Houston’s Top Restaurant Designer Launches The Lymbar With a Copacabana Beat — Gin Braverman Gets Tropical

Headdresses Rule In This Wild Night

BY Shelby Hodge // 01.10.23

photography Emily Jaschke

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Ali DiNunzio, Julian Luna, Jordan Phillips, Gin Braverman, Kathryn McDougal, Matt Fries at the Gin Design Group event. (Photo by Emily Jaschke)

Anna & Scott Deans at the Gin Design Group fête at The Lymbar in The Ion. (Photo by Emily Jaschke)

Chris Goins, Sarah Atwood at the Gin Design Group event. (Photo by Emily Jaschke)

Guest, Sara Padua Cordua & Chef David Cordua, Claudia Solis at the Gin Design Group event at The Lymbar. (Photo by Emily Jaschke)

Gin Braverman, Erick Calderon, Peter Molick, Sarah Labowitz, at the Gin Design Group event at The Lymbar. (Photo by Emily Jaschke)

Henry Lu, Evelyn Garcia, Linda Salinas at the Gin Design Group event at The Lymbar. (Photo by Emily Jaschke)

Jason Spencer, Ali DiNunzio, Stephanie Lively, Kim Kaptain, Christina Wilburn, Bradley Lau, Ginny Schneider, Cameron Moore, Gin Braverman, Marcos Ramos, Rebeca Diaz, Brittany Noble at the Gin Design Group party at The Lymbar. (Photo by Emily Jaschke)

Jonathan Beitler & Scott Yoder at the Gin Design Group fête at The Ion. (Photo by Emily Jaschke)

Quinn Hoang & Jonathan Horowitz at the Gin Design Group soirée at The Lymbar in The Ion. (Photo by Emily Jaschke)

Justin Yu, Bill Krampitz at the Gin Design Group soirée at The Lymbar in The Ion. (Photo by Emily Jaschke)

Melissa McDonnell Lujan, Michelle White, Michael Mandola, Sicily Dickenson, Calia Pettigrew at the Gin Design Group soirée at The Lymbar in The Ion. (Photo by Emily Jaschke)

Michael Mandola, Gin Braverman, Catherine Welsh, Mary Sayegh at the Gin Design Group soirée at The Lymbar in The Ion. (Photo by Emily Jaschke)

Felix Florez, Monica Danna at the Gin Design Group soirée at The Lymbar in The Ion. (Photo by Emily Jaschke)

Stephanie Culet, Sam Governale at the Gin Design Group soirée at The Lymbar in The Ion. (Photo by Emily Jaschke)

Jose Ocque & Stuart Rosenberg at the Gin Design Group soirée at The Lymbar in The Ion. (Photo by Emily Jaschke)

Ashley & Tyler Horne , Justin Yu, guest at the Gin Design Group bash at The Lymbar (Photo by Emily Jaschke)

Ali DiNunzio, Julian Luna, Jordan Phillips, Gin Braverman, Kathryn McDougal, Matt Fries at the Gin Design Group event. (Photo by Emily Jaschke)

What: “A Night at the Copacabana”

Where: Chef David Cordua’s The Lymbar in The Ion

PC Moment: When it came time for “not” a holiday-themed party, designer Gin Braverman and the team of her namesake design firm selected to party at Chef David Cordua‘s spanking new restaurant dubbed The Lymbar for which the Gin team created the sleek decor. No tinsel and red bows, thank you. These designers opted for a tropical beat and embraced that thought with enthusiasm.

Practically every woman making the scene donned a spectacular Copacabana-inspired headdress. Think feathers, florals and sequins. It was a party so lively that the only way to end the merriment was to flash the lights and put a cap on cocktail service.

Actually, the theme was not too afield from the design which spoke to the restaurant’s culinary vibe, a tasty marriage of Latin and Mediterranean influences.

Michael Mandola, Gin Braverman, Catherine Welsh, Mary Sayegh (Photo by Emily Jaschke) — Michael Mandola, Gin Braverman, Catherine Walsh, Mary Sayegh at the Gin Design Group soirée at The Lymbar in The Ion. (Photo by Emily Jaschke)

Restaurant interiors are the bread and butter of Gin Design Group, which places hospitality and residential at the top of its look book. The firm counts scores of bars and restaurants in its portfolio. Among them are Eunice, Traveler’s Table, Oxheart, Common Bond in Capital Tower, Ruggles Green and Herb & Beet in The Woodlands, Dish Society and Mala Sichuan.

Elizabeth Anthony

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ASSAEL

OLYMPIA LE-TAN

EMILY P. WHEELER

MARIA OLIVER

KATHERINE JETTER

MEREDITH YOUNG

LEIGH MAXWELL

MEREDITH YOUNG

PC Seen: The chef’s bride Sara Padua Cordua, Berg Hospitality Group’s Sam Governale, restaurateur extraordinaire, Savoy owners Claire and Jabar Watson, El Secundo Swim Club owner Matthew Healy, The Menil Collection curator Michelle White, Julian Luna and Matt Fries of Moon Pappas, Jun chef/owners Henry Lu and Evelyn Garcia, The Menil Collection exhibitions manager Sarah Beth Wilson, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston general manager of retail Chris Goins, Cherry Block owner Felix Flores, Erik Calderon of ArtBlox, Sicily Dickenson, Claudia Solis, Elaine Dillard, Anna and Scott Deans, Jonathan Beitler, Bill Krampitz, Alex Ramos, Billy Baccam, Peter Molik, Calia and Peter Pettigrew, and Sarah Atwood.