Gold, with all its lustrous beauty, is a material of prime value carrying a universal weight in many historic contexts from aesthetic flourish to artistic statement and even political propaganda. In contemporary culture, particularly entertainment, the iconic metal is inextricably linked to stardom – gilded Oscar statuettes, shimmering red carpet fashions, and the warm glow of marquee lights. Tucked within the recently reimagined W Hollywood hotel, Café Goldie radiates a luminous aura that taps into this wealth of symbolism while adding a fresh layer of lore.
Helmed by designer Alexa Nafisi-Movaghar, Adean Studios infuses old Hollywood with a distinctly Californian sensibility.
Honey-golden hues reflect from various surfaces, suffusing the interior with an amber light that recalls the Hills at sunset when the city seems to dissolve into the atmosphere. Bespoke, burnished brass fixtures add ambiance while custom velvet seating in a saturated mustard tone injects both richness and warmth. Globe pendants – referencing the iconic vanity bulbs of mid-century film sets – serve as a reminder that Hollywood’s glamour has always been built on the marriage of performance and intimacy. The result is a captivating space that celebrates spectacle while staying in touch with human scale and the Everyman’s ability to access it. Guests are enveloped in an environment that feels both cinematic and deeply personal.
The space’s romance is heightened by its mythological muse: Venus, goddess of beauty, love, and fertility. Inspired by her alluring form, the design softens graphic postmodern lines with feminine arcs and flowing contours. The marble counter is crafted like a sculpture; custom banquettes cradle diners in plush intimacy; chandeliers suspended like glowing orbs hint at celestial myth as much as Hollywood vanity. In layering these influences, Café Goldie situates itself at the intersection of mythology and modernity, where every detail feels infused with narrative purpose.
“We were tasked with responding to the recently reimagined lobby space and concept design by Rockwell Group but wanted to bring our own feminine touch,” Nafisi-Movaghar shares. “They focused on the sunsets and golden hour and we wanted to bring the curvaceous, curious, and sensual nature that is Venus.”
Yet the project is not simply a nostalgic tribute to the past. “What’s indoors is outdoors and what’s outdoors is indoors,” she adds, describing how California’s boundless landscapes also informed the design. Folding doors open onto the patio, flooding the café with natural light by day, while the greenery – lush potted plants and botanical accents woven throughout – creates a sense of continuity between the cultivated interior and the natural world beyond its threshold. This integration honors a quintessential California ethos, one in which life is lived in constant dialogue with the coast.
That ethos informs the menu as well. Café Goldie’s dishes bring freshness to the forefront, echoing the verdant accents of the space. Vegetable-rich selections serve as an edible extension of the greenery spilling into the dining room. Entrees layer brightness onto the plate in the same way sunlight filters through the café’s diffused screens. Even the café’s beverages embrace this dialogue whether it be a refreshing cocktail, crisp as the California air, or a savory latter mirroring the richness of the interior’s golden palette. In this way, the café becomes a sensory ecosystem where food, design, and atmosphere reflect one another.
The attention to detail is deeply experiential. Every corner is comfortable, allowing customers to sink into their relaxation. This approach ensures that while the space exudes drama – with its glossy brass, milk glass, and supersaturated coloring – it also offers moments of repose. Diners are never left feeling exposed; instead, they are enveloped by seating that feels inviting and safe, complemented by a layered glow of lighting at multiple levels. Such a choreography of light and comfort ensures that the glamour is never intimidating but instead creates a warm, welcoming embrace.
Fabrication, too, becomes part of the storytelling. Many of the café’s signature elements were custom-designed: chandeliers crafted in collaboration with I Works, mustard yellow velvet seating by Falcon, and retractable entry doors that transform the threshold between hotel and café. Each bespoke piece reinforces Café Goldie’s interior identity as a crafted world, articulated in great detail. Even the finishes, like Zia Tile’s Casablanca squares and Portola Paint’s honey-toned walls, were chosen to deepen the golden-hour narrative.
The cumulative effect is an eatery that transcends typical hospitality functions. Café Goldie becomes a stage where design and cuisine perform in harmony, each amplifying the other. The glamour of old Hollywood is not reproduced as a set piece but reinterpreted for an interactive performance. Guests are invited not simply to dine, but participate in a spatial experience where history, culture, and sensory delight converge. And it asserts that glamour need not be cold or inaccessible; instead, it can be as warm and enduring as its infamous aureate hue.
To learn more about Café Goldie by Alexa Nafisi-Movaghar of Adean Studios, visit adeanstudios.com.
Photography by MJ Kroeger.
