Motel Bar: Laid-Back Dining with a Vintage Feel

25/11/2019 - In 2016 interior design studio Siren Betty Design was enlisted to carry out the long-awaited renovation of Motel Bar, a popular local watering hole in Chicago’s trendy River North area. The team, led by designer Lexi Goddard, wanted to capture the feel of 60s-70s Americana, replete with neon signs, soft leather furnishings, low lights and vintage artwork.

Vintage americana with modern acoustics
Envisioned as an intimate space for cocktails and conversations, the bar features a unique combination of storied vintage and contemporary lifestyles. From the beginning, an important consideration was how sound would travel in the bar. From their extensive experience designing nightlife interiors, the team at Siren Betty knew that they needed an acoustic restaurant solution, and turned to BAUX.

Bars and restaurants are often home to sound-reverberating surfaces like glass, steel, and smooth concrete. As a result, patrons are forced to raise their voices in order to be heard. BAUX Acoustic Wood Wool Panels counteract this tendency by reducing echoes and diffusing and absorbing soundwaves. Plates clinking, chairs shifting and other sounds are muffled so that guests can enjoy their conversations in peace.

BAUX Acoustic Wood Wool Panels line the walls of the bar, creating a functional and thematically-appropriate backdrop to an array of vintage accessories. Drawing inspiration from retro-futurist Googie architecture, the bar’s interior incorporates the swirling pattern of BAUX Arch Panels. The striking shapes are reminiscent of early Art Deco styling and provide an interesting visual feature.

"My dream BAUX project would be creating an installation with custom patterns and multiple saturated coloured panels! Acoustic paneling does not have to be something that just “goes away” – with BAUX we’ve been able to make it a focal piece. I chose BAUX because it was both highly functional and available in a great variety of styles and shapes so it could work well with the concept/aesthetic of the space." Lexi Goddard, Interior designer.

Lexi Goddard

Playful aesthetics and patterns
A sturdy foosball table is set against a wall of dark-grey acoustic panels in the Arch pattern. The eye-catching modern design serves as an effective absorber and dampener of excess noise, while staying true to the bar’s vintage feel. Sound from the tabletop football is kept at a manageable level, keeping the atmosphere lively rather than loud – no more yelling to get the bartender’s attention!+

Superior sound for the late-night crowd
Stepping foot into Motel Bar is like traveling back in time to a 1960’s living room. The soft furnishings and low lighting create a cosy atmosphere, complimented by the effective sound absorption provided by the BAUX Panels. The natural texture of the wood wool adds a relaxed and intimate touch to the lounge area.

Motel Bar: Laid-Back Dining with a Vintage Feel