Interior of a dimly lit bar with a checkered black-and-white floor, a row of barstools along a wooden counter, and shelves with bottles and decorative items.

Case Study: The Speakeasy

Cocktail Lounge — Brand Identity, Interior Design, Mural Art & Guerrilla Marketing

A secret bar with a story you had to earn.

Tucked behind an unmarked alley door in Oregon, The Speakeasy was never meant to be found on Instagram—it was meant to be discovered. Created for the curious, the stylish, and the storytelling-obsessed, this cocktail lounge was as much about the journey as the drink. With no digital footprint and no signage, the only way in was word-of-mouth. The entry? A rainbow-colored mural. The door? Hidden inside a bookcase.

A woman with blonde and pink hair sitting on a black bench against a wood-paneled wall, wearing a green fuzzy jacket, white corset top, denim shorts, and white boots, holding a can of soda and adjusting blue sunglasses.

My Role & Responsibilities

  • Brand identity & visual direction

  • Full interior design

  • Exterior mural concept & execution

  • Guerrilla marketing strategy (no social media)

Brand Design & Interior Design

Invitation and accessories for a bar event, including a green envelope, a card with event details, a glass of pink cocktail with grapefruit garnish, a decanter of whiskey with a cigar, and a wax-sealed green envelope with a note that says 'You're Invited.'
Two beige business cards with embossed text on a dark green background. The top card reads "The BAR" in elegant script. The bottom card has embossed text that is partially visible, including words like "KEEP THE SECRET" and details about a cocktail lounge open Thursday and Friday from 6 PM to 12 AM.
A collage showing a corner of a library with bookshelves and a corridor with wooden cabinets and a black and white checkered tile floor.
A warm-lit bar scene with shelves of various liquor bottles, a wooden ladder leaning against the wall, and an exposed light bulb hanging from the ceiling, creating a cozy atmosphere.
Dimly lit lounge with a tufted blue sofa, yellow armchair, and a small round coffee table, against a blue wall with metallic wall art. Checkerboard floor adds to retro ambiance.
Young woman wearing sunglasses, a shiny silver shirt, denim shorts, and white boots, standing with one arm raised and making a peace sign, in front of a colorful abstract mural wall.

Strategy

Objective: Design a high-impact, low-footprint brand experience that felt like a secret worth sharing. Blend nostalgia, surprise, and luxury into a cohesive atmosphere—with no reliance on digital advertising.

The Speakeasy was inspired by 1920s prohibition culture, apothecaries, and curiosity cabinets. The idea was to create a bar that felt like you stepped into another world—where every visual detail, from wallpaper to lighting to logos, contributed to the mythos.

Execution

Interior Design: Every corner of the lounge told a story. Think velvet booths, vintage crystal glassware, moody lighting, framed oddities, and touches of emerald and gold throughout. Apothecary bottles lined the back bar, reinforcing the vibe of a forgotten potion shop.

Exterior Mural: The only visual clue to the bar’s existence was a bold, colorful rainbow mural on the alley wall. It became iconic—"Look for the rainbow mural" became the calling card whispered among locals. I designed and painted the mural to serve as both landmark and lore.

Entrance Design: Inside the alley door, guests faced a wall of books. Only those in-the-know would push the correct side to reveal a hidden, sliding bookcase that led into the lounge. It was a moment of magic—and a perfect embodiment of the brand’s mystique.

Brand Identity: The logo was custom-lettered with a nod to vintage typography and curiosity shop aesthetics. Printed materials were intentionally limited—business cards resembled old apothecary labels, and the menus looked like torn-out pages from vintage books.

Grassroots Marketing: With no official social media, we relied on whisper networks. We told stories. Bartenders gave clues. A guest would leave with a secret and pass it on. The exclusivity bred intrigue, and within weeks, the bar was packed every night.

Results

  • Became a cult favorite within the first 3 months

  • Consistently packed with zero paid advertising

  • The mural became a local landmark, often used in selfies and tagged in unofficial posts

  • Gained press coverage purely through word-of-mouth buzz

Long-Term Impact

The Speakeasy became proof that you don’t always need an Instagram strategy to build a magnetic brand. When every element—from your logo to your lighting—is part of a story, the people do the marketing for you. The success of The Speakeasy influenced a wave of experiential cocktail lounges across the region.

Tools Used

  • Adobe Illustrator & Photoshop

  • Spray paint, brushes, and scaffolding (for the mural)

  • Vintage sourcing and prop styling

  • Guerrilla marketing principles + hospitality strategy

Takeaway

The Speakeasy was more than a bar—it was a story you had to be told to find. It reminds us that design can be a kind of theater, and branding, when done right, doesn't always need a platform. Sometimes, all you need is a door hidden behind a rainbow and a reason to whisper.

Have a space or story that needs design with magic? Let’s talk.

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