“One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating." -Luciano Pavarotti
Aria Mediterranean Bistro is an elegant but far from stuffy Italian restaurant across the street from the Woodland Opera House. REDHOUSE took the existing restaurant design and brought it up a notch by sharpening the design concept, clearing away the visual clutter and rearranging the seating for optimum flexibility and guest comfort - all on a shoestring budget.
The guest’s experience / flow through the space was orchestrated to have them feel as if they were in an authentic Italian café. From the new welcoming reception area, with photos of Italian opera singers and fresh flowers on the center table, the guests caught a glimpse of the busy kitchen from the large mirror on the far wall and were then drawn into the dining room by the view of a beautiful antique hutch. Pavarotti’s quote was added above the kitchen wall to replace the large tacky clock that once hung there. (Restaurant Rule #101 – never have a clock in the dining room) The existing archway was accented with simple curtains to mimic the famous La Scala theater. The extensive tchotchkes and brick-a-brac were removed from existing circa 1914 brick walls allowing the architecture to shine with only a few well-chosen violin prints and romantic candles to highlight the rearranged seating that provided more intimate dining areas. A large table, fashioned from an antique door, was dubbed "Mama's table" and provided a friendly communal dining experience. A simple change of lighting and reupholstery transformed the loud gaudy bar into a romantic and intimate wine bar. Even the restrooms were given an Italian twist with large scale murals ala Michelangelo and Botticelli.
The Court Street Office building was originally a vernacular Victorian home in the heart of Woodland. The building had been scarred by fire, neglect, and a number of unfinished substandard remodeling efforts. REDHOUSE was brought on board to work with the city in securing a building permit and to bring the building up to current code and ADA standards. It now houses a number of professional counseling offices and yoga studio.
