James O’Keeffe Bar & Lounge
James O’Keeffe’s Bar & Lounge is located in the heritage town of Ennis in the West of Ireland. The bar had been in the family for many years and the refurbishment needed to be sensitive to this. There was much work behind the scenes to reconfigure the space to incorporate a new smoking area, toilets & corridors. These areas also needed to be accessible to an adjoining pub, also owned by our client. We took a quirky twist on the traditional pub, retaining the existing clientele and attracting a wider customer base. In a town such as Ennis, it was also very important to appeal to the tourist market. Influences were taken from classical bars from Victorian & Georgian times – now regarded as traditional, but the bar is far from this. During the daytime, the front bar caters for the racing fan with discretely placed plasmas & select sporting images. As the lights are dimmed, this area transforms into a perfect venue for a trad session. The rear lounge is more plush – carpeted floors, leather seating & timber-panelled walls creating a Cigar Lounge ambience.