The exciting rush of endorphins, carpe diem confidence, and the possibility for spontaneous elopement that come with Las Vegas are encapsulated at a new cocktail lounge from Bruno Mars called The Pinky Ring.
Located within Vegas’s Bellagio Hotel, The Pinky Ring was designed collaboratively by George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg, founders of the design firm Yabu Pushelberg, alongside musician Bruno Mars. Together Yabu and Pushelberg shared with AN Interior that, “Bruno Mars has a strong sense of who he is and what he wanted—retro, chic, Vegas in the 1970s—which made the design process both exciting and a challenge. He wanted it to feel like a private penthouse party. Building the trust to interpret his clear vision in a creative and cohesive way was crucial to the project’s success.” Other influences included the sultry tunes of Silk Sonic, Bruno Mars’s musical endeavor with Anderson. Paak, in addition to the infamous Rat Pack of the tuxedo-dressed Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Junior, and Dean Martin, who first brought entertainment to Las Vegas casinos.
As a result of these influences, the dynamic design team created a topophilia that immediately transports guests to the 1970s through contemporary uses of a shag carpet, wooden vinyl wall coverings, velvet chairs, and the icing on the cake: a large sunken conversation pit.
The sunken conversation pit is one of several intimate pockets in the open lounge floor plan. The conversation pit seats 36 people on its crescent-shaped green velvet chairs and curved leather banquette. The green textures are paired with sheen stone side tables to augment the cozy jazz bar feel. A lavish crystal chandelier draws eyes upward upon entering the space.
In a synergistic contrast to the green accents, tan banquettes carve out a corner where a multifaceted wall of mirrors multiplies surrounding lights. The reflective surfaces continue on the main bar’s ceiling to cast back the wavy golden curtain walls and happy people below. Yabu and Pushelberg shared that “circles became a symbol to its visual language and is an abstract nod to [Bruno Mars’s] records that have garnered awards and accolades.”
Lighting in the lounge pulls from music videos. “We took inspiration from music video lighting to achieve the kind of ambiance Bruno Mars envisioned. This approach sounds simple, the reality is simplicity is the most complex challenge to execute,” Yabu and Pushelberg added. “Bruno wanted to create a lighting scheme that would make everyone look and feel their best. We focused on creating a balance of low-level contrast and accent lighting. This interplay of lighting transforms the space to enhance the overall perception and create a captivating atmosphere.”
The Pinky Ring drips in 1970s flair and provides a platform where guests can escape reality for a night. When asked to describe the project in a one word, Yabu and Pushelberg said, “Slow-burn sexy. Sexy can be so obvious, cheap, and trite. Listen to Bruno’s music—it’s slow-burn sexy, which is exactly what this is.”