Cooper Carry Launches Hospitality Interior Design Practice Under The Johnson Studio
The design firm is building upon its nationally recognized hospitality architecture practice
Cooper Carry's Johnson Studio formally launches a Hospitality Interior Design practice, expanding from restaurants and bars into hotel guestrooms with projects at Ritz-Carlton, Grand Hyatt, and Westin properties.
The Laurel Hotel — Photo by Cooper Carry
ATLANTA — With more than 40 years of experience designing award-winning restaurants, The Johnson Studio at Cooper Carry has launched its Hospitality Interior Design practice. The new service stands alongside Cooper Carry’s architecture-focused Hospitality studio, extending The Johnson Studio’s expertise in restaurants, bars, lobbies and public spaces into hotel guestrooms.
The hospitality interior design practice formalizes the work we’ve been doing for years. It is a natural next step for a studio built on decades of hospitality experience. We understand how to create environments that function and respond to evolving guest expectations.
Juliana Kerschen, principal of The Johnson Studio
Examples of The Johnson Studio’s hospitality interior projects include the Seven South Suites at The Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman; The Laurel Hotel & Spa in Auburn, Alabama; Frenchman’s Reef Resort in St. Thomas; The Westin & Buoy Haus Autograph Collection; and Grand Hyatt Washington in Washington, D.C.
The Johnson Studio excels at creating full-spectrum hospitality experiences, from the moment the guest enters the lobby to when they snuggle in for bed, with all the experiences in between. Our narrative-driven design approach weaves a cohesive story throughout each project. Aesthetics are important, but we also want guests to leave with a lasting impression that evokes emotion and memories.
Elizabeth Hughes, Associate Principal and Director of Interior Design at The Johnson Studio at Cooper Carry
Founded in 1987 by Bill Johnson, The Johnson Studio joined global design firm Cooper Carry in 2016. The studio is known for designing best-in-class restaurants, bars, private clubs and lobbies such as 1587 Prime in Kansas City; Rumi’s Kitchens across the country; The Garden Room at the St. Regis Hotel in Atlanta; The Cigar Club at The Ritz-Carlton in St. Louis, Missouri; Carolina Country Club in Raleigh, North Carolina; and more.
Cooper Carry operates as a mixed-use ecosystem that designs for the total environment. Hotel owners now have all design elements, including architecture, interior design, branding and experiential graphic design, under one roof at Cooper Carry. Gaining the efficiency of a single firm without losing the independent design thinking produces a stronger overall design.
Most recently, Cooper Carry announced its rebrand to “Connection by Design,” an evolution of its previous positioning, "The Center for Connective Architecture," reflecting the continued expansion of Cooper Carry’s design capabilities. According to Building Design+Construction's (BD+C) Giants 400 report, Cooper Carry ranks among the nation's top ten hotel and resort architecture firms. Cooper Carry was also named to Forbes' inaugural list of America's Top Hospitality Architects & Designers for 2026.
Cooper Carry is a force in the hospitality space with decades of experience behind us. We've earned a reputation as one of the top architecture firms in the country, and this formal expansion into hospitality interiors practice with a dynamic team of talented designers builds on that foundation.
Kyle Reis, CEO of Cooper Carry
To check out the latest projects from The Johnson Studio at Cooper Carry, please visit johnsonstudio.com. To learn more about the Hospitality Interior Design Studio, please visit www.coopercarry.com/studios/hospitality-interior-design.
About Cooper Carry
COOPER CARRY provides architecture, adaptive reuse, branding, experiential graphic design, historic rehabilitation, hospitality interior design, interior design, landscape architecture, procurement, programming + predesign, sustainability services and urban design + planning services. Founded in 1960, the firm specializes in the design of Civic + Culture, Food + Beverage, Higher Education, Hospitality, Office Workplace, Pre K-12 Education, Residential, Retail, and Science + Technology projects. The firm has designed projects in 47 states and globally in the Caribbean, Middle East, Asia, Africa and Central America. Engaging in a fundamental design philosophy centered on the concept that environments should connect people to people and people to place, the firm promotes the philosophy of “Connection by Design.” Designers understand the local market and the specific cultural and physical contexts in which the building will serve those who interact with it while conceiving memorable spaces, inside and out. Listening to the client and gaining a deep understanding of the market and site prior to commencing design, COOPER CARRY balances passionate creativity with client service. The firm expands vision and adds value to every project and its community.