Design is rarely born in a vacuum. For Nicole Alexander, founder of the Chicago-based multidisciplinary studio Siren Betty, an early immersion in aesthetics laid the groundwork for a career defined by imaginative hospitality and commercial spaces. Growing up surrounded by creative pursuits, Alexander’s perspective was shaped long before she established her own studio in 2006. Today, her portfolio spans Michelin-rated restaurants, vibrant hotels, and intricate adaptive reuse projects, each meticulously crafted to balance a client’s overarching vision with an unforgettable guest experience.
In a recent feature for Design Milk’s ongoing "Friday Five" column, Alexander stepped into the spotlight to share five defining projects from Siren Betty’s extensive body of work. But to understand the nuanced, atmospheric spaces her studio creates today, one must look closely at the winding creative path that brought her there.
The Early Influences and Evolution of a Designer
Alexander’s entry into the world of design was organic and deeply personal. Surrounded by unique objects from her earliest days, she credits her parents with igniting her initial appreciation for aesthetics. Trips to estate sales and auctions were regular occurrences in her youth, exposing her to homes filled with remarkable vintage finds, craftsmanship, and history. That early exposure to material culture left a lasting impression on how she views spaces and objects.
Before dedicating herself fully to interior architecture and design, Alexander explored a diverse array of creative outlets. Her early interests ranged from art therapy and dance to fashion design. She even launched her own fashion line, Mr. LinkedIn—or rather, Mr. Lulu—where she independently sewed one-of-a-kind garments using vintage and repurposed materials. This hands-on approach to textiles and reconstruction naturally evolved into another physical discipline: building custom furniture. Crafting furniture pieces by hand gave her a profound, tactile understanding of craftsmanship, scale, and materiality, lessons that continue to inform her architectural and interior design projects to this day.
Armed with this multidisciplinary background, Alexander founded Siren Betty in Chicago in 2006. Over the nearly two decades since its inception, the studio has carved out a distinct reputation in the commercial and hospitality sectors. Rather than imposing a single, uniform signature style across every venue, Siren Betty approaches each project as a narrative canvas, carefully balancing historical reverence with modern functionality.
Five Defining Siren Betty Design Projects
In her "Friday Five" feature, Alexander highlighted five distinct spaces that capture the philosophy, versatility, and creative range of Siren Betty Design. Each project demonstrates how the studio translates a brand’s identity into a physical environment that resonates with visitors on an emotional level.
1. Layla & Ringo’s
Located in Chicago, Layla & Ringo’s presents a fascinating design challenge: functioning simultaneously as part of a larger multi-concept space with a bar and restaurant while operating fundamentally as a neighborhood coffee shop. Knowing that patrons would inevitably settle in for hours with their laptops, Alexander and her team chose to embrace remote workers rather than alienate them with uncomfortable seating or intentionally low, impractical tables.
Instead of discouraging long stays, Siren Betty curated an environment optimized for productivity and comfort. The space is flooded with natural light, featuring an array of comfortable chairs and sofas, counter heights engineered to accommodate both sitting and standing, and even a dedicated row of phone booth-inspired nooks specifically designed for taking private calls.
According to Alexander, the primary priority was ensuring the space could fluidly evolve throughout the course of the day. In the morning, it functions as a fast-paced stop for a quick morning coffee. By afternoon, it transforms into a bustling hub for remote work and casual lunch meetings. As evening approaches, it shifts seamlessly into a welcoming spot to grab a light snack or catch up with a friend. The overarching goal was to create a venue so inherently comfortable that patrons do not even need a specific reason to be there.
2. Dimmi Dimmi
With the design of Dimmi Dimmi, Siren Betty set out to evoke a very specific emotional response: the comforting, nostalgic atmosphere of the classic Italian-American restaurant. Whether patrons remember such places from growing up or simply wish they did, the objective was to craft a space that feels instantly familiar the moment someone walks through the front door—a place where guests can immediately settle into a cozy booth, order a plate of pasta alongside a classic cocktail, and plan to stay awhile.
