I was hired to photograph a wonderful new restaurant that recently opened in Lexington, Massachusetts. The building that housed Vine Brook Tavern has just undergone a complete makeover by the team at Sleeping Dog Properties, led by architect and designer Marcus Palmer. It was a large, two-tiered restaurant with striking and unique features to photograph.
Vine Brook Tavern has a very rustic feel, something that compliments its location very well. It fits perfectly into this historic part of New England in its design, and incorporates its rural heritage into many different features, from the materials used, to the fixtures and fittings. I started the interior photography in the downstairs bar and restaurant. This is a large spacious room that has an island bar, which is situated centrally and becomes the prominent feature of the first floor.
Capturing the entire room in one shot showed off all of the above features perfectly. The metal cage light fixtures were a nice feature and were situated above the main dinning table in the room. What a perfect spot to spend time with friends and family. The large barn-like doors hung suspended from the ceiling on a sliding rail to allow them to be moved and split the entrance way from the main room, which was a practical and attractive design feature.
That New England feel carried on throughout the room. The central bar was made of red brick and finished with a thick wooden top. The beer taps and other fixtures were of a very clean and modern design but one that complimented the rest of the space. Other notable features included the antique garage lights above the bar, which fit the feel of the room perfectly and really gave the space a great character.
As an architectural photographer in Boston, getting the chance to shoot places like the Vine Brook Tavern is really great. The building used to be the village post office but had long ago fallen into disuse. It is great to be able to capture a historical building being given a new lease of life.
I moved to the upstairs room, which houses a lot more dining space. The upstairs room had a bar as well, but it featured less prominently than the one downstairs. This large room again continues the rustic feel. As you can see from the last room shot, the ceilings were covered with heavy wooden beams and stunning metal cage light fixtures, as well as the exposed piping. Hanging above the impressive staircase were three large light fixtures in a similar style, but this time barrel shaped.
The restaurant maintained a nice color scheme throughout of rich browns and earthy red and yellow tones. The large leather seats that lined the walls brought a modern touch, but one that didn’t seem out of place.
If you have a space that you would like to have photographed, either to showcase it to the world or to use in marketing or promotional materials, then get in touch by clicking here. Looking forward to hearing from you soon. Be sure to check out the residential and commercial space galleries as well.
Cheers,
Roberto | New England architectural and interior photographer
