The Southern Gentleman
Location
Atlanta, GA
Year
2013
Size
4,500
sf
Photography
Andrew Thomas Photography
The Southern Gentleman
The project consisted of the development of a signature environment to complement a new concept restaurant centered on elevated and updated local and Southern cooking.
The 4,500 square foot program called for a variety of interior spaces, including a bar, bar dining, bathrooms, and flexible private dining rooms, as well as covered, enclosable exterior spaces, and lounge areas overlooking the surrounding Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta.
experience.
The overall design challenge of the project was to create an immersive environment that helps to reinforce the food and overall experience of the concept without feeling in any way themed or otherwise inauthentic. An additional challenge was to create an environment that would help highlight the traditional hospitality implied by the “Southern Gentleman” name while being fully modern and welcoming to both men and women from all over. Finally, there was the challenge of effectively deploying design elements across the space to deliver a rich, textured experience within the overall budget and durability constraints.
design.
Using a number of targeted planning and design strategies, a large 4-sided bar was placed at the center of the roughly L-shaped front-of-house spaces, providing a focal point while creating a variety of different spaces on each side of the bar. Then, the spaces were layered with a series of authentic and reinterpreted textures and materials (natural woods, figural marble, tufted leathers, antiqued mirrors, metals and found objects and fixtures), signature elements (tweaked traditional paneling, internally illuminated“shutter columns”, seersucker drapes, and seating cushions held in place by suspenders), and original art work (commissioned portrait of Mark Twain by a local artist).
