Nicole Alexander was surrounded by design from an early age, and it shaped her own perspective years later. “My parents certainly had the earliest influence on me,” she says. “I grew up going to estate sales and auctions with them. The house was always filled with amazing finds.”
Alexander was interested in creative pursuits, from art therapy to dance—but before turning her focus to interiors, she created Mr. Lulu, her own fashion line. She sewed one-of-a-kind pieces using vintage and repurposed materials. Later, she built custom furniture, an endeavor that continues to inform her understanding of craftsmanship and materiality.
In 2006, Alexander founded her Chicago-based studio, Siren Betty. The multidisciplinary practice is known for an imaginative approach to hospitality and commercial environments. Her portfolio includes Michelin-rated restaurants, hotels, and adaptive reuse projects, each designed to respond to both a client’s vision and the guest experience.
Today, Nicole Alexander joins us for Friday Five! Below, she highlights five Siren Betty projects.
5 Siren Betty Design ProjectsPhotography courtesy of Layla & Ringo’s
1. Layla & Ringo’s
Although it’s part of a larger multi-concept space with a bar and restaurant, Layla & Ringo’s in Chicago is ultimately a neighborhood coffee shop—which inevitably means people will be settling in with their laptops. Instead of discouraging that with uncomfortable seating and purposefully low tables, we wanted to make it work for remote workers. We gave them lots of natural light, comfortable chairs and sofas, counter heights that work for sitting or standing, and even a row of phone booth-inspired nooks for taking calls.
Our biggest priority was making sure the space could evolve throughout the day. It can be a quick coffee stop in the morning, a place to work or have lunch in the afternoon, and somewhere to grab a snack or meet a friend later on. We wanted it to feel comfortable enough that you don’t need a reason to be there.
Photography by Kevin E. White
2. Dimmi Dimmi
With Dimmi Dimmi, we really wanted to capture that feeling of the classic Italian-American restaurant you might remember from growing up—or wish you had growing up. We wanted to create somewhere that feels familiar the minute you walk in, where you can settle into a booth, order a plate of pasta and a cocktail, and stay awhile.
We leaned into some of those nostalgic cues: checkerboard floors, deep red leather, warm woods, and vintage-inspired lighting. Whimsical details, soft florals, and playful hardware keep it from feeling too literal or like a recreation of another era.
For me, the magic is really in the layering. We commissioned art and also thrifted pieces. It’s about creating a space with enough character and personality that, hopefully, you feel like you’ve been visiting for years.
Photography by Ryan McDonald
3. Hoffman House
At Siren Betty, we are selective about residential interior design projects—they have to be a good fit. A commercial client we love asked for our help with their home, so of course we weren’t going to say no. It really was a dream client because they were so up for anything! And it was fun to use pieces and fixtures that wouldn’t work in a hospitality space, like a glass and marble pedestal sink, which would get chipped on day one in a restaurant bathroom. But it’s not a problem in the powder room of a single-family home with four other bathrooms. The project was a blast, so we’ve been dipping our toes into more residential projects lately.
Photography by Wade Hall
4. El Che Steakhouse + Bar
Chef and owner John Manion is one of our favorite people—I’ve known him since my bartending days. We worked with him to design his restaurant Brasero. When El Che (the crown jewel of his operation) needed updating, he brought us on. The focus there is all about live-fire cooking, so we incorporated lots of reflective finishes throughout the dining room—from oversized mirrors to subtle metallic light fixtures. So even though the space is dark and moody and sexy, you get these little flashes of excitement and activity when the cooking fires spark and the light echoes around the various shiny surfaces. It’s like magic.
Photography by Garrett Sweet
5. Double Fun
This is a great example of a project evolution that I simply love. This location was a deeply unattractive retail bank: a millennial gray color palette, honey wood paneling, and school-bus-yellow accent walls (you get it). Now, as a bar in Chicago’s Gold Coast, Double Fun really feels like it has history. We used rich wood, warm lighting, and tactile materials to give the space that sense of nostalgia and character. The curved bar became a real focal point, and we added custom millwork, banquettes, and arched niches for architectural interest. We also thought a lot about the experience of moving through the space. You want to feel invited in from the street, and then as you move farther into the bar, you start discovering all these little details and places to settle in. For us, that balance between character and approachability is what makes a hospitality space really work.