Paris Influences The Bancroft
Eleven years ago, Jed and Asia Webber honeymooned in Paris, and have since yearned to return. Three kids, two restaurants, and one catering company later, research for The Bancroft was a perfect excuse to get back to Europe!
Last year, our designer, Peter Niemitz returned from the Paris Design Show with an abundance of inspiration for The Bancroft. This is what led Jed and Asia to start in the posh arts district in the 6th arrondissement, around the L’Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts (National School of Fine Arts). There they found incredible art galleries and loads of high-end furniture stores. This was the place to see the creme-de-la-creme, at astronomical prices. They took that inspiration to the flea markets to find pieces that a typical person could afford!
Walking nearly ten miles a day, they tucked into hundreds of shops and market stalls. One trend they noticed was the popularity of mechanical antiques. They saw many scientific instruments used to make interesting and intricate lamps and art pieces.
Some items were too fragile to risk shipping to the United States. Asia has been busy sourcing similar items here at home. Restoration Hardware, a company which gets much of its design inspiration from the Paris flea markets, has made a line of lights that mimic the look and feel of the chemistry cloche lamps.
Our designer, Peter, wanted a rough-hewn table for one of our buffet tables to add a bit of rustic contrast to the finer, more elegant dining furnishings. Where Gibbet Hill Grill and Scarlet Oak Tavern have a more consistent design aesthetic, this restaurant is a mix of many different styles and eras, all curated and selected to give the space a lot of visual interest.
Aside from furniture and art shopping, Jed and Asia spent a lot of time at restaurants and cafes, soaking in the subtle service flourishes that make a great Parisian cafe so inviting and comfortable. They especially loved the walk-up bar in a brasserie that encourages conversation over a quick coffee or glass of wine. There are plans to incorporate that type of mid-day service at the bar in The Bancroft.
A recurring theme reinforced during their trip, was that there are easy opportunities for social interaction and taking a “restorative” at cafes and brasseries throughout the city at all times of the day. Asia quipped, “It makes the day so much more civilized!”