Tom Stringer Interior Designer Chef Achatz wanted Alinea to feel both hypermodern and comfortable at the same time. Tom Stringer, head of the eponymous multi-disciplinary Chicago design firm, created interior spaces that are sleek, luxurious, and timeless. Questioning the normal conventions of a 4-star restaurant, Stringer designed solid mahogany tables that remain bare, showing the serviceware and food against a beautiful ebonized finish. Chairs and banquettes were designed for comfort and manufactured for the space, adorned with silk pillows that revolve seasonally. A programmable LED lighting system allows the walls to be tinted to fit the season or a particular course. Stringer’s work, ranging from private estates to yachts, has been featured in numerous national magazines, and House Beautiful has twice named him among the Top 125 Designers. He holds a BA in design from the College of Architecture and Environmental Design at ASU. Mr. Stringer is the principal of Tom Stringer, Inc. www.stringerinc.com.