case studies

Dario

Image of several green plants all bunched together

Project Overview

The client: Dario, an Italian restaurant in Minneapolis’s popular North Loop

Job description: Provide plant design and installation on an accelerated timeline for a new restaurant

Goals: Add a lush, jungle vibe to a dining space with a bold Miami-inspired aesthetic 

Timeline: Eight weeks

Key plant design components:

  • Built-in planters
  • Free-standing floor planters
  • Towering, sculptural branch installation

Summary

Dario, an Italian restaurant in the North Loop neighborhood in Minneapolis, was a much-awaited restaurant opening. It had a well-known chef and bartender duo behind it, a respected hospitality architect behind the design, and prime real estate in the buzzy North Loop. When we got the call to provide plants for the space, it was just eight weeks until the restaurant’s soft opening. 

Many spaces in the North Loop lean into the neighborhood’s industrial past. Not Dario. The design leans on Miami-inspired hues and shapes, resulting in a bright, colorful space with curving lines and soft textures. Once the sun sets, the bright hues give the space a warm glow. The architect’s renderings called for an abundance of plants to complete the warm, tropical aesthetic, and we were happy to fulfill the brief. 

We worked quickly to outfit the space with plants, including an array of palms and sansevieria (snake plants) and preserved branches for height and visual interest. We also provided exterior planters and hanging plants for the restaurant patio, which is open seasonally. 

Considerations

  • Varying amounts of light throughout the restaurant
  • Height of plants in architectural renderings
  • Set design of millwork planters

Results

Booth Planters 

A mix of sansevieria (snake plants) and preserved pussy willow branches provides increased visual and auditory separation between rows of seating, while also creating a beautiful line of texture through the dining room. The millwork planters were already designed when we were brought on, so we worked to find plants that would work for the existing dimensions. 

Preserved Branch Bouquet

The architectural renderings called for a towering, sculptural display of branches in the middle of a four-way booth. We needed to design something that would be firmly anchored and relatively streamlined so as not to brush against diners. We lined the built-in planter with layers of rigid foam and inserted a tall, narrow glass vase into the center, where it is securely anchored. 

Dozens of preserved, natural branches provide the eye-catching display the client desired, and will hold their beauty with minimal maintenance. The branches are ringed with live Aglaonema plants, which will grow slowly in the low light and require only sporadic trimming.

Tiger Room 

The Tiger Room is a smaller, brighter dining space adjacent to the main dining room. The architects kept the Tiger Room visible from the main space, in part to draw attention through the dining room to the bright red artwork on the Tiger Room wall. 

To create the separation between rooms while maintaining that visual throughline, a planter filled with Draecena gigantica, ZZ plant, and Limelight Dracaena creates a leafy partition. 

Floor Plants

In addition to the many built-in planters, we provided numerous free-standing floor plants throughout the space. The large, curving leaves of the potted palms (Rhapis palm and Neanthe Bella), Bird of Paradise, and Limelight Dracaena echo the arch motif repeated throughout the dining space in furniture, door ways, and bar tiles. The floor plants also provide visual cohesion throughout the dining spaces and fulfill the lush, tropical, jungle aesthetic our client requested. 

The curved white planters we chose evoke the sandy, beachy end of the Miami design  palette. 

To work with Plant By Design’s talented team of designers and plant installation and maintenance experts, send us a message or give us a call.

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