Adorn Designs is a multidisciplinary New-York-based design firm that excels in the creation of visually stunning, immersive gathering spaces. Over the course of nearly two decades, we have designed more than 100 bars and restaurants in cities around the U.S., which have received accolades in publications like Architectural Digest, The New York Times, New York Magazine, Time Out, and The New York Post.
Our approach to design is to envision each of our spaces as a uniquely crafted environment that tells its own story. Rather than embracing a signature style or a particular design era, we strive to create venues that evoke a certain feeling in those who encounter them. Specifically, that invite them in, inspire them to linger, and encourage them to return again and again.
We achieve this through a process that relies on both a command of classical design principles and a willingness to abandon them; a deep respect for historical tradition and an enthusiasm for audacious, wild-card creativity. While our completed spaces may nod to a specific time or place (a rustic, 19th-century English village tavern; a sultry, intimate Prohibition-era speakeasy), we believe that by layering time-honored aesthetics with lively and modern irreverence, we create spaces that transcend boundaries—and that become truly timeless.
Once a space has revealed its story to us, we use every instrument and medium at our disposal to make it manifest. Often that means going far beyond simply sourcing the finest and most unusual building materials, furnishings, textiles, and fixtures from our suppliers. It also means locating truly rare, one-of-a-kind elements like reclaimed windows, mirrors, antique light fixtures, and decorative pieces from historic estates and specialty purveyors. And, when we can’t find just the right components to bring a space’s story to life, we make them—shaping our own, uniquely bevel-edged bar and table tops; using reclaimed tile to craft elaborate custom mosaics; and creating original works of studio art, including murals and photo collages, that amplify the voice of a particular space.
FOUNDER
Creative Director and CEO Benjamin Kay
An early career in set design gave principal designer Ben Kay a keen grasp of the importance of a carefully crafted environment—and an understanding of how the space where a social encounter unfolds can greatly influence, and enhance, the experience of that encounter. He honed his expertise over several years designing sets for film productions in his native U.K., procuring distinctive design elements and also manufacturing his own bespoke components to create fully realized spaces with drama all their own.
In 2000, Ben brought his skills and sensibility to New York City, where he was commissioned to design his first bar (a groundbreaking lounge in downtown Manhattan). The venue’s success immediately established Ben as an architect of eclectic cool, and a flood of other bar and restaurant commissions followed. In 2002, Ben officially created his firm, Adorn Designs.
Today at AD, Ben partners with a large consortium of artisans, fabricators, curators, and engineers who help execute his vision at a lengthening roster of commercial properties. But he continues to take great pleasure in the hands-on aspects of designing—whether by searching for singular, striking furniture pieces that shape the narrative of a particular space; refurbishing vintage fixtures to give them modern luster; or creating custom elements, like specially upholstered chairs, uniquely coffered ceilings, and original paintings and artworks.
