La Vaca Loca Steakhouse

The owner of a steakhouse approached me for a light “Make-Over,” but there was one issue: an extremely limited budget. The makeover had to include new feature lighting, furnishings, decor, and new floor paint. Additionally, the place needed a story behind it and captivating elements to convey it.

The main concept was to bring diners closer to nature, minimizing the “bleeding act” of cutting a steak. I drew inspiration from the traditional Sunday barbecues of old-style families in Lima’s countryside, surrounded by green fields and roasting steaks over a charcoal fire under a big tree. To recreate this experience, I introduced big trees in the main dining hall to evoke an alfresco dining feeling. In the entrance hall, I used burnt rustic wood slates to remind customers of those charcoal fires. In the terrace, a big table made from a tree trunk celebrated those big family gatherings in the countryside.