Stone, woodwork and pops of blue are teamed together inside this French restaurant and bar in Atlanta, which local practice AI3 designed to evoke the chef's childhood in Provence.
The local architecture and design studio designed the AIX restaurant and Tin Tin wine bar for chef Nick Leahy, who grew up in Aix-en-Provence in southern France.
The two share a kitchen but are intended to be distinct from one another in design– AIX has a more formal yet rustic aesthetic, while the wine bar is deliberately more casual.
Stained wood beams, wide plank oak wood floors, and a natural stone wall characterise the restaurant. Wood and plaster moments also evoke a timeworn feel, alongside pops of bronze and brass, and pale, taupe and grey tones.
Glazing runs along an angled wall fronting AIX to bring plenty of natural light. A banquette set the inside of the window maximises seating space, with other tables of different shapes filling the dining room.
A focal point of AIX is a free-standing volume, featuring booths on either side and a slatted beaded installation with round dowels that stretch along to the ceiling.
"The art fixture was inspired by the French game of pétanque and was used to visually divides the bar and dining room," said Lucy Aiken-Johnson, partner at AI3.
"The piece resembles an abacus, with wood cochonnets (balls) threaded on wire string creating an abstract pattern, and further utilizing the juxtaposition of natural and modern materials."
Behind this central volume is a rounded bar backed by a rose gold mirror. Navy leather bar stools provide seating and a contrast to the tones of black, yellow and white stone that make up the floor.
Completing AIX is a steel and glass structure that encloses a wine cellar as well as a private dining room.
Tin Tin wine bar is located behind this cellar and is more colourful to evoke a more casual environment. For example, white tile floors feature a geometric Provencal blue pattern.
Dozens of white metal chairs with blue seats fill Tin Tin, and a central bar has a butcher block countertop and a navy base.
"It feels like an escape," said Aiken-Johnson. "It's a very a curated experience so that people do feel like they are somewhere different in Atlanta and not somewhere that's very predictable."
Overhead are a handful of curved rose gold light fixtures with chrome bulbs, proving a nod to the metallic accents used next door at AIX.
Tin Tin opens to an enclosed patio with concrete floors, a fireplace, a navy ceiling, and outdoor dining tables and chairs.
Together, AIX and Tin Tin occupy a triangular plot in Atlanta's Stockyards – a mixed-use commercial development in the city's Westside, or West Midtown area.
The southern city has experienced a growing number of eateries recently, including an oyster bar by Square Feet Studio, a dimly lit restaurant for Garden & Gun magazine by Workstead, and a cocktail lounge by Tom Dixon.
Photography is by Andrew Thomas Lee.