Elliott’s

Elliott’s

Office of Design approached the biggest programmatic hurdle of dividing the space into a restaurant and marketplace by creating an entry vestibule for the public. This allows each entity to operate independently of each other as needed. The layout also grants each space direct access to the kitchen. This allows the marketplace easy access to preprepared foods and to-go orders.

The addition of the private dining mezzanine created an opportunity to design a more intimate bar underneath. The lesser ceiling height over the bar makes this area of the restaurant feel cozier, which is compounded by the use of warm, natural wood finishes. When customers are seated at the bar, its circular shape places emphasis on the bartenders and on the back-bar display, which highlights the restaurant’s carefully curated beverage program.

Beyond the programmatic goals of the space, Elliott’s wanted to create an environment that felt elegant but comfortable to encourage their customers to stay a while. The desire for dining in comfort is mirrored in the restaurant’s cuisine, which: “celebrates the traditional flavors of Southern food while providing modern twists on classic dishes”.

Comfort and modern elegance coexist harmoniously in the restaurant. A nod to traditional beadboard has been upgraded by using sleek, vertically oriented planks painted in a regionally popular soft green. Greens and blues dominate the color palette to create a soothing and calming environment. Creamy whites applied to much of the upper half of the dining room’s volume make the space feel airy and bright where it felt rustic and dim previously. The introduction of a few splashes of color emphasizes the dichotomy between a traditional southern aesthetic and modern sensibilities, much like the restaurant’s cuisine.

Traditional picture molding creates a calming, simple motif along the walls and calls to mind many a southern formal dining room. The molding perfectly frames sound absorbing wallcoverings and playful wall sconces which create atmospheric, subtle lighting and serve as functional décor. Large, light-weight pendant fixtures help to humanize the scale of the high-ceilinged dining room while breaking up the more repetitive design elements used throughout.

Environmental comfort is a consideration in more than just the finishing of the space. Sound levels were a huge focus when planning the layout and selecting materials. We created barriers for sound by using partitions and level changes with biophilic elements to muffle noise between tables. Drapery is used for visual interest but the use of a dual-purpose sun-obstructing and sound-absorbing sheer fabric along the existing storefront helps reduce noise pollution and prevent unnecessary heat gain and glare. Drapery is also used to privatize the mezzanine area and to add color to the space.