How did the James Beard award–winning design and architecture team AvroKO become one of the hottest restaurant design firms in Manhattan? They start with a concept, which blossoms to images, ideas, colours, and objects. One of the design lexicons that stuck with the design team is "best ugly" – a term that AvroKO came across when traveling together in China. The oxymoronic yet interesting term is used to describe something that is beautiful and charming in an offbeat, awkward, and obtuse sort of way. In their design book, "Best Ugly", the thirtysomething design team of best friends shows readers how each idea and concept can be integrated into a sophisticated design touch. For anyone interested in design, restaurants, architecture, or sexy photography, "Best Ugly" is a visual feast.

INTRODUCTION

A Remarkable Lack of Discipline

INTERVIEW

A Fireside Chat with the Principals of AvroKo

PUBLIC

The Total Society

THE STANTON SOCIAL

Fashion Deconstructed

SAPA

The Making of a Hill Station

EUROPEAN UNION

Turning the Kitchen Inside Out

ODEA

The Underbelly of Seduction

QUALITY MEATS

Old Meats New

CLOSING

Past Imperfect