Desert Zen: Design with a Sense of Authenticity and Connection

Second-generation restaurateur Jessica Kim had a very specific design in mind for Harumi Sushiopens in a new tab’s new space: one that would evoke earthiness and imperfection. “We wanted the space (her family’s seventh restaurant location) to match the physics of being toned down and about quality,” she says. During the restaurant’s major expansion, Kim wanted to lean on the Japanese aesthetic principle wabi-sabi, which is all about finding beauty in imperfection. She knows, perhaps better than anyone, that Japanese restaurants in America tend to look the same, with food that’s often predictable.

So, Kim brought in Designer Dala Al-Fuwaires of House of Formopens in a new tab to help bring something very different to life, centering high-quality, natural materials without being too chic or upscale for Harumi’s loyal clientele. Though it’s a brand-new build, Al-Fuwaires sought to create authenticity and connection with the surrounding desert.

“We wanted something that felt of the earth, like it had always been there,” says Al-Fuwaires. “We celebrated the dishes and knew the design had to be beautiful but not so powerful that it would take away from the beauty of the plated food.”

One intentional design move was to eliminate all man-made art from the space, instead creating drama and intrigue with naturally sourced materials. The design team handpicked boulders—some as large as 500 pounds—that could function as the base of furniture pieces, including the server station. A striking custom mirror was laser cut to exactly match a natural stone edge, and it took interviews with 11 subcontractors for Al-Fuwaires to find one willing to take on that unique, and risky, project. And Cambria’s Brittanicca Gold Warm counters and tabletops have subtle undulating streams of copper gold, fog, and greige—a perfectly imperfect touch of pattern.

The House of Form team was also careful not to constrict views of the outdoors, keeping the interior well lit but with a mood that feels different from hour to hour as the natural light shifts. “We wanted the feel of being in New York City, like you’re in a cool restaurant—but honoring the sense of place,” says Al-Fuwaires. Kim describes the result as “magnificent in its simplicity.”