When the owners of Brass Tacks, the handsome, moody cocktail bar in San Francisco’s Hayes Valley neighborhood, opened Anina next door, they called on just the right designer to create the perfect low-key, yet ethereal counterbalance: the inimitable Sayre Ziskin.

Sayre is known for her ability to dream up that ‘just right’ minimal and modern bohemian atmosphere with plenty of unique design elements. Each of Sayre’s projects is tailored to her client’s lifestyle and taste, but the unmistakable flair that makes her design services so in-demand always shines through: think earth tones, textural fabrics and textiles and show-stopping pieces of art.

Sayre gave us a tour of this red-hot hangout and let us in on the inspiration behind Anina’s gorgeous design (including that jaw-dropping, hand-painted mural). Read on below, and get the recipe for Anina’s delicious signature cocktail, directly from co-owner Matt Conway!

What are three words you’d use to describe Anina?​

Lighthearted, relaxed and fresh.

What does the name ‘Anina’ mean?

The owners and I were looking for a feminine muse ​to guide the design of the space. We decided to create her and we gave her the name ‘Anina’ because it’s beautiful and it kind of doesn’t have any particular country or ethnicity. It’s pretty in any language.

What kind of atmosphere did you want to create for the space? Was there a particular style you were trying to achieve at Anina?​

I was trying to create a cocktail bar that felt unique for San Francisco; basically something that wasn’t dark or moody. I was trying to bring a bit of that sunshine LA vibe to SF and make the space feel like a happy place to drink and be merry.​ I feel like we accomplished that.

What was on your mood board when designing the space?

I always knew I wanted great, big flowers adorning white textured walls and that was really where I started. All of the other elements just came flooding into my head after committing to the flowers; the Popham Moroccan tile, the Heather Levine pendants​ (which I first saw in Paris at Le Marie Celeste), the wall of abstract nudes, the Brazilian hardwood floors — it organically flowed.

Tell us about that gorgeous mural. Who is the artist, and what was the process like?

I stalked Lucila Dominguez on Pinterest and messaged her after looking through a lot of different artists work. Her paintings have an abstract wildness to them and feel very alive. She was so gracious when I reached out and it was a wonderful collaboration. I was with her on site many of the days she was painting and totally in awe of her skill and eye. We picked a lot of the flower species together and also created a color palate that worked for both of us. She’s a brilliant artist.​