Building Stone Magazine
Article: Stone Brings Rustic Charm To Elegant New England Eatery
Written by Jennifer Adams
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Elegant, warm and inviting are the three words designer Dana Boucher of Breath of Fresh Art uses to describe the interior dining space of the Copper Door restaurant in Bedford, NH. At the heart of the 8,000-square-foot design is a floor-to-ceiling fireplace with the surround and hearth built of a blend of three stone varieties, which were produced by Stoneyard.com of Littleton, MA, and supplied through Hudson Quarry of Hudson, NH.
Further contributing to the upscale rustic ambience is a stone oven — featuring the same stone combination — that can be seen from the main dining area due to the open-concept kitchen design. The saturated colors and texture of the interior design elements make for a welcoming and comfortable environment for the restaurant’s guests.
“The design goal for the Copper Door was to make it feel as if you were dining in somebody’s really nice home,” explained Boucher. “Elegant, warm and inviting — there are elements of this throughout our restaurant. There are comfy chairs and sofas where you can dine, an extra-thick butcher block community table that mimics a grand kitchen island, a large boat shaped dining table that seats 10 placed in its own cozy nook with a custom chandelier above, and of course, the coziest of them all — our stone fireplace.
“The best designed rooms have a nice mix of materials and textures,” the designer went on to say. “With vaulted ceilings, wooden beams, tile flooring made to look like wood and a zinc bar top, it seemed that stone was the perfect material to complete the rustic yet elegant look of our building.”
To achieve the desired blend of shapes and sizes for the fireplace and stone oven, a mix of three different stone veneer products — Boston Blend Ledgestone, Boston Blend Ashlar and Greenwich Gray Ledgestone — were selected. “These three stones, when used together, have a nice range of color and shape that are not too traditional or modern — a perfect look for us,” said Boucher.
A total of 75% of the stone employed for the fireplace and oven design is Boston Blend Ledgestone. The pieces range in size from 1 to 4 inches in height and 4 to 18 inches in length. An additional 20% consists of Greenwich Gray Ledgestone with pieces also varying between 1 to 4 inches in height and 4 to 18 inches in length. The last 5% is Boston Blend Ashlar with pieces measuring 3 to 7 inches in height and 4 to 14 inches in length. All of the stone pieces have a thickness of 1 inch.
From the start, the designer knew that she wanted to use thin stone veneer. “We had used veneer before in another location for an outdoor dining terrace,” explained Boucher. “It is more cost effective, speedier for installation, and you can’t even tell that it is veneer.”
Overall, construction of the Copper Door restaurant went smoothly. “The stonework seemed to go really flawless,” said Boucher. “We had a great installer, general contractor and architect.”
The project broke ground two weeks before the Christmas holiday. “Customers love the fireplace,” said the designer. “It is really the anchor that separates the bar from the dining room. It is a two-sided fireplace, so you can enjoy it no matter which side of the restaurant you choose to sit. I have often given out the stone information to our guests, as many say they want to incorporate it into their own homes. You know what they say, ‘Imitation is the highest form of flattery.’ We are happy to share all of the design questions our guests often ask.”
Copper Door Restaurant, Bedford, NH
Architect: Scott Delorme Dignard Architects, Bedford, NH
Designer: Breath of Fresh Art, Bedford, NH
General Contractor: Fulcrum Associates, Amherst, NH
Stone: Stoneyard.com, Littleton, MA
Stone Dealer: Hudson Quarry, Hudson, NH
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