ARIANA Madix and Katie Maloney’s diner didn’t end up costing a fortune for all the intricate interior design details, The US Sun can exclusively reveal.
Ariana, 38, and Katie, 37, celebrated the grand opening of Something About Her on Wednesday, May 22, despite experiencing some setbacks.
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In an exclusive interview with the interior designer, Jon Hutman shared information about how to get the store up and running that has not yet been revealed.
Katie initially contacted the Emmy-winning designer through her website early last year, which turned out to be perfect timing for Jon, as he was working on another Nancy Meyers film that wrapped two days before the reality TV star contacted him.
Starting with the “perfect blank canvas” of the North Robertson Boulevard property, he “started from scratch” and pitched ideas to the owners of Something About Her.
“We went for this warm, comfortable, feminine, romantic vibe,” Jon explained, while pointing out the “one foot in the past” vibe—chandeliers that have a “soft, slightly distressed antique quality” mixed with “modern white taper lights.” over the counter.
Read more about Vanderpump Rules
“The main feature of the design are those latticed arches [on the walls]and where this idea came from is that there was a patio in front of the cafe”, he shared, referring to the outdoor patio that was once in front and had to be dismantled for licensing reasons.
The ladies wanted to create a “garden feel” and bring in “plants, flowers or greenery,” something The US Sun reported will eventually happen when they expand to outdoor dining this summer.
Jon revealed that the green, white and gray patterned cushions were all “custom made” and that he picked out the furniture and had an upholsterer customize it to his specifications.
The small circular coffee tables came from World Market and cost $200 each, he said, although he noted there aren’t “that many elements,” especially considering the 740-square-foot space.
The various paintings, however, “were a process”, as he had initially bought “black and white photos” from a French photographer, but they ended up being “a bit boring”, so he started over with a new set.
“I thought, ‘It’s something about her, and paintings would be better, or a mix of paintings, photographs and colors would be better.’
“And I literally just started collecting images, and the photographs are from Getty Images, and the paintings are from Art.com,” he explained.
“There’s a fashion illustrator whose last name is Gruau, and I literally bought his book on Amazon, ripped out the page and put it in a frame I bought.”
When asked how much the entire project cost, Jon said he couldn’t disclose the actual price, but said it wasn’t “a huge amount.”
“What I’ll tell you is it’s a lot less than you think,” he said.
“I hired a film construction company to do the part that I did, which was the counter and the stools and things like that.
“And they’re a company called Vision Scenery, which I use when I do commercials and stuff. They’re fast and good and detailed. And it was a simple job, but it’s not a huge number.”
The US Sun previously reported that the stars spent nearly $1 million on the store, which included $8,000 a month for rent.
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ONE YEAR PRODUCING
Jon called the process of working with Katie and Ariana “very smooth and straightforward” and confessed that they only met “three times.”
“I mean, honestly, every interaction I’ve had with Ariana and Katie has been like, they showed up at the right time, they shared their ideas, I shared my ideas,” he told The US Sun.
“I did what I said I would do within the budget. They were very happy with everything… It was a super smooth collaborative process.”
It was also a “learning experience for everyone,” including himself.
The only “challenge” he had was that two of the sconces (lights) were on. order pending for one monthbut it wasn’t as big a challenge as getting the final permits to open the store.
“I think they contacted me in March [2023]it took me April and May to design it, build it, get the furniture and install it.
“So it’s literally been sitting there, ready for a year. And the delays came from the yard first – it had to do with the city and licensing issues. That was the only delay,” she revealed.
“So my part of the cafe has been there for a long time, but then they came across these permits, which I wasn’t part of because they had to hire a licensed architect and remove the patio.
“And it was stupid things like, ‘Oh, you need to put swinging doors in the kitchen.’ …But I think, in part because of the visibility, everyone paid a little more attention [to these issues] than they would have.”
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TRUTH ABOUT THE STARS
After several setbacks, the Los Angeles restaurant opened to the public this week with a line that wrapped around the building, leaving fans waiting nearly four hours just to get a bite of the sandwiches.
Ariana and Katie participated in the opening and even took the opportunity to greet their customers and take photos with fans.
“Literally, I had never seen the show. And when I met them, I had no idea they were on a reality show,” Jon confessed.
When he met them, he said they were “super nice” and that his experience with them was “only positive and happy”.
He also said he was “not offered” camera time, which is why he never appeared on season 11 of Vanderpump Rules.
The show will air the final part of the three-part reunion on May 28.
However, they did have their former chef, Chef Penny Davidi, on the show as they had the cast members try the sandwiches and also had her help when it came to hiring staff.
The menu, which The US Sun revealed has signature sandwiches costing up to $20, is now a different menu than the one the chef teased on VPR’s most recent season.
Jon, who attended one of the store’s openings, called the sandwiches “really delicious” and said the chicken salad sandwich (The Reese’s) is his favorite because “it’s so good.”
“Obviously, having that kind of exposure is great for launching a business… and eventually that’s what will move the store forward – if people enjoy eating, drinking wine and hanging out there,” admitted Jon.
“I don’t know anything about what their plans will be for the future, but I hope there is every reason to believe it will be a huge success and I couldn’t be happier for them.”
While Jon has no immediate plans to work with the owners again, nor any other VPR star who owns a restaurant, he says he is “always open and available” to help.
For now, her next project will be her new film, Without Blood, which was written and directed by Angelina Jolie.
The upcoming war drama starring Salma Hayek, Demián Bichir, Juan Minujín and Simon Rizzoni was supposed to be released in 2023, but appears to have been delayed for an unexpected reason.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
