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# Modular Wall Cocktail Bars
Josh Greenspan Wraps a Small NYC Bar in Swiss USM Panels

By Adam Harrie | Written with AI assistance | Published 2026-10-22 | Art & Design
Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/modular-wall-cocktail-bars
References: [retaildesignblog.net](https://retaildesignblog.net/2026/10/21/vvs-cocktail-room-by-josh-greenspan)

![Modular Wall Cocktail Bars](https://cdn.trendhunterstatic.com/thumbs/646/modular-wall-cocktail-bars.jpeg)

Josh Greenspan's newly opened 'VV's Cocktail Room' in New York City uses floor-to-ceiling USM panels to give cocktail drinkers a distinct setting in a small bar. The panels continue across the bar front, making the material itself the room's main visual identity and linking the venue to Swiss furniture maker USM.

Inside the 400-square-foot room, set within a 21-story residential building, Greenspan pairs the [modular wall system](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/usm-haller-reframed) with a glass-block entry, burgundy seating and a walnut counter. An overhead fixture shaped like Japanese lanterns draws cues from [cocktail omakase spaces](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/oddball) Greenspan visited in Hong Kong and Tokyo, supporting the room's 1980s tone.

USM panels carried across the walls and bar front turn a [compact venue](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pocketbook-hudson) into an identity cue for hospitality operators working with limited square footage. The 400-square-foot layout shows how one repeatable material can set the mood without filling the room with extra objects.

Image Credit: Josh Greenspan/Marco Galloway

## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter)

- Score: 7.8/10
- Popularity: 83% | Activity: 52% | Freshness: 99%
- Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women
- Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X
- Top markets: North America

## Categories

[Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/design)

## Key Themes

### What Makes This Trend Stand Out

- **Modular Hospitality Interiors:** Compact venues gain a flexible brand language through repeatable wall systems that merge spatial efficiency with a strong visual signature.
- **Material-led Branding:** Distinctive surfaces function as immersive identity tools, allowing hospitality spaces to communicate affiliation, mood and exclusivity without traditional signage.
- **Micro-venue Design:** Small-format bars and restaurants are redefining premium experiences through concentrated layouts where every architectural element carries aesthetic and operational value.

### Sectors Adopting This

- **Hospitality Design:** Design firms can explore modular systems as high-impact solutions for creating memorable guest environments within constrained urban footprints.
- **Furniture Manufacturing:** Furniture makers have opportunities to extend modular products beyond offices and homes into experiential commercial interiors that serve as brand-defining infrastructure.
- **Food and Beverage:** Bar operators and restaurateurs can differentiate compact concepts through immersive material palettes that make limited square footage feel intentional and premium.

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