Designing a sophisticated bar in a dark concrete basement

We love a good design challenge, and this one challenged us to put together some really creative solutions to take a dark, industrial concrete space and turn it into a warm and welcoming bar that you’ll want to spend hours relaxing, enjoying and making memories with friends in. Here’s how we did it—

From cold industrial to moody sophistication

Choosing the right materials

Copper

We wanted something that both compliments the industrial concrete environment, but also elevates the feeling to warm and inviting. Using copper as our metal of choice allows us to do just that by cutting through the grey with it’s rich, warm reddish-orange tone. We chose the bar base to be copper to add a warm break between the concrete floor and concrete walls.

Wood

The warm wood tone, texture and grain adds softness to an otherwise harsh environment.

Being surrounded by concrete, we took the opportunity to bring in a large scale piece over the bar that adds a huge amount of warmth as a focal point. Visually, this wood banding makes the space feel more welcoming.

We chose wood framing against our concrete walls to not only provide us a beautiful transition between materials, but also brings the attention forward and allow the gray of the concrete walls to fade nicely into the background.

Choose chairs with wooden legs rather than metal to further break up industrial elements. The warm tones near the floor draw the eye upward and invite patrons to cozy in and stay a while.

Mirror + Glass

Reflective surfaces are a great way to provide the feeling of extra light and spaciousness.

Mirrors are utilized behind the bar to create a sense of vast space in what could feel like a dark den. It brightens it up and allows us to showcase the many other beautiful features that bring the space to life. We chose an antiqued finish to honor the industrial nature of the floor and ceiling and tie it all together.

Glass tiles used in the back bar compliment the mirror beautifully while adding a sparkle that makes the space feel clean and bright.