The Eighty Six

Distinctions

Discipline : Interior Design

Categories : Hospitality — Accommodation, Restaurant & Bar / Restaurant : Gold certification

86 Bedford Street in New York City was once home to Chumley's an iconic pub that opened in 1922 and operated as a speakeasy throughout prohibition. Rockwell Group reimagined this heritage and married it with a new, contemporary design story for The Eight Six.

The landmarked entry vestibule immerses guests in vintage details, such as a French 1920s Art Deco alabaster globe pendant and a custom 1920s-inspired burl wood and burgundy marble host desk with vintage fluted brass hardware. A richly veined marble floor references the bold geometries popular during the Jazz Age custom tiles consist of white, red, and black marble, mixed with gold onyx. Teal velvet wallcovering is a rich contrast to the gold velvet drapery with metallic gold trim, which open to reveal the main dining room.

The former speakeasy is narrow, so the team took cues from luxury train cars and their streamlined details to bring cohesion to the small footprint of the main dining room. The lighting sets the scene: sconces with pleated silk ivory shades and Deco ribbed metal detailing and illuminated fluted glass panels. Lacquered exotic burl wood wall panels with ribbed brass metal trim reveals are a backdrop to the art.

Jewel tones add warmth, and textiles and fabrics play up the drama, from rich teal cut velvet in a bold geometric pattern at the banquettes to a plush crushed copper velvet for the dining chairs. A custom carpet references Jazz Age book covers and graphic design as a nod to the literary figures made Chumley’s their home away from home. These varied design elements and textures add movement and dynamism to the intimate space.

To mark F. Scott Fitzgerald’s favorite seat in the restaurant, we created a special tribute near the fireplace the jewel of the dining room with a mirrored ceiling and walls. This elevated zone reflects the warm lighting and movement of the restaurant. The fireplace design is inspired by vintage 1920s radios in shape and materiality. Black marble with deep gold veining surrounds a high gloss wood body with burl accents and lacquered black wood fluted trim. Framing the fireplace are two ribbed glass light boxes, inspired by Art Deco light fixtures.

We retained the existing bar structure but updated it with new and restored materials and finishes. Lacquered wood wraps the bar, which has a richly detailed gold onyx countertop. Antique mirror, gold leaf, and burled wood details continue into this space, but with varied application: Here instead of a mirrored soffit around the ceiling’s perimeter, wood beams with gold leaf detailing are on full display, punctuated by small sconces.

Framed arched openings with antiqued mirror panels flank the center liquor display and are hand painted by Dean Barger Studios. This special treatment, designed in collaboration with Drawing Room, connects the restaurant to the artists who graced the space decades ago.  

The project in images