Designing a Seasonal Restaurant Installation at La Vie, The Wharf DC

The Wharf is one of the most active dining destinations in Washington, DC.

With constant foot traffic, waterfront views and a dense mix of restaurants competing for attention, design matters here. A terrace isn’t just outdoor seating—it’s a first impression, a visual marker and often the reason people stop, look and choose where to dine.

La Vie has become known for exactly that.

Designing for a High-Visibility Restaurant Location

At The Wharf, restaurant terraces are always on display. Guests are moving, browsing, comparing. Design needs to work quickly—but it also needs to hold up over time.

Seasonal installations at La Vie are created with that balance in mind:

• Visually impactful from a distance

• Immersive once you’re seated

• Integrated into daily service, not separate from it

Each installation builds on the space rather than resetting it, allowing the terrace to evolve while remaining recognizable.

A Euro Summer Influence, Interpreted for DC

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For this summer installation, the design direction leaned into what many were gravitating toward—an elevated, European summer sensibility—without turning it into a literal theme.

The goal wasn’t to recreate a specific place. It was to evoke a feeling: light, layered and relaxed, with an emphasis on natural materials and softness overhead.

Think:

• Shade without heaviness

• Greenery that frames rather than overwhelms

About the Studio

The Floral Guru designs large-scale public art installations, retail displays and environmental installations for commercial spaces, brands and hospitality environments.

Our work focuses on creating spatial experiences that balance visual impact with thoughtful execution—whether a project is designed to live on for years or exist for a single moment. 

Have a project in mind? Contact us.