Inspired by fire, wine, and nourishment - the first things that brought people together – Chleo boils hospitality down to its roots, offering unparalleled service and a second home for a growing neighborhood.

Aiming to create a more equitable and sustainable future, the owners’ objective for their first self-owned restaurant in Kingston, NY was to offer the experience of fine dining while stripping away the formality, structure, and elitism that makes it hard to reach. Their mission extended in celebrating the bounty and people of the Hudson Valley, to connect with the land and those who cultivate it.

The design team applied a sustainable outlook to the selection of lighting, furniture, ceramics, linens, candles, millworkers, florals and artwork by sourcing more than 85% of the design through Hudson Valley maker’s and craftsmen, intentionally seeking regional materials and makers to form a hyper-localized space. The project was designed to LEED-certified standards.

Chleo is a testament to collaboration, conversation, and discovery; an idiosyncratic vessel for expression and innovation, made by and for the locals. Anticipating the needs of a modern era, the spirit of the restaurant believes that a brightly prepared meal and the place where you enjoy it go far beyond the visual or the taste. It’s something you can feel.

Client: Islyn Studio
Photography Credit: Read McKendree/JBSA
Lighting Design