THE BENNETT BAR
NEW YORK, USA
Coveted magazine had the opportunity to interview the Belgian
interior designer Delphine Mauroit, currently based in New York
City (where she founded her company DMDesign & Architecture
in September 2008), about her recent work with The Bennett Bar.
Delphine Mauroit received a License in Architecture from the
University of Brussels – Victor Horta Institute in Belgium. She
is dedicated to creating beautiful and original design spaces while
always showcasing extreme adaptability and attention to her
clients’ creative requests. Her distinctive European sensitivity to
the social is uniquely applied to the spatial to offer a deep sense
of balance and harmony in the movements, interactions, and
energies that flow between people and spaces.
Delphine Mauroit has been recognized for her unparalleled creative
talent and professional success in global high-end projects with
Yabu Pushelberg and Innovative design and architecture projects
with Rockwell Group, including the 75-Wall Condominium
Residences and Andaz Hotel;
“To make The Bennett a truly special
place, its elegance and intimacy had to
stand out.”
Coveted Magazine (CM): How would you describe The
Bennett Bar project? It has a signature touch?
Delphine Mauroit (DM): The Bennett was previously a Belgian
Café. Because of the changing dynamics in the neighbourhood, our
client wanted to convert it to cater to the current demographic of
Tribeca (downtown casual chic, high income, celeb-worthy)
We started the conversation around an upscale neighbourhood
bar with the signature touch of the cocktail bars we’ve previously
collaborated on: Raines Law Room and Dear Irving. The
neighbourhood feeling is translated in our design: the diner feel
of the logo, the vintage menu boards announcing the names and
shifts of each bartender. A signature touch we kept from our other
concepts is the service bell, but we’ve added a slight twist: when
you ring the bell for service, the table number appears in the mirror
behind the bar signalling your request for service.
The experience at The Bennett revolves around the art of the
cocktail, so we’ve accentuated the bar as the focal point. All seating
around the elongated marble-topped bar is elevated so guests can
watch the bartender prepare their cocktails.
CM: What makes The Bennett Bar special when compared to
other bars in NYC?
DM: To make The Bennett a truly special place, its elegance and
intimacy had to stand out. This elegance is conveyed through
the contrasting materials we used: the chevron dark wooden
wallpaper, the plush blue velvet banquettes, the raw concrete
floor, the shagreen leather on the table tops.
To reinforce the path between the bar and the seating area,
