Location: Austin, Texas

Completed: 2016

Design Team: Gary Furman, Philip Keil, Arthur Furman

Contractor: Franklin Alan Commercial Construction

Structural Engineer: Duffy Engineering

Interior Design: Verokolt

Photographer: Paul Bardagjy

The inspiration for the design of the new downtown Austin bar and restaurant “Irene’s” is best summarized on ELM’s statement for the Irene’s website:

The muse for Irene’s, a classic American bar and restaurant, is the grandmother of one of our partners, who describes the real-life Southern charmer as a “drinking, smoking, gambling woman with an immense heart and a keen understanding of true hospitality.” Irene’s has the soul of an unpretentious dive bar but manages to keep a firm hand on service, a keen eye to hospitality and a pulse on style.

So this is no place for high design or slick finishes – our design team, a collaboration between Furman + Keil Architects and Verokolt Interior design, focused on creating a vibe of welcoming and unpretentious comfort, with a funky palette and low-key materials. The project is a remodel of a metal warehouse building that was once a car repair shop.

Recognition:

Texas Monthly Magazine, "Where to Eat in Austin Now", July 2016

Eater Austin, "Inside Irene's, Austin's Newest Laid-back Funky Restaurant", May 2016

Austin Chronicle, Best of Austin: Best New Restaurant, November 2016

Austin Chronicle, Best New Instagram Opportunity, November 2016