Hidden behind an unassuming shopfront in the heart of hipster Brooklyn is Bar Beau, an elegant yet cosy watering hole inspired by the Pacific Northwest. Designed by the locally based architecture and design studio Isaac Rae, Bar Beau is an inviting amalgam of sculptural curves, rough waves and a crisp colour palette that together evoke the wild and rugged coastlines. ‘We focused on creating a space with atmosphere that was fluid like the coast; calming to be in [and] easy to move in,’ says co-founder/designer Margot Rae Coffey.
Bar Beau functions as a café during the day, serving pastries from local providers and brews from Parlor Coffee, before its back room opens up at night and doles out cocktails and small plates that divulge its owner’s East meets West philosophy. Both entities are connected by a curved wall threshold that poetically facilitates the transition between the spaces, while obscuring each from view.
The playful daytime café juxtaposes matt blue tones, salvaged steel and a wooden coffee counter, while the drinking den is anchored by a statuesque green leathered quartzite and concrete bar, undulating plaster walls and dark wood accents. The bathroom vestibule is lit with neon pink light and echoes the inside surface of a seashell.§
