Nara Ya

Introduction

Nestled at the heart of the District Wharf, Nara-Ya has quickly become the must-try restaurant in the popular waterfront area of Washington, D.C. Offering traditional Japanese cuisine with a modern inflection, Nara-Ya takes pride in the culinary artistry of the traditional Japanese kitchen.

In addition to becoming one of the hottest places to eat, Nara-Ya was recently recognized as a Best Restaurant, Americas winner at the 2022 International Hotel and Property Awards. Presented by Design Et Al, a leading design publisher based out of the UK, the IHP Awards presents shortlisted entries to be judged online through votes by elite industry professionals.

The  Story

When approached by the owners to design a new Japanese Izakaya-style restaurant, the design brief detailed what would become an entirely unconventional space for an otherwise traditional Japanese eatery. The bold and elevated interior design created by David Anthony Chenault is a syncopated extension of the cuisine, where dishes are presented on the level of an art form. Nara-Ya’s design personality stirs all five senses through its layered mix of prints and textures, offering a glamorous modern statement.

When asked about the design inspiration for Nara-Ya, Chenault states, “I have taken inspiration from the weird and wonderful, then with a little bit of imagination, created a design that people can fall in love with and discuss. Lastly, if you’re going to live with patterns on your walls, make it glorious!”

Although construction began in 2019, the restaurant design-build phase experienced many challenges due to the pandemic. As the team worked through flooring specifications, functionality in addition to aesthetics were critical. This high-traffic environment had to be able to stand up to heavy use and require easy maintenance.

Considering all the demands, Chenault knew the restaurant’s flooring had to provide exceptional technical characteristics and bold colors to make the cut.

As Chenault finalized the flooring options, he turned to Crossville’s Argent collection for its beautiful bold appearance that incorporates the look of natural argent stone in a durable tile body that would meet all the performance requirements of the space. For the beautiful deep red and orange hues, he selected the Chicago Fire and Sunset Boulevard hues in the honed finish. With the 12″ x 24″ option installed in a straight pattern, the Argent tiles provide a stunning base color throughout the restaurant’s generously proportioned dining floor area.