Carnegie Cellars Wine Bar + Kitchen

As a growing wine region, the Finger Lakes area has much to celebrate, and Carnegie Cellars Wine Bar + Kitchen resonates with the joyful vibe of the area’s wine culture. Built in Rochester’s Neighborhood of the Arts, the owners wanted to create a unique restaurant that would capture the arty, sophisticated feel that comes with the nearby art museum, shopping, and entertainment venues.

Heather DeMoras Design Consultants was sought to help fit out the raw interior space, and create as much of a metropolitan vibe as possible.

The design began with the owners providing images of wine bars they had visited in New York City, and discussing with Heather the types of events and service they wished to host.  To help them visualize the options for seating and bar configurations, 3D models were created that arranged the space with different layouts and finishes.

Heather worked with the owners to create floor plans and seating layouts, along with detailed drawings for the bar and overhead steel bar racks and backbar shelving.  Heather also provided lighting and ceiling plans, along with interior finishes and artwork to create the cozy, yet dramatic interior the owners were looking for.

Nods to wine culture include the use of champagne riddling boards as bases for overhead glass racks, champagne and burgundy colors as appetite-enhancing and cozy themes for the dining room, old-country tile finishes in the restrooms, and retro Edison bulb light fixtures to lend an air of history.  Heather worked with Amish woodworkers in the Finger Lakes to procure live-edge wood slabs for use in the dining tables and the bar top.  The large community tables at each end of the dining floor were designed to hold corks signed by the patrons to commemorate special occasions.  A lustrous, copper-hued tin tile wraps the kitchen walls and anchors the dining space as a rich accent.

As a one-of-a-kind focal point, Heather contacted local metal artist Sam Castner and worked with him to design the chandelier sculpture that welcomes guests into the space.  This artwork ties together the Neighborhood of the Arts and the Finger Lakes wine region in a beautiful statement that brightens the space and the spirits of those who dine at Carnegie Cellars