Dining out may be the ultimate bargain, especially if the restaurant delivers an international experience without the overseas expenses. Little King in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, takes the concept even further by offering time travel. Master that Sir Richard Branson! The recently opened bistro, designed by Christina Salway, deftly melds Art Deco and European influences.
Little King’s front entrance with dramatic Art Deco doors salvaged from a Manhattan skyscraper.
A visit is literally an opening-the-wardrobe experience from its imposing Art Deco doors the designer salvaged from a skyscraper in lower Manhattan. “I basically said, ‘This is happening!’” explains Salway. “And from then on we looked to the doors for scale, inspiration, and ambiance.”
Hand-painted checkerboard floors play on the whimsical yet Old World theme.
Salway brought in other Old World details such as the metallic wallpapered ceiling and hand painted checkerboard floor, which is both playful and sophisticated. “And then truly the fact that almost every piece is vintage or antique, creates a comfortable lived-in quality, like a good pair of jeans,” she says.
Bar lighting, sourced from Craigs List, blends with vintage finds.
For a recent opening Little King has created the feeling of a favored local spot more endemic to Paris or an English pub. Though pub fare this is not with an inspired menu that includes brioche grilled cheese to accompany drinks made with artisanal ingredients.
The bar offers such drinks as the John Henry and Big Queen.
“What you’re eating has to feel appropriate to the environment and vice versa. For Little King our primary goal was to create a space that was both refined and rowdy so that our guests would feel comfortable getting a little loud, but also know they could count on us for a higher quality of food and drinks than your typical bar,” says Salway.
A delicious mix of pork belly beignets, scallop crudo and house cut fries with infused drinks.
Salway’s design process:
- We only used a few colors throughout Little King and used them frequently. Benjamin Moore‘s Black Jack and Farrow & Ball‘s Old White are our two primary colors. They manifest on the walls, in the checkerboard floor, in the bathroom tile and wallpaper, and even in our logo.
Bathroom wallpaper by Cole & Son connect to the interior design.
- Brass details added throughout the restaurant draw attention to the brass wrapped bar and metallic paper ceiling, warm wood tones on the bar counter (also an antique deco piece), tabletops and stained wood doors.
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- Brass mounting to blend with the bar.
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- Bar wrapped in brass add shimmer and classic detailing,
- Throw in a splash of deep turquoise on the banquettes to keep things from getting too serious.
Neighborhood atmosphere achieved via a smoky color palette, touches of blue, and vintage details.
- The design of Little King incorporated many bold decisions: checkerboard floor, wall papered ceiling, detailed beadboard throughout–so keeping our palette simple keeps the space from feeling overly cluttered or busy.
For more information please visit Little King.
Photography by Jane Beiles
Resources:
Bathroom wallpaper: Cole & Son. Ceiling wallpaper: Stark. Pendant lights: Craig’s List. Similar fixtures found on rejuvenation.com. Local auctions.
