2. Honesty
A space’s design and its materials should feel genuine. “I believe in handcrafting as much as possible from as many original designs as possible, pushing the limit with materials and caring about the details,” says Basile. Many of his pieces serve dual purposes, such as windows that fold down to function as tabletops. “Use materials that age and patina that will still look good in 20 years. Don’t use anything that is a fad,” he advises. Also, forage for unique furnishings whenever possible, as opposed to restaurant catalogs. Soda & Swine Liberty Station features Basile-designed and built hand-welded “double-S” steel barstools and a 29-foot brass quilted bar inspired by an airplane wing (a nod to the flight path above the restaurant).