To achieve this sense of lived-in authenticity, the studio leaned heavily into classic design cues. Checkerboard floors, deep red leather upholstery, warm wood tones, and vintage-inspired lighting fixtures anchor the interior in traditional warmth. However, to prevent the restaurant from feeling overly literal or like a rigid historical recreation, the design incorporates whimsical details, soft floral patterns, and playful hardware.
For Alexander, the true magic of Dimmi Dimmi lies in the art of layering. The studio combined specially commissioned artworks with carefully thrifted pieces, building a space with enough distinct character and personality that first-time visitors might easily mistake it for a neighborhood fixture they have been visiting for years.
3. Hoffman House
While Siren Betty is primarily celebrated for its commercial and hospitality portfolio, the studio occasionally takes on residential interior design projects when the chemistry with the client is right. The Hoffman House project began when a beloved commercial client approached Alexander and her team for help with their private residence—an opportunity the designer simply could not turn down.
Described as a dream client because of their willingness to embrace bold ideas, the homeowners allowed Siren Betty to experiment with elements and fixtures that would be entirely impractical in a high-traffic hospitality environment. For example, the powder room features a delicate glass and marble pedestal sink. While such a fixture would likely suffer chips and wear on its very first day in a busy restaurant bathroom, it thrives as a stunning statement piece in a single-family home equipped with multiple other bathrooms. The success and sheer enjoyment of the Hoffman House project have encouraged the studio to selectively dip its toes into more residential commissions moving forward.
4. El Che Steakhouse + Bar
Chef and owner John Manion is a longtime collaborator and friend of Alexander, who first crossed paths with him during her earlier days working in the restaurant industry. Having previously collaborated on the design of Manion’s restaurant Brasero, Siren Betty was the natural choice when the chef needed to refresh El Che Steakhouse + Bar, widely considered the crown jewel of his culinary operations.
Because the core culinary identity of El Che revolves around live-fire cooking, Alexander’s design strategy focused heavily on incorporating reflective finishes throughout the dining room. From oversized mirrors to subtle, gleaming metallic light fixtures, these elements capture and scatter the ambient illumination. Even though the overall spatial atmosphere is dark, moody, and intentionally seductive, diners are treated to sudden, flashing moments of excitement and activity as the cooking flames spark and light bounces playfully off the various shiny surfaces, creating a dynamic visual magic.
5. Double Fun
Transforming spaces is a hallmark of Siren Betty’s adaptive reuse capabilities, and the Chicago Gold Coast bar Double Fun stands as a prime example of this philosophy. The location began its life as a deeply uninspiring retail bank space defined by a millennial gray color palette, honey wood paneling, and school-bus-yellow accent walls.
Through thoughtful interior architecture, Siren Betty stripped away the sterile corporate atmosphere and infused the venue with a rich sense of history and character. By employing rich wood tones, warm ambient lighting, and deeply tactile materials, the studio successfully established a nostalgic and inviting environment. A sweeping curved bar serves as the undeniable focal point of the room, complemented by custom millwork, intimate banquettes, and arched architectural niches that add visual depth.
Furthermore, the design team carefully considered the journey of moving through the venue. The entrance is engineered to draw pedestrians in from the bustling street, guiding them deeper into the interior where they can discover various secluded corners and comfortable places to settle in. For Alexander and her team, striking this precise balance between strong visual character and effortless approachability is the ultimate key to making any hospitality space truly successful.
A Continuing Legacy in Design
As Siren Betty continues to take on imaginative commercial, hospitality, and selective residential projects across Chicago and beyond, Nicole Alexander remains grounded in the foundational lessons of her youth. From browsing estate sales with her parents to crafting custom furniture and designing celebrated Michelin-rated dining rooms, her career reflects a continuous exploration of how materials, history, and human experience intersect. Through projects like Layla & Ringo’s, Dimmi Dimmi, Hoffman House, El Che, and Double Fun, Alexander and her studio demonstrate that exceptional design is not merely about how a space looks, but how it makes people feel, gather, and linger.
