California-based design firm RoseBernard Studio has pioneered a unique approach where it helps make concepts meet the brand ethos for both itself and the clients it works for.
Since 2019, RoseBernard Studio has been standing out as a creative outlier, a luxury design firm that treats every project as a canvas for storytelling. Whether it’s subtle stitching on a uniform, the branding of a cocktail menu, or the architectural curve of a guest suite, RoseBernard crafts layered, sensory-rich experiences that fuse artistry with deep market intelligence. Its ethos? That design isn’t just beauty; it encompasses meaning, emotion, and making a space work smarter.
Now celebrating its sixth anniversary, the San Francisco-based studio has grown from a small, tight-knit duo into a powerhouse of more than 40 creatives spread across continents, from the Bay Area to Chicago, India, and London. Founded by Robert Polacek and Justin Colombik, RoseBernard Studio was born not out of ambition alone but out of legacy and personal reinvention. “We didn’t want to start a firm with just our names on the door,” says Polacek. “We wanted it to stand for something bigger.”
The studio’s name pays homage to two deeply influential figures: Rose, Colombik’s grandmother, a model and artist, and Bernard, Polacek’s grandfather, a chef and carpenter. “They taught us creativity, independence, and grit,” Polacek reflects. “This studio is built on their spirit. It’s about doing the work with soul, not ego.”
That soul has become the foundation of a radically different kind of design business. After exiting from Puccini Group, Polacek and his longtime collaborator, Colombik, decided to ‘right-size’ their future. Instead of scattering to other firms, they kept existing projects and struck out on their own. From the beginning, they made a deliberate choice: to build a company around ethos, not executives. “We’ve always focused on budding designers who are eager to learn, and we can mold them in a way that speaks to our ideology,” admits Polacek.
Today, that team includes architects, graphic designers, interior designers, brand strategists, and visionaries who think beyond silos. The result is a multidisciplinary studio with a sharp eye for emotional resonance and commercial viability. “Hospitality is truly a real estate game,” Polacek shares. “We understand how things operate and how to make them profitable for our clients.”
What exactly does RoseBernard do? Quite a bit. The studio provides full-spectrum services for hospitality and lifestyle brands, from initial market research and food-and-beverage (F&B) strategy to naming, branding, spatial design, and even uniforms and tableware. Its work spans guest rooms, public spaces, restaurants, and private homes, each project rooted in a deep understanding of market demand and guest psychology.
“We don’t just design what looks good; we find out what’s missing,” says Colombik. “For example, if a hotel wants to revamp its restaurant, we do competitive analysis in the area. Maybe there are already 20 Italian spots nearby, so we recommend a concept that fills a gap. Then we design it from the ground up, from the logo to the lighting plan.”
That future-forward mentality drives RoseBernard to innovate in ways that go far beyond aesthetics. Its internal R&D arm is constantly developing concepts that can later be pitched to clients, may it be futuristic hotel ideas, space-efficient builds, or sustainable systems that reduce costs and environmental impact. “We’re not waiting around for the client to come to us,” Polacek explains. “We’re out there creating ideas that shape where hospitality is going.”
Most recently, RoseBernard is expanding into new terrain with the launch of a furniture and lifestyle brand, Rosie&Bernie, again inspired by the studio’s namesakes. It’s also delving into art collaborations, underscoring the belief that hospitality isn’t just about space; it’s about experience and culture.
Surviving six years in a volatile design economy is no small feat, especially considering it launched just before the COVID-19 pandemic upended travel and hospitality. And yet, here it is, thriving. That growth, both philosophical and tangible, reflects a larger shift in the industry, away from design-for-design’s-sake and toward thoughtful, interdisciplinary storytelling. RoseBernard Studio isn’t just designing for today’s travelers; it’s helping define what hospitality will look like tomorrow. Because in the end, as Polacek puts it, “Design is how we tell the story of a place, its people, and its purpose. And our job is to make that story unforgettable.”
