Monday, March 22, 2010

Maynard's

Welcome to Maynard's, a restaurant in an old train depot in Tucson, Arizona.


I asked designer Rory McCarthy to share the idea behind the space:

The idea was to create a timeless mood, refer to the historic use of the building and the freight trains rolling by just out the windows. Try to avoid clichés but not shoot for achingly hip, as we were unclear who the customers might be. But go for substance. Which of course, Steampunk celebrates. Here, as at the Edison in LA, the location demanded acknowledging the Industrial Revolution.



The big design concept was to juxtapose the highly decorative ceiling ( homasote panels silkscreened to look like overscaled, encaustic tiles, the kind that might have been used on the original floor back at the turn of the 2othC.), against the machine shop surfaces and palette below.


The bar foot rail is an actual 1800's train track...

The bar is *to die for* -- I love all the rivets. And the lines -- the curves bring just a touch of art deco to the design, and the fact that it's on feet takes a bit of the "monolithic piece of iron" feel out of it, while still harking to the old iron horses that used to steam through.


What are the wall dividers by the tables made of?
Both the screen divider and bar face, panels, rivets, etc., are painted, composite wood products……

You can see more images at Rory's website. Many thanks to Rory for designing such a fun place, and for sharing it with us!

9 comments:

  1. Stunning! Would be my all-time-favorite to go to if I would be living there! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have seen this place from the outside many times, but have never been inside. Now I'll have to visit the next time I'm in Tucson. :-) Thanks for the posting.

    ReplyDelete
  3. So is thos where Lucy and Swakhammer hang out?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Brilliant use of color, texture, and style!!! I would love to go there myself and just soak in the ambience!! Love the sign, the rivets and the ceiling looks like it switched places with the floor... Nice! unique and very attractive. And I love that they used a real piece of railway for the foot stand. Now that is recycling, and just seems so perfect. Thanks for sharing...

    ReplyDelete
  5. The mounted jackalope head in the second photo made me chuckle. What a fantastic place!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love the way the bar looks. I think that would look really neat in my kitchen!

    ReplyDelete
  7. How charming! Whenever I get the chance, I dine in a restaurant nee train in my area as well! Though this one is even steamier...

    ReplyDelete
  8. I know where I'm eating if I visit Tuscon! Love the use of antique pieces.

    ReplyDelete