Restaurant Communion

Name: Restaurant Communion
Location: Montreal, Canada
Design: Blazys Gerard

The intimate space of Restaurant Communion is a great example of utilizing the architecture you are given. The exposed, rough beams and stacked stones become a wonderful backdrop to a handcrafted and slightly rough interior. 

What I love the most about this space is the authenticity it presents. Nothing is completely pulled together and yet there is just enough cohesion to make it work.

 Utilizing popular and inexpensive materials such as subway tiles and bead-board allow the space a timeless and collected nature while the Navy chairs and exposed builds add a touch of industrial to balance things out. 

All photos © Blazys Gerard via Jean Sébastien Senécal

Our Work; Dryhop Brewers

Name: Dryhop Brewers
Location; Chicago, IL
Designer: Kaper Design, LLC
Scope of Work: Schematic Design, Design Development, Feasibility studies, Contract Administration,  FF&E Sourcing

Kaper Design, LLC is proud to announce the opening of Dryhop Brewers. A warm and comfortable space, our design showcases the craft of creating. With an initial concept given by the owner of 'My father's workshop on a good day.', Kaper Design created a space that played homage to the craftsmen and their crafts. Highlighting the woodworking and beer making crafts simultaneously was an exciting challenge and allowed us to get creative with materials and applications. 

The 50 foot long bar was designed by local carpenter Kevin Hughes and was based off our drawings depicting a stack of lumber. On top of the bar lies a live-edged slab sourced from a single, lightening-struck tree which was urban forested from just miles outside of Chicago. 

The tables were crafted specifically for Dryhop and feature white oak butcher block tops and cold-welded steel bases designed by us to be simplistic and unobtrusive. While our bar height tables feature steel bases showcasing a modern interpretation of a saw horse. 

Dryhop Brewers space consists of multiple spaces designed to showcase the brewing process. With custom steel and glass partition walls and black subway tile, both the brewhouse and fermentation room showcase the equipment within and highlight the process behind their great beer.

Both mens and women's restrooms continue to highlight craftsmen and their craft. Creating a custom wall mural using historic and technical images of the brewing process, history of brewing, and woodworking allowed us to tie these rooms into the overall feel of the brewery and make the diners experience a complete visit. Bathrooms are rounded out with industrial light fixtures, wood framed mirrors and penny tile floors.

Stop by for a beer and some delicious food the next time you are in Chicago!

Our Work; The Savoy (Odyssey)

Name: The Savoy
Location: Chicago, IL

A project we had the pleasure of working on this past spring recently opened it's doors in the Wicker Park neighborhood, right here in Chicago. For this project, we were involved in the schematic & design development phases and helped the client layout the space, design the initial concept, as well as specify the initial FF&E items for within the space. 

The concept behind the space began with the original name for the space; Odyssey. Taking Homer's Epic and applying it to the space allowed us to play with a dark nautical concept. Using this as our starting base, we refined our concept down into natural and classic materials (woods, ropes, subway tile, mirrors) with warm earth tones for colors. To keep the space from going too nautical in feeling, we specified & envisioned industrial lighting, worn antiques and warm brass shelving mixed with pieces already owned. The space was ultimately renamed before opening but the initial concept remained.

The shotgun space was fragmented into multiple seating areas which were reworked in order to accommodate a raw bar, main dining space, bar seating, and a private room. The design throughout the space was created to darken as you continue through the space. The entry and raw bar were designed to be light & airy while the private room, the farthest room in the space, was designed to be dark, moody, & intimate. The dining and bar space in-between tie the spaces together and create a seamless transition for the guest. 

Conceptual FF&E specifications and ideas for The Savoy (Odyssey)

Below are interior and exterior 3D views that were created to show the progression throughout the space. They also show multiple ideas that we worked with while refining the layout and seating options. 

Below are some finished shots of the now open space. While some ideas evolved slightly, the overall concept, idea, and FF&E selections were carried through. 

Photos 2-7 © Kaper Design

Photos 1, 8-9 © Eater Chicago