Color-Drenched Sophistication at Marigold

When Crown Restaurant Group envisioned Marigold, its latest concept in downtown Cincinnati, the goal was to craft a welcoming and intriguing destination — a soulful blend of British sophistication and Indian spice, inspired by early 20th-century London.

The design team, led by Vikki Nutter of Nutter Group Design, faced a space stripped to concrete block with soaring 19-foot ceilings. The location, formerly part of a Macy’s department store, lacked warmth, character, and any kind of scale — all key ingredients for the immersive experience they sought to create.

The challenge was to deliver a richly layered, upscale restaurant that included:

• An intriguing yet welcoming front-of-house
• A private dining and event space
• Custom bar and back bar with integrated lighting
• Adequate storage and comfortable seating
• Seamless service and efficient spatial flow 

To bring the concept to life, Nutter employed a bold strategy of “color-drenching” the space in FENIX® innovative materials in J0750 Verde Comodoro. The ultra-matte surface, combined with its depth of tone, created a “spatial hug” — a sense of intimacy within the large, formerly impersonal interior.

Sherwin-Williams color-matched the FENIX® Verde Comodoro for the walls, blending painted surfaces and millwork seamlessly. This unified look extends across base cabinetry, shelving, wait stations, and the back bar, helping to visually tie together every zone of the restaurant.

“Using FENIX® in this project exceeded our design expectations. The material and color selection were on-point for the restaurant’s design inspiration of the Arts and Crafts Movement,” said Nutter. “The richness of the feel and look of FENIX® set the tone in creating an upscale dining experience.”

This flexibility and durability made FENIX® an ideal choice for both horizontal and vertical applications in a demanding hospitality environment. A skilled team of fabricators worked with the design team to blend materials through CNC cutting and edging, LED tape lighting integrated into routed channels and color-matching of surrounding paint and finishes.

FENIX® materials were fabricated into:

• Custom millwork for the back bar with integrated LED lighting to highlight bottles and décor
• Service wait stations that visually disappear into color-matched walls
• A shelving and cabinet unit in the private dining area that serves as both functional storage and design feature
• Coordinated countertops and vertical surfaces for a consistent, sophisticated look.

By using FENIX® Verde Comodoro as the foundation of its material palette, Marigold delivers a guest experience that feels immersive, personal and timeless. The material's low-light reflectivity and rich color played a key role in creating the layered, soulful atmosphere that defines this English-Indian public house.

Architect/Designer
 

Marigold | Cincinnati, Ohio | Designer: Vikki Nutter, Nutter Group Design | Architect: Mark Gunther, Wickman & Gunther Architects | FENIX® Color Used: FENIX NTM® J0750 Verde Comodoro | Photographer: Hailey Bollinger | Completion Date: Feb. 2025