La Vie
Washington, DC | February 10, 2023
Introduction
Located just south of the National Mall, The Wharf is a mile-long stretch along the Potomac River that is home to restaurants, retailers, residences, and businesses. Offering coastal-inspired Mediterranean cuisine and beverages with stunning elevated waterfront views, La Vie showcases a coastal story in a visual narrative exploring the building’s historic structure.
In addition to becoming one of the hottest places in The Wharf to eat, La Vie was the winning recipient of the German Design Award in the Social Restaurant Group for Interior Architecture. The jury found that “the restaurant surprises the patron with four differently designed areas, each of which impresses with its high-quality design and engenders an exclusive atmosphere. The result overall is a remarkable design with many loving details that make each area unique.”
The Story
With almost 100,000 square feet, La Vie creates a story with four unique dining areas – the main dining area that is light and airy with recycled glass, the conservatory with the dark gothic palette of moss, the luxurious private chandelier room with jewel tones and a dramatic waterfront terrace. It is a celebration of life. The center conservatory room serves as the hub of the restaurant with the runway of food from the kitchen to the main dining area.
When asked about the design inspiration for La Vie, designer David Anthony Chenault states, “I was looking for a mix of green tones with nonskid texture for this specific area of the restaurant as it became our representation of the Earth.”
As Chenault reviewed 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 green hues, he selected the Hollywood and Vine, Emerald City, and Water Vapors hues. With the 12″ x 24″ option installed in an offset pattern*, the Argent tiles provide a stunning base color throughout the restaurant’s generously proportioned bar and booth seating areas.
* 50% offsets are allowed by TCNA and ANSI guidelines if the resulting lippage is first approved by the owner or specifier via mockup.
Conclusion
Crossville tile works in harmony with the many other daring design elements to create this exclusive eatery. Crossville’s Argent porcelain tile collection hit all the right marks for this high-profile project, capturing the desired rich, earthy color palette.
