When chef Tim Meyers, formerly of Eleven Madison Park, Blanca, Glasserie, and others, sought to open his farm-to-table restaurant in Williamsburg, he turned to Mammoth, a New York-based design-build studio founded by Maryana Grinshpun and Jessica Maktal. He tasked them with transforming a former fast-casual Chinese restaurant into an intimate dining experience that reflects the spirit of the food, engages the senses, and captures the bucolic essence of Upstate New York, his place of origin, with a contemporary twist. To achieve this, Mammoth researched 19th-century restaurants before globalization and art ranging from Andrew Wyeth to Dutch still-lifes and incorporated these references with local materials like brick, aluminum, and oak.
Through carefully selecting materials and lighting, Mammoth created a space that exudes softness and intimacy. In designing Field Guide, Meyers asked Mammoth to consider Wyeth’s paintings. Mammoth took note of his color palette, particularly the muted tones and the strategic use of black. They also observed how Wyeth manipulated light and shadow, allowing uneven lighting to establish particular moods. These elements from his paintings influenced the restaurant's color palette and overall tone.
The floor features a muted yellow, while the walls present a modern interpretation of traditional wainscoting, utilizing aluminum channels and silver leaf instead of wood paneling to ground the space in contemporary Brooklyn. A surprising influence on the lighting design was Meyers’s choice to use tablecloths, diverging from the typical rustic aesthetic of farm-to-table restaurants. This element led Mammoth to explore candlelight, resulting in custom levitating candles for each table and bar seat, mimicking one particle of light. Using A-Tube Nano Pendant Lights by Lodes, they carved out intimate areas within the restaurant reminiscent of a candlelight experience without taking up valuable space. Additional lighting sources include sconces designed by and the large windows adorning the front of the restaurant.
