A high-end bistro in Westchester, New York, Micheline is known for its polished seasonal cuisine and reliance upon local farmers. This farm-to-table philosophy of cuisine needed to be shadowed in the design of the space. That's where Lea Cojot of Cojot Designs came in. For her, undertaking the interior design of the restaurant also served as something of a homecoming.
The design direction of Micheline
Located in Scarsdale, Micheline is the brainchild of Jonathan Aubrey, formerly of Eleven Madison Park, Happy Cooking Hospitality, and Nur, and Executive Chef Josh Capone, formerly chef de cuisine at Daniel. A goal for the design of the restaurant, Lea shares, was to create “a welcoming, familiar, but still fresh space. This is a neighborhood restaurant with elevated cooking and the interiors match that.”
With this in mind, her work was cut out for her. “The space had no sense of history or character the way a French bistro would, so we had to create that,” she reflects.
The design details
To that end, Lea infused the space with gracious lighting, using vintage French milk glass light fixtures over the bar, along with custom sconces around the columns. She also added a custom zinc bar counter and custom banquettes in a luxurious blue material. Adding that warmth and level of detail is itself representative of her approach to design, Lea says, in that she’s known best for "creating that lived in comfort and historical references."
Best of all? Working on a French restaurant allowed the designer to tap into her own heritage. “As a French person living in New York, this was especially fun for me," Lea shares. "And the client spent time in France as well — so it was a fun collaboration!”
About Cojot Designs
Lea Cojot spent over a decade in France, an experience which informs her design aesthetic to this day. She appreciates luxuries hiding in plain sight and works to incorporate them into her designs. She also draws inspiration from textures and light, using these design elements to create spaces that people are drawn to. She has worked for some of the top design firms in the country, including the Rockwell Group and Soho House, and uses that experience in her own hospitality and residential projects. She prides herself on giving her clients "projects that look more than just good, but are delivered on time and on budget." She has an extensive network of artisans and industry connections all over the world, which allow her to bring the best of the best to her clients.
Book a consultation with Lea here.
