Designbar

What Designbar does

Designbar (legal entity Designbar Creative Interiors LLC) is a privately held commercial interior design studio founded in 2009 by Monika Nessbach and headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. The firm specializes in experiential and hospitality-focused interior design, organized around three client verticals: LIVE (multifamily, student housing, senior living), WORK (corporate offices, co-working, education), and PLAY (hotels, restaurants, bars, retail, pop-ups, event venues). Designbar employs WELL AP-certified designers and applies a sensory design methodology that integrates lighting, textures, acoustics, scent, and biophilic elements. The portfolio includes 40+ completed projects for clients such as Continental Tire, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Avana Properties, Ed Lloyd & Associates, Cantina 1511, and Mellow Mushroom.

The business operates as a project-based professional services firm, generating revenue through design fees, project consultations, and ongoing client relationships. Pricing is quote-driven and not publicly disclosed. The studio is lean (1-10 employees, with three named team members — Monika Nessbach as Principal & Chief Creative Officer, Emily Keane, and David Kellam) and pursues a sales-led go-to-market approach targeting commercial developers, property owners, and real estate investors in the hospitality, multifamily, and corporate sectors across the Southeast US. In addition to direct client engagement, Designbar has formed the Meraki Design Alliance with Gary Inman's Home Couture to jointly pursue larger-scale projects and participates in trade events such as Salone del Mobile and High Point Market.

Designbar supplements its services with a content marketing program (blog, research-backed thought leadership, and PR across industry publications like Hotel Business, Business of Home, and Charlotte Business Journal) and active Instagram presence. The firm has no external institutional investment, no parent company, no disclosed funding rounds, and no patents. AI tools are referenced as part of internal design workflows, but no proprietary AI product, API, or AI-driven service is offered. The company is operating, founder-controlled, and growth-oriented within its regional niche.

Name

Designbar

Legal name

Designbar Creative Interiors LLC

Website

https://designbaronline.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Designbar is a Charlotte-based commercial interior design studio that delivers experiential, sensory-driven design services across multifamily, corporate, and hospitality sectors for developers, property owners, and restaurant operators in the Southeast US.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Interior Design Services

NAICS

Interior Design Services (541410)

akta.pro primary industry

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Space Planning & Workplace Design (BPAHAKAI)

Keywords

• Commercial interior design
• Hospitality design services
• Multifamily residential design
• Workplace interior design
• Experiential space design

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Interior Design Services: Project-based professional services for commercial interior design across hospitality, multifamily, and corporate sectors. Revenue is generated through design fees, project consultations, and ongoing client relationships.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Designbar is a commercial interior design studio that creates experiential, hospitality-inspired environments for commercial clients across three focus areas: LIVE (multi-family residential including student housing and senior living), WORK (corporate offices, co-working spaces, and educational facilities), and PLAY (hotels, restaurants, bars, retail, pop-ups, and event venues). The studio delivers project-based design services including concept development, space planning, material and finish selection, biophilic and sensory design integration, and project consultation for commercial developers, hospitality operators, property owners, and corporate tenants.

Product overview

Designbar is a commercial interior design studio founded in 2009 by Monika Nessbach, offering experiential and hospitality-focused interior design services. The company operates through three distinct client focus areas: LIVE (multi-family residential including student housing, senior living), WORK (corporate offices, co-working spaces, educational facilities), and PLAY (hospitality spaces including hotels, restaurants, bars, retail, pop-ups, and event venues). The portfolio spans notable projects including Continental Tire HQ, Ed Lloyd & Associates offices, Cantina 1511 locations, The Vintage whiskey bar, Eight Sushi & Asian Kitchen, Figo 36 Italian restaurant, No Grease barbershop, and Brazz Steakhouse. Designbar specializes in creating bold, vibrant spaces with urban edge that tell stories and engage the senses, integrating biophilic elements, local art collaborations, and brand-aligned design narratives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LIVE (Multi-Family Interior Design) Multi-family residential interior design services for developers, investors, and property owners covering student housing, active adult communities, mobile homes/RV communities, and senior living environments, focused on creating emotionally resonant spaces that build tenant loyalty and optimize asset value.
• WORK (Corporate & Workplace Interior Design) Corporate, co-working, educational, and workcation/retreat interior design services for offices and learning environments, focused on productivity, talent attraction, tenant appeal, and operational efficiency.
• PLAY (Hospitality & Entertainment Interior Design) Hospitality and entertainment interior design services for boutique hotels, branded chains, restaurants, bars, retail, pop-ups, Airbnb properties, glamping, film and set design, and event venues, designed to turn properties into destinations that drive dwell time, repeat visits, and revenue.

Quantifiable outcome

• Designbar projects create spaces that influence dwell time, guest engagement, and repeat visits
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Meraki Design AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic alliance formed by Monika Nessbach and Gary Inman (founder of Home Couture) combining design studios that virtually share expertise, resources, and networks for large-scale hospitality, multi-family, and high-end residential projects. 'Meraki' is a Greek word meaning the soul, creativity, or love put into something. The alliance enables member studios to work on projects that once seemed out of reach by combining experiences and knowledge.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Rockwell Group: Larger experiential design firm founded by David Rockwell with a similar hospitality/experiential design philosophy, but operating at significantly greater scale and scope.
• Gensler: Global architecture and design firm with substantial interior design practice spanning hospitality, corporate, and residential — a large-scale incumbent across all three of Designbar's segments.
• Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA): Global hospitality interior design firm serving luxury hotels and resorts. Overlaps with Designbar's PLAY segment but at much larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• IA Interior Architects: Established interior design firm focused on corporate workplaces and multifamily, with significant overlap with Designbar's WORK and LIVE segments but at much larger scale.

Direct peers

• AvroKO: Hospitality-focused experiential interior design firm with a similar boutique profile and emphasis on creating destination-quality restaurants, hotels, and bars. Closest direct comparable in methodology and project type.
• Parts and Labor Design: New York-based hospitality interior design firm with a comparable mix of restaurant, bar, and hotel projects. Similar mid-size boutique positioning with strong brand identity.
• Studio Tack: Boutique hospitality interior design studio with comparable project scope in restaurants, hotels, and experiential commercial spaces.
• Home Studios: Hospitality-focused interior design firm with a similar boutique creative profile and emphasis on experiential restaurant, bar, and hotel projects.
• Studio Collective: Los Angeles-based hospitality-focused interior design firm with an experiential design approach and comparable project types in hotels, restaurants, and bars.

Emerging players

• Modative: Experiential interior design firm with a similar boutique creative profile and focus on hospitality and commercial environments.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/designbaronline
• Xx.com/designbar_clt
• Facebookfacebook.com/designbaronline
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/designbar

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Designbar