Within the Empire State of the South, Atlanta’s Buckhead community is a burgeoning haven for fine dining and luxury experiences, from which the St. Regis Atlanta’s Atlas restaurant sets itself apart as a chef-driven establishment specializing in New American cuisine. However, the restaurant does not rest on the laurels of its consumable offerings. A rotating collection of fine art adorns the space, creating a feast for the eyes as well.
When the Tavistock Restaurant Collection, owner of upscale dining concepts with locations across the U.S., approached locally based the Johnson Studio to achieve its vision for a standout signature restaurant in the place of the bygone Paces 88, senior principal Bill Johnson, interior designer Brittany Lavier Stafford, and project manager Susan Weiler set out on a 2 ½ year journey to create a small-scale residential layout with specially curated and crafted décor to engender an Old World aesthetic inspired by dining clubs.
“It was critical to create a chef-driven restaurant with a strong sense of place and character that would create a lasting memory for patrons,” says Johnson. “We knew the design had to resonate with local Southern charm and wanted to add fun London-esque elements of surprise and unexpected finishes.”
Green and eggplant hues pair with neutral and jewel tones for a palette highlighted under the restaurant’s 60 precise light settings. High gloss emerald millwork abounds, juxtaposed against matte walnut tongue and groove oiled wood flooring. Guests are greeted by an oversized, European-style American walnut door set within a custom-commissioned wall of translucent glass in the same emerald tone. “The door exudes a strong sense of arrival, as if the restaurant has always been an Atlanta staple, and was designed to appear as if it were floating within the glass wall without visible structural support,” says Weiler.
Through the door, a dramatic fossilized marble fireplace with brass accents serves as the focal point in the vestibule’s intimate library lounge, in which patrons can peruse an assortment of hand-chosen books housed in shelving against an iridescent raw textured silk wallcovering.
The main dining room and cocktail bar beyond technically comprise one space but are sectioned off to create easily altered modular settings. Custom adjustable groupings of fuchsia leather settees are arranged across from the mirrored bar where a matching reflective display case acts as a partially see-through partition. The true gem in the jewel-toned lounge, however, is the genuine “Le Femme Rouge” painting by Marc Chagall, one of the many pieces throughout the restaurant on rotation from the Lewis private art collection.
Walnut laser-cut screens, designed by Weiler, create a filtered look into the open kitchen where rustic glazed green tiles with variegated patterning pop against the screens’ warm tone. Through the kitchen, French doors open to reveal a private dining room, converted from an outdoor patio space and featuring more fine art. Instead of a standard chandelier, Weiler opted for a low, suspended ceiling from which cove lighting filters onto the table through a matching laser-cut screen.
Another set of French doors connects the room to a sprawling outdoor patio where travertine stonework is the backdrop for clean lines, more settee seating, and fretwork gates—all referencing the interiors.
“A lot of people use the word ‘eclectic’ to describe the space, but the true word is ‘curated,’” says Stafford. “Everything has a story behind it. All of the spaces gradually unfurl, and we wanted the outside to be as bold and beautiful as the inside.”
