Hospitality from Hightower
A Case Study of Marjorie Restaurant
Todd’s connection to Donna runs deep. His family has followed her remarkable 30-year restaurant journey from the early Belltown days of Lush Life to today’s beloved Marjorie. Todd and his husband, Doug, first met Donna at Lush Life, and over the years, their friendship grew alongside their family. When the couple welcomed their daughter and later their son, the babies were soon part of Donna’s extended restaurant family, greeted and fussed over by everyone in the dining room.
That sense of community is what Todd loves most about Marjorie. “You’re just sitting there and suddenly you’re talking with half the restaurant,” he said. “It’s part of the vibe Donna has created.”
When Donna began envisioning the next evolution of Marjorie - a space both elegant and sustainable - Todd immediately saw the synergy with Hightower. Around that same time, Hightower had transitioned to a 100% women-owned company and was in the final stages of its B-Corp certification. The collaboration on Marjorie brought together a team led by Donna which included SkB Architects, objekts, Matter Contract, and Hightower. Together they curated a thoughtful mix of furniture from Hightower Studio, +Halle, and Ondarreta to match Donna’s vision.
The result is a space that feels intimate yet elevated. “I think sexy is the right word,” Todd noted, describing the bold, moody palette: Kona tables in rich burgundy, Proto Sofa and Flote Lounge in deep blue, and Hari chairs and barstools blending soft upholstery with warm wood.
“Marjorie is a perfect expression of what Considered Solutions means to us at Hightower,” Natalie added. “It's not just about specifying furniture; it's about understanding Donna's vision and providing the perfect pieces that meet the challenge of continued use in a busy restaurant day after day while still feeling warm and intentional. Performance and sustainable design aren't trade-offs here; they're built into everything we design.”
Each Hightower piece contributes to the restaurant’s atmosphere – inviting, layered, and unmistakably Marjorie.
Design by SkB Architects, Photography by Hannah Rankin and Lindsay Hale, Furniture by Hightower