In Boston, a 100-year old space and a former grand dame of the city’s dining scene, was recently purchased by restaurateurs Chris Jamison and Mark Malatesta and transformed into to a lush supper club concept called Yvonne’s.
Locke-Ober was a celebrated restaurant that served the likes of John F. Kennedy and other elite New Englanders over the years, so Yvonne’s had some pretty fancy shoes to fill. That is why the owners and designers decided to buck the current trend toward sleekness and simplicity in fine dining and instead took the opulence and drama already inherent to the space up a serious notch.
While lighting often goes unnoticed by the average restaurant guest, it’s an incredibly important design element on a subconscious level, so it is important to get the lighting right.
“Light has the ability to take diners, from the moment they step off the street, from the ordinary to the extraordinary,” says Ryan Fischer, senior lighting designer at Focus Lighting in New York City and designer of Yvonne’s lighting plan. “It seems subtle and psychological, but most people underestimate the power of lighting to enhance the taste of a well-crafted drink, the flavors of an artfully prepared meal, the energy of a full dining room or the enjoyment of a good conversation. It has an impact on everything that happens in a restaurant. Ultimately, great lighting helps create memorable experiences that guests will want to share with others and relive again and again.”
Fischer explains how he created a lighting plan that achieves a sense of drama and luxury.