Restaurant, Coffee Shop & Bakery Branding

da Mariolino

Naming / Brand Design & Strategy / Signage / Art Direction

da Mariolino is a casual dining restaurant serving classic and innovative Roman dishes. It’s located in a 16th-century townhouse a block away from the Spanish Steps and Piazza di Spagna and makes up the ground floor of the Mario de’ Fiori 37 boutique hotel by Rome Luxury Suites.

The brand seeks to be as much a point of reference for local Romans who work and live in the area as well as a place sought out by tourists. The menu was designed for convivial dining, tables surrounded by friends and colleagues sharing a meal of small plates, seasonal faire and classic pastas. The interior designer selected blue as the key color for the interiors to contrast the warm tones of the surrounding buildings. Other design elements include monochromatic terrazzo flooring, contemporary glass lighting fixtures, and a fluted counter with high seating that not only serves as casual seating and service bar but also seamlessly integrates the reception for the hotel’s nine suites located above.

Project Team

Interior Design by Nanette Design

Photo & Video Production by Red Rebel Agency

Social Media Management by Tolga Avan

Signage Fabrication by Gamma Neon

Handmade menus by Elastic Menu

Ceramic Personalization by La Bottega

The naming and branding design for da Mariolino was a part of a wider scope of work for Rome Luxury Suites. After an extensive Discovery exercise and clear brief that explained the vision for the new restaurant, I presented a list of proposed names. The goal for the name paid homage to the history of the street’s namesake – a 16th century baroque artist, Mario Nuzzi, who was celebrated for his paintings of flowers – was easy to pronounce for non-Italian speakers, and represented the energy, enthusiasm and character of the vision for the space.

The brand design ties together the reference to flowers and an indisputable icon of the Roman kitchen, the artichoke. The color palette is based off the restaurant’s deep blue plaster walls, and I designed a series of icon styles depending on the application. In various applications we used the primary logo, wordmark and icon to produce the handmade menu covers, exterior signage and window vinyl, ceramic plates, personalized napkins, coasters and check drops.

Primary Logo

Color Palette

Personalized Ceramics

Creative Vision for Hospitality Brands.

I bring a practical, creative approach to branding for hospitality businesses. I’m an experienced leader and a trained designer dedicated to empowering owners, developers and managers to deliver world-class hospitality through creativity.

da Mariolino

Project Team

Primary Logo

Color Palette

Personalized Ceramics

Creative Vision for Hospitality Brands.

Hospitality Branding

Let’s Work Together

Connect