DESIGNER SOPHIE GOINEAU COMPLETES NEW PORTA VIA OUTPOST IN CALABASAS

CALABASAS, CALIFORNIA | 2020 In her second project with Porta Via restaurateur, Peter Garland, interior designer Sophie Goineau aligns the romanticism of the Mexican coastline with the functionality of all-day California bistro dining. The airy, loft-ceilinged Calabasas space seamlessly merges Pueblan influences with local Spanish architecture in a welcome addition to Porta Via’s beloved Beverly Hills mainstay and Pacific Palisades spot.

Located in The Commons at Calabasas, developer Rick Caruso’s missionary-style, high end retail and dining destination, the new Porta Via pays homage to the Spanish Colonial Revival style of the Calabasas Civic Center, and to the beach enclave of Careyes, Mexico, made legendary by the rainbow-pigmented dwellings of and the bohemian energy of the 1970’s jet set. Goineau was the creative partner for the Porta Via Palisades Village location, which opened in 2018.

“Every element speaks to the rest, the architecture, the fixtures, the interiors and the furniture design. Culture and graphic arts are mixed with architecture. The people are Spanish, Italian, Portugeuse, Swiss, French, German. You cannot NOT have art in this community.”

The new Porta Via outpost offers sun soaked, palazzo terrace dining by day, while the glow of Mexican rattan pendants lining the length of the space beckon by night and summon the private villas of Careyes such as Casa Quinto Sol and Casa Triton. The iconic motifs and murals of the architect Marco Aldaco’s landmark villa, Casa Maoritze, were painstakingly replicated in the graphic design of the bathroom suite.

The existing footprint had already planned for 75% of seating to be outdoor - ideal for accommodating a dining culture in transition, and providing an all-season haven for the restaurant-going California community. Goineau widened arches for an interior to exterior flow, softened sharp edges and applied custom plaster wall finishes and a crisp white facade to evoke the open air atmosphere of Puglia, Italy and Mediterranean adobe villa.

“Sophie truly understands the authenticity of what Porta Via represents as it continues to evolve. The restaurant is still very personal to me after opening the original in Beverly Hills 26 years ago, and she can communicate the essence of what it is- a neighborhood California bistro with a world-class feel.” - Peter Garland, owner and restaurateur.

90% of the bespoke furnishings were sourced from Los Angeles and Southern California vendors, in addition to a few standouts that were custom made by artisans overseas, such as the white macrame pendants from Naomi Paul in London and Emilio Nanni rope chairs handmade in Italy.

“We are in a new era of design,” Goineau says, “there is a sensitivity of being close to the environment and cherishing it. As the world changes at the pace of rocket fuel, we have the opportunity to redefine contemporary living in philosophical, technological and sustainable ways.”

Whenever possible, the team used Los Angeles craftspeople and vendors to better support the local community and imbue a true California lifestyle. For the upholstery, Goineau sourced color saturated, authentic indigenous textiles from shops on Pico Boulevard. The floor tiles are made in L.A. from organic clay and cement, painstakingly inlaid in a reverse-chevron pattern concepted by Goineau to incorporate a traditional Mexican folkloric sphere motif. The designs reflect one another meticulously in each layer of furnishings, from the buttery soft wood table bases and bar, to the millwork and metalwork, and the gargantuan custom made mirror, installed on one vast arcade wall and nearly doubling the illusion of space.

Invoking a transportative experience is the foundation of Goineau’s design. At Porta Via Calabasas, having only opened a handful of weeks ago, it already deeply resonates with the local community.