I thought I would begin where ANVIL began - the remodel. ANVIL BAR AND REFUGE is housed in one of Houston’s most well-known bar locations on what is Houston’s most famous and cultured street. Originally built in 1959 as a Bridgestone-Firestone store, 1424 Westheimer Rd. was transformed into the Daiquiri Factory in 1980 and into Sliders years later. We knew the bar would need a completely new face to overcome the image that the bar had garnered with three decades of machine made cocktails, and so we set out to recreate the space. We gutted everything – electrical, plumbing, drywall, whole rooms – everything. The only aspects of the remodel that we didn’t do ourselves was some of the plumbing, moving an electrical box, some metal work, and glass fabrication. Everything else we did over a 7 month renovation, plagued by a hurricane, persistent city permitting issues, and countless other derailments.

ANVIL'S interior was designed by those of us who built it. We really didn’t know what we wanted Anvil to look like when we finished, but we tried to tackle one task at a time. Designers have that unique ability to envision the completed project before it finishes. We just saw a to-do list. As we continued, we attempted to incorporate elements into the space that reflected a forgotten era when cocktails were crafted slowly with care and attention to each detail. In doing so, we found ourselves persistently integrating design elements that reflected this theme.