Komal Kehar-led MIRA PROJECTS transformed a coffee chain into an intimate wine bistro for Justine's on Hudson in Manhattan’s West Village. The 38-seat wine bar and restaurant replaces a shuttered Starbucks location on 518 Hudson Street with seasonally-driven French-leaning classics, Filipino-inspired novelties, and storied wine pairings.
Designed in collaboration with New York interior designer Lelia Arruda, Kehar’s approach for the interior focuses on creating a fine-casual lounge environment characterized by a moody material palette—walnut, marble, cork, and concrete—and rounded corners throughout, fitting for an establishment that is primarily open for dinner reservations. Much like the rotating menu, the interior steers clear of a single cultural or period aesthetic but rather handpicks a breadth of full-bodied elements towards an integrated whole.
Instead of intrusive facade work to the LPC-designated landmark building, sheer curtains on classic cafe poles singlehandedly transform the identity of the exterior storefront—a slight nod to the traditional French bistro creating a private enclave. Inside, lime-based plasters across the walls transition from one shade to another, interplaying with varied ceiling heights to develop delicate gradients.
Diversity across seating types creates micro-ambiances across each area for different group types. Walnut veneer benches attach to window seats on the inner vitrine underneath a monumental Murano-esque chandelier, increasing seating capacity. Across other walls, a lean towards intimate gray leather banquette seating with brass rails maximizes space towards coziness and intimacy, completed with honed Nero Dorato stone tabletops and surrounded by wall sconces.
All interior millwork is custom-manufactured by Brooklyn Fabrication. Tucked below an intimate suspended ceiling, the bar is a sculptural focal point with a generous quantity of seating around it, entirely replacing the servery that once witnessed rushed lines for coffee orders. Across its length, leather fluting—emulating concrete—introduces a touch of cool tones, which along with its integrated lighting, offsets excess warmth from the walnut bar top and the hardwood hickory flooring throughout the space. Its soffit section likewise mirrors the fluting and walnut wood below.
Across an inner wall facing the banquettes, bronze mirror glass integrates into walnut wood paneling to overtake a nook. Tidily organized with accessories, a cabinet of curiosities integrates with its lower wall, furred to align with the face of millwork.
Team:
Architects: Mira Projects
Architect of record: Michael Zenreich Architect PC
MEP: TSF Engineering, P.C
Photographer: Jeff Samaniego
Materials Used:
Walls and ceiling: Plaster, Domingue Architectural Finishes / Paint, Benjamin Moore
Flooring: Wood floor, PID Floors
Door glass: Ribbed glass, ACCURA
Mirrors: Bronze mirror, ACCURA
Bar-front Millwork: Custom millwork, Brooklyn Fabrication
Tabletops: Nero Dorato marble, SMC Stone
