Header: Élodie Bost, Gage Forster, Shelby Moore, Kimberly Motos
Bells + Whistles, a design firm specialised in hospitality venues, turned an old 1970s Morey Boogie Boards factory into a restaurant and a tasting bar. A bright café, bakery and pizzeria named Wildland and an adjoining intimate 22-seat tasting restaurant named Lilo have won an award for the best Interior Design Restaurant – Casual at the 2025 LIV Hospitality Design Awards.
Completely new interior layout
The building went through a three-year-long renovation, keeping only the cinderblock walls from the original design. Custom-made to fit the unique style of Wildland, the design started with a patio defined by two large oak trees. Natural light coming from floor-to-ceiling windows falling on the concrete and terracotta floors in the open kitchen is accompanied by a custom wood-fired oven and Venetian plaster.
A walk-up bar is the centrepiece of the dining room. A bespoke sound system, Tyler Hays‘ 10-foot painted tapestry and hand-troweled plaster walls by Sasha Seyb enhance the feeling of discovery, giving the venue an adventurous spirit.
Élodie Bost, Gage Forster, Shelby Moore, Kimberly Motos
Élodie Bost, Gage Forster, Shelby Moore, Kimberly Motos
Private dining rooms
The back of the main room can be sectioned into partly private areas, allowing group dining in privacy. The private dining room mirrors the design of the main room. Equipped with a long 18-seat table and a terra cotta pendant light, the private dining room also features Sasha Seyb’s Venetian plaster walls and a ribbed glass wall with white rift oak.
Lilo – small but chic 22-seat tasting restaurant
A 22-seat Lilo restaurant is located in the same building. Inspired by the soulful 12-course tasting menu, the venue starts with a quiet garden wrapped by cedar and anchored by an Australian Bottle Tree. Textured plaster walls by decorative artist Sasha Seyb mirror the cliffs in the surrounding landscapes while white oak slats ripple like waves.
Earth-toned colour palette in the dining room blurs the boundary between the interior and the exterior. A painting by French artist Cédrix Crespel decorates the walls. The open kitchen is enveloped by a 14-seat chef counter and two intimate chef tables made from oak and oceanic-evoking quartzite.
The adaptive reuse of the 1970s Morey Boogie Boards factory
The culinary philosophy of Wildland+Lilo, aka Wilo, focuses on locally sourced products with seasonal menus that underscore the versatility of Southern California cuisine. The design of the space follows this philosophy. All new materials were locally sourced, thus reducing CO2 emissions connected to transport. Additionally, adaptive reuse of the former factory walls reduced both material costs and waste.
Bells + Whistles design studio turned an old factory space into a powerful reflection of Carlsbad’s coastal landscape and community spirit. Blending handcrafted materials, coastal-inspired interiors, and artworks by local artists, the project creates two distinct yet complementary dining experiences under one roof.
