by Madison Rutherford | photography by Angelina Aragon
This sleek, subterranean cocktail lounge in North Scottsdale was envisioned by Creation Hospitality and Clive Collective using an unorthodox approach: reverse engineering. The Tell Your Friends team tapped Basile Studio, a full-service design firm in San Diego, to develop an “anti-speakeasy.” Lead designer Lenny Pierce says they intentionally avoided the dim lights and dark leathers typically associated with traditional speakeasies, while using the foyer and stairwell to create suspense. “The thought was to mess with people’s minds a little bit,” Pierce says. “They enter this dark space, the wall covering is desaturated, the carpet is dark. Then [they] turn the corner, and you see this illuminated portal of red and we introduce this velvet drapery. Tiny elements keep hinting and unfurling what is yet to come in the grand lounge space.” Pierce gives us a peek behind the velvet curtain.
Giant Disco Balls
Though these large, rotating disco balls are quite dramatic, they blend seamlessly with the lounge’s motif. “They’re still not super in-your-face because there’s so many other beautiful elements to take into consideration,” Pierce says. “It just adds this extra touch of magic.”
Mirrored Walls and Ceiling
The bar’s reflective focal point tapers from the bar toward a small stage where live music is frequently performed, tricking the eye with the illusion of a larger space. Brass accents and Edison bulbs add “little elements of glam and some of the 1920s aesthetic.”
Custom Upholstered Barstools
Each stool’s fringe trim is “a nod to the flapper girls of the ’20s in a subtle way, but in a playful red color that became iconic with Tell Your Friends and the branding,” Pierce says. “The floral print was taken from the stairwell, reintroducing these layers and reusing them in different ways.”
Wallpaper
Basile co-designed both the monochromatic and technicolor versions of the floral wallpaper with Astek Wallcoverings, using Mylar to add more shimmer. A tropical mural by Fine & Dandy Co. engulfs the interior, “creating a full atmosphere for people to be part of and inside of.”
Velvet Chairs and Leather Couches
Pierce calls the color palette of the space’s seating “cranberry and cognac.” The chairs swivel, “so you can turn around and watch the band and then turn around and talk to your friends.”
