Patrick Sutton Is Inviting Himself Over for Drinks

Drinking well has as much to do with atmosphere as it does with top-shelf spirits. Enjoying a premium tequilla in the basement next to a running washing machine, for example, seems downright criminal.Patrick Sutton has some suggestions.

The New York-raised son of famed travel journalist and a fashion model mother, Sutton traveled to some of the most elegant destinations in the world from a young age. Along the way, he experienced luxury at the kind of level he now seeks to impart with the properties he designs under his namesake firm in Baltimore. From the Cinghiale restaurant to the Cannon Room whiskey bar in the beloved Sagamore Pendry, Sutton is fond of interiors that tell a good story – from the look of the host stand to the upholstery on the seating and the custom design of the cocktail napkins—it’s all about creating a space with a true vibe. Of his restaurant projects, the designer has said, “the goal there is to try and engage what the menu is: What’s the food that I am trying to do here? Envelop that with an experience for the customer that, whatever worries they had before they walked through that door, they’re leaving them at the door.”

We asked Sutton how to recreate some of that well-designed ambiance at home. He indulged us with a few ideas that have the power to transform a basic ice bucket-and-shaker situation into something with a little more savor-faire. No minimum, late hours, attractive bartender—what’s better than your own private speakeasy?