Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/1538963
P H OTO BY N I G E L PA R R Y ( R I P E R T ) ; C O U R T E S Y O F T H E R I T Z- C A R LTO N "The space mirrors the tranquility of the ocean and the island's maritime heritage," Chef Eric Ripert, left, says of his restaurant's new design. ince 2019, interior design studio Champalimaud Design—Raffles Singapore, New York's The Pierre, and Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta are among their most notable projects— has been slowly transforming The Ritz-Carlton in Grand Cayman. The award-winning design studio, founded by Alexandra Champalimaud in Montreal in 1981 and now based in New York, began with the luxury property's guest rooms and public spaces. The most recent unveiling of their ongoing redesign is Blue by Eric Ripert, the hotel's fine dining establishment. "It had a narrative, but wanted a new life," says principal Courtney Brannan of the original incarnation. "The concept was a wood-paneled fine yacht. There were stars in the rug, so it was about navigating the seas. We tried to make it more about catching the fish than navigating." The results respect both the ocean that rings the island, as well as the materials, and the flora and fauna of Grand Cayman itself. Blue was an obvious color, considering the restaurant's name. But, Brannan observes, "It's also a color that naturally occurs in a lot of different things there—the animals, the silver thatch palms, blue patterns border mirror panels. On the existing wood columns, Brannan and her team created insets near the tops, into which they inserted jute wood detailing. Chairs boast woven backs. Finally, a hand-sculpted wallcovering by the studio MJ Atelier is another reminder of island life, with its palm, heron, and iguana motifs. Champalimaud's designers built circular banquettes, swathed in a earthy, caramel fabric, into the seating arrangement, effectively breaking up what Brannon refers to as "a sea of tables." Plant placement and strategically deployed curtains also interrupt the horizontality of the space by carving out more intimate niches. Working with local artisans, the team commissioned wait stations and, from local custom furniture maker John Bird, bar trolleys that bring the mixology experience tableside. "The reimagining of Blue is a celebration of Grand Cayman's natural beauty and culinary richness," says Chef Eric Ripert. "Champalimaud Design has created a space that mirrors the tranquility of the ocean and the island's maritime heritage, providing an elegant backdrop for the culinary experience." iguanas, blue herons." So instead of restricting themselves to the starry night–blue that permeated the space, Champalimaud's team mined the entire spectrum. There is a lime wash gray-blue ceiling with mottled tonalities that evokes Venetian plaster. In a round abstract painting commissioned from local artist Marcia Codner are watery turquoise, cerulean, and azure shades mixed with seaweed greens. Navy blue velvet swathes banquettes. But there are more terrestrial reminders and colors too. The carpet throughout, woven in Ireland, blends blues, greens, and yellows in a foliate pattern evoking the surrounding tropical vegetation. Madagascar cloth upholsters wall panels, and moldings reminiscent of rope S Champalimaud Design's new take on the celebrated Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman restaurant Blue by Eric Ripert is a thoughtful consideration of the Caribbean landscape and its bounty. BY JORGE S. ARANGO surf turf and BALHAR B O U RSH O P S .CO M