Located in the old 1919 Carnation Milk factory building in the East Village of downtown San Diego, was an existing two story bar/restaurant space to be transformed for new restaurant Table No. 10. Starting with the exterior, Studio SIMIC transformed the new entrance off J Street by adding a custom made steel framed glass pivot door, painted in red. New wood and steel framed awnings and signage were placed to fit inside and over existing architectural elements.
Once the owners presented their concept of creating an open kitchen area on the first floor open to a family style dining table for 10 and a chef’s bar, the design team ran with a new space plan and new furnishings, making the space more functional and user friendly. Due to a newly relocated entry, the main bar and dining areas upstairs were completely rearranged with a new bar location which better serves the flow of the space. The main dining was also changed to an open plan by eliminating existing low walls and part of the subfloor to open it up to the staircase and entry below, bringing in more natural light. A large chandelier painted in red highlights this area. Hanging above the chef’s dining table on the first floor are swagging red rope light fixtures with antique-style sockets. The same lighting concept, color scheme, and usage of reclaimed wood and steel materials are repeated on the first floor and second floor to unify the two spaces.
All new furnishings, fixtures, finishes, and accessory details for the new restaurant such as simple stainless steel water cups and solid reclaimed wood herringbone table tops give this space the perfect amount of refined yet understated design detail.