Tolovana Roadhouse
Tolovana Roadhouse was in need of a refreshed identity system to support fundraising, lodging launch efforts, community engagement, and long-term preservation goals. The objective was to create a cohesive brand identity that honored the roadhouse’s rich heritage while supporting its future as a gathering place and wilderness refuge.
Deliverables:
Custom Logo
Visual Identity
Logo Process
Tolovana Roadhouse’s identity needed to reflect both its deep roots in interior Alaska’s history and its present-day purpose as a place of shelter, connection, and wild experience. The visual language needed to:
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Evoke the remoteness of the location without feeling isolated
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Communicate warmth, refuge, and arrival
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Be authentic and rooted in place, not generic “Alaskan” tropes
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Support a flexible logo system for fundraising, signage, merchandise, and digital applications
Research began with a deep dive into the roadhouse’s history, geography, and existing storytelling — including journaling by the owner.
A logo system emerged that centers on a singular emblem: a lantern as a beacon and symbol of refuge. The lantern, encircled by soft halo forms, represents guidance, warmth, and the ongoing role of the roadhouse as a waypoint in the wilderness. Supporting landscape lines evoke the river, trails, and layered terrain of the interior — abstractions that speak to place without literal depiction.
Color + Type
Typography choices were selected to reinforce the identity’s tone:
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Caslon Old Face for display, lending historic character and gravitas
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Franklin Gothic for subheadings and captions, providing accessible, utilitarian balance
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Libre Baskerville for body text, offering warmth, durability, and readability across digital and print storytelling
A subdued, nature-driven color palette of deep neutrals, warm ochres, and rich heritage tones was chosen to ground the identity in wilderness experience and historic relevance.
"I love it. Love. Love. Love.
I came into this process with no clear vision — which was honestly a scary place to start, especially with something that feels so big and historically important. This place has mattered to so many people for so many years, and I often feel like a temporary caretaker in a much larger story.
Brianna saw all of it — the feeling, the history, the disparate pieces — and somehow pulled it together into something that feels right. The charcoal and ivory capture the vintage aesthetic perfectly. I can’t express how excited and happy I am, and I can’t wait to see these marks out in the wild.”
Mary Knight
Owner, Tolovana Roadhouse
