Dark But Inviting

The Northside Grille is a great little neighborhood restaurant and bar. It is definitely a feel-good kind of place – very neighborhood-like and very local. It is nothing fancy, and it feels good just to there.

                                               

Strangely enough, for a place so inviting, the interior is rather dark. The large front windows are covered in mini blinds which, even though usually in open position, do keep out some of the natural light. The dropped ceiling is low and painted a dark color. There is a black chalkboard wall and walls clad in brick. This dark materiality is paired with a lighter ceramic tile floor and fun vibrant paint, but the low dark ceilings and lack of natural light really do take their toll on the place.

Working with what they were given, it seems that the owners of Northside Grille made the structure of the location work in their favor. They created a cozy, familiar-feeling ambiance with their lighting choices. Simple pendants which give off a warm glow hang over the bar. Track-like lighting is used over major walk-ways for ambient lighting but can also be directed toward the wall to highlight the rotating art displays. An antique fisherman-style sconce is placed on the wall of each booth, adding an intimate and comforting touch.

The outside patio echoes much of the same feeling that one finds on the interior. A wooden trellis spanning the entire area of the patio creates a faux ceiling, lowering the scale of the space to create the same intimate feeling that is found  inside. In the daytime, the way the sunlight plays off this wooden architectural feature is really magic in itself. And the fun tin string lights overhead in evening cast the same warm glow as the wall scones inside.

Northside Grille is definitely an instance where lack of light makes for an inviting atmosphere. My one recommendation would be to play a bit with the large front windows. I really think they could add something special during daylight hours if given a chance.

Let the Light Shine In

I love walking into a space that, during the day, just doesn’t need artificial light. A space that has plentiful windows, a space that makes you feel the outdoors even when you are in. There really is a delightful feeling when you can sense the comfort and protection of being indoors while experiencing the aliveness that is nature.

One of those spaces is the sun room designed by Williams & Sherrill for the 2010 Richmond Symphony Designer House. The décor and materiality of the space evoke a whimsical beauty and the river views speak magnificence, but it is the lighting in the space just transports you to another place.

Each and every wall is windows…big picture windows overlooking the lawns and river as well as a wall of French doors to the patio and into the foyer and dining room. Transom windows are placed over each set of French doors allowing light to spill into the sun room from outside while letting the light of the sun room escape  into other areas of the house. The designers refrained from using heavy window treatments, just gauzy sheet panels that flank the windows and are center-gathered on the doors.

Awnings are used on the large picture windows to shield the sun room from the harsh light and heat of summer. The room’s skylights have been covered in silver leaf, but do not detract at all…there is more than enough natural light already entering the room.

There is very little artificial light in the room. There are lamps placed on the dining table, desk and side tables that can act as task lighting, but to me, appear more as accent lighting. From the ceiling hang two white decorative chandeliers that operate as ambient light in the evening.

On a sunny day this room is brilliant. But even on a dreary day, this room is pretty magical which is what speaks the loudest of all.

Photos by John Magor and Williams & Sherrill.

Light and Scale

It can be difficult to make really large spaces seem intimate and warm. However, I must say that the lobby of Hotel Sierra in Short Pump does a really nice job of using lighting to make an otherwise cavernous space feel comfortable and inviting.

There are large floor-to-ceiling windows along the front of the space which let in ample amounts of natural light. But it is not this natural light which creates the ambiance of the space. It is the array of artificial lights used throughout the space. I must say that the sheer number of different types of lights used in the space can make it feel a bit disjoined. More consistency and repetition in the selection of lights might have helped with the flow of the space. However, the lighting they chose still manages to make the space intimate.

One type of lighting used is recessed can lights in a dropped ceiling. This dropped ceiling provides a bit more scale for the room while bathing the area in a soft, even light. In an area without a dropped ceiling, a light shelf is used to diffuse the artificial light and create a warm glow.

Dropped ceiling with recessed cans

Light shelf

Two large, lighted columns in the space not only add visual interest but also add some accent lighting. These columns allow you to experience the large scale of the space, but the warm radiance of the light these columns emit doesn’t make the size of the space feel overwhelming.

Lighted pillar

Throughout the rest of the lobby, multiple variations of amber pendants are used as ambient lighting, some glass, some fabric. The key to the success of these lights isn’t really the type of lights they are, it really has to do with the color choice. The amber glow really does make the space feel cozy.

Large and cozy don’t always go together. But it is interesting to see what thoughtful lighting choices can do to change the scale of a space.

Photo Credits: Kate Canale

Beach in the Bottom?

Car horns. Squealing tires. Trunk shaking bass. Echoing voices in the street. The roar of a train barreling down the track with its ear rattling horn. It’s a hot Friday in early September and I am sitting on the outdoor patio at Bottom’s Up Pizza. And, in a rare moment of silence, I feel like I am dining on an oceanside deck. Strange? Sure. Maybe it’s just the rustic deck. Maybe it’s the smell of citronella. Maybe it’s just the heat. But I say if the lighting wasn’t just right, I wouldn’t be having this beachside dream.

The smell of...citronella

Yes, the metal tables and deck and heat…but to me, it was the lights . Those harsh metal pendants hanging down from the deck overhead - those lights scream fisherman. There truly was a moment when I could close my eyes, smell salt water and hear the waves crashing.

Those lights...

Look a little further and you will see blue lights mounted to the steel railroad trusses. The ocean it is not, but the reflected color helped create some sort of mirage, created that ocean feeling. And the multi-colored Christmas lights strung on the roof overhang only added to the ambiance. I felt like they were a beacon signaling to the boats passing by.

Anywhere else this lighting probably wouldn’t work. And maybe for anyone else, this lighting wouldn’t take them where it happened to take me. But for a few minutes, I wasn’t sitting in Richmond, Virginia on a wooden patio under train tracks looking at old warehouses, dirt and gravel. I was at the beach.

A Dual Purpose: Bin22@Betsy's

Bin 22@Betsy’s in Carytown is a quaint little coffee shop by day, wine bar by night. Serving a dual purpose and making the transition from day to night in the same location isn’t always easy. But Bin 22 manages to do it successfully - cozy and bright in the daytime, intimate and alluring at night.



Cozy seating area with art display



A big part of Bin's success is contributed to materiality - rich wood, warm earthy colors, plush comfortable furniture. Space planning helps as well. They create intimate furniture groupings that make otherwise tight quarters seem rather private. And then there is the lighting…

Lots of windows thanks to their corner location

Bin 22 is situated on a corner, an optimal location for lots and lots of windows. These windows let in plentiful sunshine during the day which is always a great way to enjoy your latte. These same windows also allow for a picturesque view of city lights at night. That along with a glass of wine can transport you to a bustling, magnetic metropolis.

Simple votives make a statement

The artificial lighting in the space also works. Most of the artificial lighting is either task or accent lighting. There is so much light in the space during the day, artificial light simply isn’t needed. And at night, loads of artificial light would wreak havoc on the intimate ambiance they strive to create. So, the fluorescent ceiling lights have been disabled. Three beautiful glass pendant lights hang over the bar. Track lighting has been added to illuminate their rotating art displays and handwritten menu board. Simple votive candles flicker on each dining table.  



Pendants adding some accent to the bar



Lighting has so much to do with how one experiences a space. Thankfully Bin 22 gets it and does what they can to create the vibe their guests crave – adding a little comfort to their coffee and serving up captivation with their evening wine.