“I think a well-designed restaurant interior enhances both functionality and aesthetics, which overall elevates the guests’ experience. When guests are enjoying a great meal in a great space, they want to linger and return. Well-designed restaurants, bars, and hotels become sought-after destinations for both locals and visitors and make our experiences with food and drink more memorable.”
-Natalie Lieberman
Memphis-based Natalie Lieberman is an NCIDQ-certified designer who specializes in restaurant design and adaptive reuse. Lieberman brings nearly twenty years of design industry experience to Collect + Curate Studio, which she founded in 2014, offering interior design and creative consulting services. In addition to her affinity for giving neglected buildings a second life, Lieberman’s decades-long roots in the restaurant industry continue to drive her interest in niche projects and chef-driven restaurants.
Prior to returning to Memphis, Lieberman worked in Atlanta, first in hotel design and later joining restaurant design powerhouse, The Johnson Studio. While living in Atlanta, she witnessed the rise of the urban revitalization movement, a revival largely fueled by successful adaptive reuse of existing buildings. This trend has gained momentum in Memphis and across the Southeastern US. Lieberman’s design talent, experience and values are uniquely suited for preserving the character and authenticity of projects. She knows how to tell the story of building while breathing new life into the space. Lieberman has been recognized for her adaptive reuse expertise with a 2007 Adaptive Reuse Award from the Atlanta Urban Design Commission for Ecco in Midtown Atlanta, and has utilized this talent with many adaptive reuse projects such as Bishop, The Liquor Store, City & State Coffee and Retail Shop, Ghost River Tap Room and Propcellar.
Befitting her appreciation for both old elements and new ideas, Lieberman regularly scours flea markets, watches classic movies, and travels for endless sources of inspiration. When she’s not designing or in the middle of a construction site, you’ll find her cooking and enjoying time with her husband and two young daughters.
A native Memphian, Anna Utley is an Associate Interior Designer II at Collect + Curate Studio. Utley received her Bachelor of Science degree in 2017 from Auburn University’s CIDA-accredited, top-ranking Interior Design program. Inspired by the urban rejuvenation that was occurring in Memphis, Utley returned home after graduation with a drive to use her talents to better Memphis. Spending the first four years of her design career in the commercial design industry, Utley gained experience in architectural drafting, project management, construction administration, engineering coordination, and an overall understanding of the phases of design. This experience combined with multiple internships in the high-end residential design industry has equipped Utley with a wide range of design skills, both creative and technical. During her time at Collect + Curate, Utley has held various responsibilities such as holistic design development, drafting of full construction drawing sets, intricate millwork drawings, project timelines, and budget management, coordination with consultants, specification writing, and construction administration.
Anna stays busy with renovations on her 1918 Cooper Young bungalow and taking care of her small farm - 2 dogs, Millie and Ruby, and cat, Olive. Her ideal day is a rainy one with no to-do lists and time at home with her fiance.
Luca Spaghetti is our resident guard dog and therapy librarian. Like us, he is small but mighty.