Box Interior Design reinvents the mountain resort's existing fine dining option and introduces a new, all-day option.
By Rachel Gallaher
Photographed by Larry Goldstein Photography
As published in GRAY magazine No. 62
Sidecut steakhouse at Four Seasons Resort in Whistler, British Columbia.
When Cynthia Penner and Jay Brooks of Box Interior Design were asked to reimagine the restaurant at the Four Seasons Resort in Whistler, British Columbia, the duo decided that two culinary destinations were better than one. The existing Sidecut steakhouse, which hadn’t been updated in 20 years, embraced a high-end, white-linen-style luxury, but the hotel wanted to offer an additional, more casual, all-day option— without sacrificing good design. Working within the restaurant’s long, irregularly shaped space, Penner and Brooks modernized Sidecut and created the informal new Braidwood Tavern.
“With Sidecut, we wanted to capture a feeling of relaxed fireside luxury,” Penner says. “Wrapped around a glowing hearth, it is meant to offer a sultry steakhouse experience. Braidwood Tavern provides the counterpoint with its laid-back and cozy mountain-lifestyle vibe.”
A cozy corner in Braidwood Tavern, the new all-day dining spot at the Four Seasons in Whistler.
The designers used materiality to define and unite the two dining areas, which are located at opposite ends of the space and separated by a buffet. At Braidwood, an eclectic mix of books, art, and comfortable furniture creates a relaxed vibe. Accents of wool-flannel upholstery, reclaimed-wood-finished walls, and leather chairs, as well as two fireplaces emphasize the upscale rustic aesthetic. Sidecut is more formal, but not stuffy. Here, Penner and Brooks repeated Braidwood’s olive-green tones, adding in mohair settees and a smoked-cork wall finish. The dining room’s round central fireplace was revamped with a custom metal coating by local artist Darrell Morrison.
The distinct yet cohesive spaces marry traditional and contemporary concepts of luxury. As Penner notes: “If the hotel were a home, Sidecut is the dining room and Braidwood is the kitchen party.”
