L.A.'s Bardonna Restaurant Makes a Stunning Case for Spanish Style

When designer Matt Winter was conceiving his latest project, Bardonna in Los Angeles's Silver Lake neighborhood, he wasn't thinking about being on the cutting edge. In fact, his thought process drifted to the exact opposite approach: he wanted a haven devoted to the Old World. "This place would be a cool little joint where Picasso would hang his paintings before he was famous," the designer mused about the eatery, which opened earlier this year. The cafe was intended to be intimate, and Winter heightens the confined property with warm Spanish-inspired accents like intricate tiling, exposed beams, and uneven plaster to make the space feel cozily distinct from its trendy locale. But despite the design's lean toward traditionalism, a few modern and classic touches — like millennial pink cushions and gold sconces — keep the decor from feeling too much like a time capsule. It's a timeless and casually sophisticated look that feels artfully rebellious given its young age.