04/29/2025
FROM THE DESIGNER’S SKETCHBOOK:
A SHOUT OUT to the artisans and craftspeople that brought RIO BRAZOS GRILL to life. Many designers do not share their sources, but I feel differently. I WANT people to know who they are since they need to work to support themselves! I want them to be successful in their endeavors as their contributions to PBD projects lift up our work. So here I am sharing the significant contributors at the fabulous Rio Brazos Grill in Weatherford, TX.
Most of the larger projects we do are collaborative---some more so than others! This project had a number of key influencers: the owners, Dean and Mandy Williams, my husband and builder, Tom Struhs, design talent Cynthia Christov-Jacobs, restaurant consultant Christina Everet and myself. Everyone involved had important impact or influence in one or more aspects of the project.
First, we knew we had a southwest flare since the owner’s inspiration was Santa Fe, but we wanted a more modern interpretation. Starting with the flooring, Saltillo tile was not an appropriate selection for a restaurant floor---far too porous and brittle. I called on one of my GO-TO guys, Brad Walker with LONESTAR CONCRETE. He found a mold with a shape we liked, then did several color trials until we found a base color/glaze combination that satisfied the owners and the design team. It looks very much like Saltillo tile, but as poured concrete is many times stronger and totally sealed.
But atop such a floor, the wobbling of tables would be problematic. I knew there were self-leveling table bases, but none of us had experience with any of them. After some homework, and a couple of product demonstrations, we went with NO ROCK self-leveling bases. We paired them with custom fabricated parotta wood tops by SONORAN RANGE in Dallas. The owner, Ramon Cordova had the tops fabricated in Mexico, and also contracted his sister to make the hand-tooled leather menu jackets and ticket holders.
Looking up, the light fixtures were also custom fabricated by ASHORE LIGHTING out of Dallas. I have worked with the owner and his team for numerous custom fixtures over the years. The looks range from contemporary to rustic ranch---but all are exquisitely fabricated to the design specifications we articulate.
Other noteworthy design elements include the booths, fabricated by ATLANTA BOOTH COMPANY, featuring a licensed native American design from the Museum of New Mexico, produced by KRAVET FABRICS.
When the owner decided on glass dividers for the booths, I knew we really needed to find the right person since the impact would be throughout the entire space. After quite a bit of research, I found John Morrison at CORNERSTONE GLASS WORKS. Amazing talent!! John did numerous sketches to capture the desert “flavor” for the space, with images including cactus, coyotes and of course, a horned frog or two!
