Junebug was a project in New Orleans that took almost a full year to complete. The head of Neighborhood Restaurant Group, Michael Babin, grew up in Baton Rouge just as I did, so there was a firm commitment to create a nostalgic but unique space in a very crowded restaurant scene. I was fortunate to be included not only as the lighting designer, but as part of the design team from the beginning, alongside Hailey Design.

Junebug is a massive space in the central business district, next to the French Quarter, that used to house a recording studio for some of the great Jazz legends of New Orleans. The restaurant needed 3 distinct ambient spaces inside, as well as an organic treatment for the huge outdoor patio, and a more delicate and minimalist treatment for the attached event space.

I chose to reference the historical use of the space in the bar area with "insect" sconces made from salvaged drum cymbals, as well as antique Victrola horns (built for another project and salvaged from the building when it closed). Encasing the bar, we built these huge arches and attached hundreds of wooden rosettes.

In the lounge and dining room, we wanted a more intimate feel and I created large chandeliers and matching sconces using brass and vintage hobnail milk glass. It's the kind of thing every Southern grandma had in her china cabinet and we wanted to honor that tradition.

The event space needed to be intimate but flexible, so we chose dozens of pendants with simple milk glass shades to allow the ceiling to "twinkle" for the guests.