WATCHMAN’S SEAFOOD & SPIRITS
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2018 Eater Atlanta’s Restaurant Design of the Year
We worked with the four owners of Kimball House to transform one of the corner anchor spaces at Krog Street Market that formerly housed The Luminary. Since this is our third project with these charming restauranteurs, we’ve developed a good rapport and a shorthand to accomplish our goals. Watchman’s name comes from the tradition of fishermen that maintain watch over their oysters as they grow prior to harvest. The Kimball House team is renowned for their innovative bar and oyster programs and both are featured at Watchman’s with a more casual approach. For simplicity, we kept the existing locations for each bar, and extensively reworked all finishes, casework, lighting, paneling and equipment. We wanted the bar area to have its own distinctive feel from the dining room. A new skylight within a new coffered ceiling allows for daylight coming in from the sawtooth windows in the 100-year-old structure above, and acoustical panels fit within the coffers seamlessly. Pink and green cement tile floors in the bar transition to warm heart pine floors in the dining room. The same heart pine in a herringbone pattern serves as sturdy countertops. The nice amount of natural light in the space inspired us to hang dozens of plants from the old steel structure and along randomly spaced shelves on the walls in the dining room. Jute macramé handmade by one of the owner’s moms adds texture and a very personal touch. Prismatic pendants made in Ireland and sourced online sparkle throughout and help keep crab-shack theme from going too far. We cleaned up and reused the bentwood chairs left in the space and painted the existing barstools a refreshing mint lacquer. New tabletops lacquered in a brilliant emerald green were made locally by B10 Union as were the banquettes and booths. The patio is softened by floor to ceiling blue and white striped drapery that continues the spare nautical theme to the outdoors.
