By Ron Treister
It’s only natural that a five-star restaurant would insist on having a five-star wood floor installed in both its entryway and dining room. Bavette’s Steakhouse is a world-class dining attraction located in the newest hotel on Las Vegas’ world famous Strip: Park MGM.
The decision was made that the Monte Carlo Resort & Casino required a total architectural and design transformation to capitalize on its outstanding Las Vegas Strip location. Under the combined leadership of MGM Resorts International and Sydell Group, the 3,000-room Monte Carlo is undergoing a two-year, $500 million “reimagine” makeover, creating a new luxury brand for MGM Resorts International and concurrently, bringing The NoMad hotel concept to The Strip from the Big Apple.
The strategic design of Park MGM builds on the property’s history, incorporating European influences while retaining a branding connection to The Park, an adjacent outdoor dining and entertainment venue, which MGM introduced in April of last year. The NoMad Las Vegas, an independently operated, upscale boutique hotel with 292 rooms and suites, will be located on the building’s top floors.
Chicago restaurant group Hogsalt Hospitality created the original Bavette’s, which under the direction of restaurant impresario Brendan Sodikoff has earned the status of “delivering the best steak in Chicago.” The new edition of his upscale eatery opened at Monte Carlo in October.
Sparking Creativity
This past June, Bostik added another national event to its Signature Spaces Series of Design Competitions: “The Art of Hardwood Flooring Design Contest.” It was open to architects, designers, and other wood flooring trade members.
“Together with the National Wood Flooring Association, MGM Resorts International, Oshkosh Designs, Eagle Bay Hardwood Flooring, and MasterCraft Flooring, we openly invited those within the wood sector to create their very own masterpiece using wood flooring. A panel of judges, all with leading credentials in wood flooring, architectural design, or both, chose the winning design,” said Scott Banda, Bostik’s Director of Marketing and Business Development.
This expert panel selected the work of Jennifer Sheets, an interior designer at Studio R Interiors, a Colorado-based firm specializing in hospitality design and procurement. Her winning design was installed in Bavette’s lobby. Additionally, she will receive a trip for two to Paris, France, courtesy of Bostik. “I’ve been fortunate to be in this industry for 10 years, with a wide range of various commercial and hospitality projects that I designed and/or managed from concept to completion. This is, by far, one of my most exciting achievements, at a soon-to-be globally recognized, upscale hospitality venue,” said Sheets.
When asked about her vision for the winning design entry, she replied, “My concept was inspired by the Art Noir movement; interlocking geometric shapes and stylized symmetry, which were specified in the contest guidelines as a prerequisite of the project. The pattern depicts an array of interchanging shapes that harmoniously fit within a symmetrical medallion. I created my ‘Array’ design to complement, as well as enhance, the herringbone featured floors throughout the main restaurant space.”
Oshkosh Designs, a Wisconsin-based firm, which has built a reputation for fashioning exquisite hardwood medallions, wood floor borders, and designer parquet flooring, was selected to custom fabricate the winning design. Oshkosh transformed Sheet’s winning design into a ready-for-installation, 550-square-foot reality. “The final installation is a visual masterpiece that is in sync with the overall theme of the restaurant. We are so proud to be featuring our premium craftsmanship for this ultra-high visibility hospitality space,” said Oshkosh Designs President/CEO, Brenda Kubasta.
Joyen Vakil, Senior Vice President of Design and Development at MGM Resorts International, added, “The winning design is just remarkable. It makes a powerful statement to our guests that no detail has been overlooked at the steakhouse and that their experience will be nothing short of wonderful.”
Eagle Bay Hardwood Flooring, the exclusive brand produced by Delta Hardwood Flooring, of Boonville, New York, was selected to provide wood flooring material from its soon-to-be-launched Frank Lloyd Wright Collection for the remainder of the restaurant, specified to complement the lobby work of Oshkosh Designs. The commercial-grade product chosen met intricate specifications set forth by the venue’s design firm, MBDS (Martin Brudnizki Design Studios) of London and New York. According to Randy Bowers, President/Founder of Delta/Eagle Bay, “After reaching a licensing agreement with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation to produce a collection of high-end hardwood flooring, this project provided the perfect opportunity to launch this collection. It’s a great opportunity to introduce a company that’s been around for over 10 years with a highly focal project such as Bavette’s at Park MGM.”
All the restaurant’s wood flooring space was installed with an installation system of Bostik materials. The adhesive selected for this concrete slab on grade installation contained Bostik’s proprietary Axios® Tri-linking Polymer Technology™ with Thickness Control™ Spacers. Floor preparation was completed using Bostik SL-175™ Self-Leveling Underlayment & Wear Layer along with Universal Primer Pro™.
MasterCraft Floors, the commercial flooring firm, which has built a reputation for delivering complex and visually stimulating projects throughout Las Vegas, managed all phases regarding the restaurant’s intricate wood floor installation. “We were excited about working on this high-profile project from day one. We work successfully with MGM Resorts; we’re grateful they acknowledge the quality of our craftsmanship. And, we were equally pleased that Bostik was so involved in this project, as with any wood flooring project opportunity, we prefer working with Bostik’s installation products and have done so for many years,” said Garrett Ulfig, West Coast Operations Manager of MasterCraft Floors.
Clearly, MasterCraft had some challenges to address to ensure the installation. Initially, the project included repairing and flattening the existing concrete slab before installation of the Oshkosh and Eagle Bay materials. And, the clock was continually ticking, as deadlines were fast approaching. The entryway floor from Oshkosh was shipped in modular sections, which greatly reduced installation time. MasterCraft installed Eagle Bay’s Frank Lloyd Wright Collection within the 5,000 square foot dining area in an exquisite, herringbone pattern conceived by MBDS. “This was very precise, intricate work,” added Ulfig. “But we knew the grand opening was coming. The final installation was the result of a true team effort.”
“I feel honored to be selected as a winner of the Bostik Signature Spaces contest. Bostik continues to excite and challenge designers with their creative products and imaginative vision. Winning this high-profile design competition for a client such as MGM Resorts, the largest hospitality and entertainment corporation in the world, is one the proudest moments of my career,” said Sheets.