The owner and chef at Smokin’ Fins in Idaho Falls is dedicated to high-quality food and service, and he sought a design for his new restaurant that evoked the character of the food, the local surroundings and community.
The restaurant has three distinct areas that reflect its special characteristics, starting with house-smoked meat and fish. Charred wood on the walls, an industrial bar rack, lighting, and a fireplace play homage to the smoking process that is used to create the menu. The bar has an open feel, and there is a room for private parties in addition to the main dining area. Curved ceiling features create more intimate settings in the main dining room, and the ceiling features and decorative wall panels evoke movement that is drawn from the waterfalls, which diners can see as they enjoy their meal.
The interior materials match the client’s standard palette used in other restaurants – warm rust offset by a soft blue-green color and grounded with dark brown tones. A curved wood ceiling and textured wall feature add a special touch to the space and were designed without increasing costs.
CSHQA provided full-service architectural, interior, lighting, and engineering design for the tenant space in The Broadway, a mixed-use development also designed by CSHQA. A virtual reality model was developed to enable the client to see the preliminary layout and adjacencies of the entry, restaurant, bar, and kitchen spaces.
