Closing out Women's Herstory Month with a dynamo of a project by Han Dang and Vy Truon, 29-year-old interior architects who were born in Vietnam and met at the University of Houston, College of Architecture and Design. After separate stints at Stantec, Ziegler Cooper, & Gin Design Group, in 2020, they cofounded Very Handsome Studio, the moniker coming from them playing around with their initials, V + H. "We landed on handsome being the key to our name because it's a term often used in design to describe a sophisticated, balanced project, & has a more powerful ring to it than pretty or beautiful. We also thought it would be slightly ironic to name a firm run by two petite females as Very Handsome, which has led to some comical first impressions thus far." Laughs ensued and so have projects. This latest, for Houston foodie influencer Abbas Dhanan aka
@houstoneatz of smash burger fame, translated his pop-up concept Burger Bodega into a brick-and-mortar destination. VHS outfitted the 1,600-square-foot former fire station in an energetic interpretation of a NYC bodega, a favorite stop for Dhanan when he'd visit the city. A palette of “ketchup red, mustard yellow, and bodega blue” mingles with pop art–inspired branded merchandise, neon, and black-and-white upholstery that nods to both graffiti and Dhanani’s Islamic heritage. It’s an urban, multiculti mélange the VHS duo refers to as “umami design essence—an overall balance of something that cannot be easily explained but can be easily understood.” Featured in March issue of
@interiordesignmag . Photos:
@mrmichaelma . Thank you
@adesignpartnership 🌟🍔🌟
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#design
#architecture
#commercialdesign
#smashburger
#CMTastemakers
#restaurantdesign
#houston
#nyc
#neon
#bodega
#whm
#womenshistorymonth
#popup
@culturemaphou
@stantec
@zieglercooper
@gindesigngroup 
