Braverman's work is defined by multicultural fascination and global immersion. (Courtesy Gin Design Group)
Gin Braverman, the interior designer behind hospitality hotspots such as Haii Keii, Eunice, Jūn, Goode Company, ChòpnBlok and Raven Tower, said part of her success comes from navigating the chaos in creativity.
Braverman started her own interior design firm nearly 15 years ago and, since then, has racked up a list of accolades, including being shortlisted for the 2025 Restaurant & Bar Design Awards in the colour category for her recent project Haii Keii.
But for Braverman, recognition and awards don’t measure success.
“If I love a project, I love a project,” she said. “If it wins an award, cool, but for me personally, I don't need to enter it into an award competition to know it's a good project.”
The dining experience at Heii Keii transports guests to a surreal reimagining of a Japanese ryokan, set against the energy of a bustling metropolis. (Courtesy Gin Design Group)
How it started
Braverman, a University of Texas graduate, said she first became inspired by design around the age of eight, while spending time in her grandmother’s house. She later worked on the design team for HGTV sets in New York before moving to work for a design firm in Taiwan.
She said her travels still influence her work today.
“Houston is such a wonderfully culturally diverse place that we've had the opportunity to do so many different concepts for different cuisines,” Braverman said. “It really informs my perspective to have actually traveled to some of these places in real life ... it's just a little different than looking at pictures on Pinterest.”
The fast-casual West African restaurant, ChòpnBlok by Ope Amosu features a vibrant community space perfect for the eclectic Montrose neighborhood. (Courtesy Gin Design Group)
Read all about it
When Braverman started her interior design firm in Houston a decade and a half ago, she said the industry was different from what it is now. For one, she said it wasn’t very common for independent restaurants to use interior designers the way they do now.
Braverman described her creative process as the opposite of formulaic and more of a feeling. As she works with hospitality clients, she said she interviews them about the space’s cultural attachments and the elements they want to see displayed. Then, she’ll reinterpret those into an interior design component.
“It’s a feeling. It's an essence,” Braverman said. “And I think people have said that when they walk into a space we've designed, that they get a feeling. It's not just visual, it's visceral.”
Looking Ahead
As for the future of hospitality in the Heights, River Oaks and Montrose area, Braverman said she is currently working on a few exciting projects, including building out Angie’s, a pizzeria coming soon to the Heights.
She said she is also working with the sushi bar Handies Douzo and on the wine club set to open later this year called 55 Seventy, as well as several other projects.
