August 5, 2025
Public Vote for Our Entry Finalist A LIQUOR LIBRARY in the SBID International Design Awards!
We are honored to have our last project, completed this spring selected by the Society of British and International Design as a finalist in the 2025 SBID International Design Awards!
The public voting totals 9% and marquardt+ is not so humbly asking you vote for our work, and share this with friends and colleagues to do the same. Please vote at this link:
The clients reached out to marquardt+ understanding our ability to think outside the box, and bring our commercial practice and experience to this unique residential project and knowing I was slowly moving towards retirement after 37 years asked if I’d do it!
They are a young couple, a former colleague/marketing professional and her husband in finance, and weekend race car driver.
They wanted to connect their newly renovated main home to their unoccupied garden apartment adding an internal staircase in an enclosed cavity behind a shallow pantry closet under their main stairs and convert the small main area below into a liquor library. This library was to house the clients growing 300+ bottle collection of rare liquors and provide room as the collection grows, and incorporate audio and media components into the space.
They also wanted a functioning commercial wet bar with glass rinser, refrigerator/freezer to accommodate specialty ice trays, two additional specialty ice makers, a cooling cabinet, dishwasher, glassware and service storage, power reclining sofa/settee for themselves and would consider minimal additional seating for occasional guests. They asked that it be finished yet casual.
The library would require specialty integrated display lighting, built in sound system, and acoustical separation from the home above.
Our interviews exposed the personal and private nature of the client and the anticipated solution. This must be an internally focused environment away from outward life to a more self-contained idiosyncratic environment. marquardt+ developed a concept that would become otherworldly dissolving the walls and incorporating colors and materials that contrast with their modern white and grey home. We wanted to manifest the warmth of liquor as an experience.
We closed off all existing windows and front entry door. We procured Chicago building department approval to build the steepest, tightest winding stairway code allowed, against the foundation wall to fit behind the pantry. This required exposing the foundation creating an opportunity to incorporate a ledge, indirect lighting and acoustics upon entering the stairway and an opportunity for drywall complexity contrasting with the more conventional interior architecture outside that door.
Our intent was to create a portal journey from a bright world to a deep, moody bar lounge. m+ selected a deep saturated blue for all walls, ceiling and millwork with the only contrast being the stair treads for low light safety and the existing floors.
We designed a winding flat black lacquered handrail with custom hardware to wind down past a lacquered millwork ledge containing the stairwell illumination with recessed continuous led dimmable diode “laser” strips in a 2700 Kelvin warmth.
The staircase spills into the hall adjacent to the library, where we developed library shelving, a fully equipped wet bar, storage and a built in upholstered bench and all custom flat black metal hardware rails and integrated laser lighting strips.
We also created graphic impact with red, peach and deep blue acoustic panel cut ins installed over a drywall substrate containing additional acoustic insulation. The acoustics are strategically placed behind the bottles, ceiling, and stairwell absorbing the sound and using the bottles as a baffle trapping noise behind them and eliminating echoes.
The ceiling acoustic matches the blue. Everything blends and dissolves while the flat warm vibrant colors enhance the shiny bottles, liquids and beautiful labels. The wet bar has a formed stainless steel counter with an integrated back ledge and a drop in bar sink welded into the counter to create an integral seamless surface.
All bottle riser sections are removable for intermittent display options. All appliances are under counter with millwork facing and a specialty countertop ice maker is set into a fully extendable pull out drawer with a stainless water pan to keep the bar surface appliance free.
We specified a reclining sofa settee and ordered additional fabric to upholster the built in banquette pad designed into the millwork. The client selected idiosyncratic pillows as art for the banquette back and sofa.
We specified a custom area rug for enhanced acoustics and to ground the sofa and finish off the space.
The result is a jazz lounge like liquor bar/private club and as such, feels miles away from residential and reality.
