This Rising-Star Interior Designer Is All About Delicious Restaurant Decor

EVEN IF IT'S just a damn fine cheeseburger, Underbelly Hospitality’s food makes a statement. And with her minimally minimalist design ethos, Amanda Medsger could say the same of the interiors she creates for restaurants like Underbelly Burger, Wild Oats and the forthcoming Pastore.

Over the past decade, Medsger’s background in prop- and food-styling — especially for cookbooks, such as Chris Shepherd’s own Cook Like a Local — gave way to a full-blown interior-design career.

Her residential and commercial projects span several aesthetics, but all boast a unique warmth and livable eclecticism. At Wild Oats, she shines a spotlight on Texas nostalgia with vintage décor and floors of Linoleum, while the burger joint, pictured here, gets a classic-diner-style checkerboard treatment throughout.