazing structural elements such as the massive iron beams, beautiful original brickwork, and industrial exposed piping which had been covered up by the previous owners.
SG: Why did you choose Cobble Hill by Stacy Garcia for York Wallcoverings?
SC: I wanted to keep with the integrity of the industrial look. The Cobble Hill wall texture had the raw texture and the depth of colors we were looking for. Additionally, we needed a product that could withstand the wear and tear of a busy restaurant corridor.
SG: What are you working on next?
SC: We just opened up our second Emporio: A Meatball Joint restaurant in Wexford. We used the Cobble Hill wall covering in this site as well. We plan on expanding the brand to other areas of Pittsburgh.
SG: Where do you look for design inspiration?
SC: The 3 story building was our original inspiration. I also like magazines such as Architectural Digest. Similar to most people, I find inspiration on the Internet including Pinterest and Flickr.
SG: What’s your favorite space to design? How do you make it stand out?
SC: My favorite space to design was our 2nd floor restaurant, Mezzo. I was inspired by our motto of farm-to-table concept – fresh food from local farms. It has a very rustic charm with a lot of reclaimed wood, tables and chairs custom made by an Amish man, a big communal farm table that is used as our chef’s tasting table, and a custom made farm kitchen hutch. There are a lot of pig and cow inspired accessories including a unique wall covering. We also brought in a chalk artist from Brooklyn to design abundant graphics depicting the art of charcuterie, Italian sayings and graphics of our extensive wood fire pizza menu. To make the space stand out, we used lighting elements. Each area of Mezzo has a unique lighting schematic but it all ties together. The lighting is industrial/farmlike/moody.
SG: What trends are you seeing in interior design?
SC: In terms of the restaurant industry, the trend of dining is more casual so the décor is following suit. You will see a lot of reclaimed wood and restaurants being designed with a little bit more industrial nostalgia.
SG: What colors and materials do you use most?
SC: We used a lot of reclaimed wood. The colors we used were a lot of warmer, earthy tones such as brown, cream, red and rust.
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