APPENDIX
SE A TT L E
Willmott’s Ghost
90
GRAY
A SLICE OF ITALY HAS TAKEN UP RESIDENCE IN THE MOST UNLIKELY OF PLACES: SEATTLE’S FLORA- AND FAUNA-FILLED AMAZON SPHERES. In 2018, James Beard Award–winning chef Renee Erickson opened Willmott’s Ghost, a tranquil eatery named for 19th-century horticulturalist Ellen Willmott and offering Roman-style bites, on the ground floor of the tech giant’s experimental downtown space. The interior of the restaurant takes a cue from Rome’s golden hues and characteristic warmth: Price Erickson and Heliotrope Architects used natural materials to soften the originally industrial space. “We were given a shell that was steel, glass, and concrete,” says Jeremy Price, who
cofounded the Price Erickson interior design firm with Renee Erickson in 2008. “We wanted to complement the shell of the building by using warm wood tones and natural leather.” The curved glass walls are lined with concave turquoise booths, marble tabletops perched atop pastel-green bases, and natural oak chairs. With its blush-hued walls and asymmetrical chandeliers, the restaurant imparts a youthful and spirited energy. As Price says, “When thinking of the design, we wanted to share the experiences that we’ve had in Rome and Italy.” —Annette Maxon with Claire Butwinick
KEVIN SCOTT
CHECKING IN
Noteworthy hoteliers and restaurateurs pushing the proverbial design envelope.
