Today we’d like to introduce you to Smith Hanes.
Hi Smith, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
For my entire career, I have been fascinated with how space affects people. Designing and curating space that captures a feeling, where people look and feel great, has become my passion.
In 1995, I met and fell in love with my most constant and closest collaborator, Alisa Barry. After a long stint in California working for the likes of Sam Sebastiani, Alice Waters and David Tanis, Alisa had landed back at her parents’ home in Atlanta to recalculate and plan the next chapter. She had opened a cafe named Bella Cucina at Interiors Market where we met. The relationship became at once a wonderful union of two creatives, and a conversation of two creatives’ ideas around food, the home and places that people eat.
As our relationship developed, so did each of our businesses. Bella Cucina became known as one of the premier gourmet food lines in the specialty food business, and my design business began to flourish with commissions from such culinary giants as Steve Nyrgen, the owner and creator of the notable Serenbe Community near Atlanta, and Ford Fry, who has created a powerhouse food group, Rocket Farm Restaurants with 13 restaurants located in metro areas all around the south.
Over the years, my design studio has attracted superb talents (designers) who boast exceptional intuitive insight, make daring color choices, use historical context and curate objects to make spaces sing. I have leaned heavily on this team of talented and genteel designers I’ve employed through the years. Their influence in the hospitality world is undeniable and acknowledged throughout the industry. They are the best in the fields of architecture, interior design, and industrial design who then collaborate to make the brilliant work we see as the Smith Hanes Studio.
Designing a restaurant that effortlessly handles crowds of 200-400 people nightly has become a particular aptitude. Designing beautifully lit spaces that sound great where people look beautiful has become a specialty and what the client comes to us for. With an unerring eye, my staff balances the practical versus the extravagant, working on 14-20 projects at any given time.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The business has been growing for years and continues to grow. We are always searching for better ways to find the right projects and the right clients that understand what we offer and what we bring to the table. Budgets. We always need bigger budgets!
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Smith Hanes is a studio of interior designers, architects, and industrial designers, performing at the top of their game. We are multi dimensional, and approach a project from many angles. With a vigorous appetite to create impactful spaces, the work ranges from restaurants to hotels, retail, workspaces, and personal residences. We are committed to creating and designing elements that infuse life and character into spaces that people love.
We’ve recently created an ethos to guide us:
– We choose beauty and intrigue as our guides to create spaces with an ineffable quality.
– We select materials that patina and design details that delight.
– Our passion lies in drawing and creating, not buying and sourcing.
– We are committed to commissioning local artists and artisans to make and build our spaces. Our best spaces are made by local hands.
– We partner with clients who are the best in their fields, visionaries who understand the importance of experience.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Follow your heart. Act when you have an intuition or feeling that there is a perfect opportunity. For instance, in April of 2020, I was drawn to doing a weekly “men’s group” call. The participants were very wide-ranging. Men showed up from California, Colorado, Taiwan, Spain, England, New York, and Atlanta (me). Turns out, the group was filled with experts in their fields of counseling, coaching, the world of music, and designing experiences worldwide. That group evolved into a coaching relationship with an expert that lives in Colorado, with whom I now have calls with every two weeks. This coaching relationship has changed how I conduct my business and is transforming my personal relationship with Alisa, my employees, and all my relations.
The result of the coaching has been more clarity, honoring what I want, taking action on the things that matter in my business and personal relationships.
Pricing:
Design fees can range from $95 dollars- $250 dollars per hour.
Projects range from 2000 square feet to 20 thousand square feet.
Budgets run from 1 Million to 20 million per project
Contact Info:
- Email: smith@smithhanes.com
- Website: https://smithhanes.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smithhanesstudio/, https://www.instagram.com/smithhanes/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smithhanes, https://www.facebook.com/smithhanesstudio
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/smithhanes?lang=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/bellacucinartfulfood
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/smith-hanes
Image Credits:
Tim Lenz, Andrew Thomas Lee, Christian Harder. Thom Driver Stylist
