Clementine Hall

Nashville's most architecturally distinctive event venue

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There are wedding photos and then there are wedding photos others may find interesting.  Of course it involves a photographer (Glenai Gilbert in this case), but it also relies upon great architecture, design, and landscapes.

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It’s difficult to capture the inner workings of the original pipe organ at Clementine as the reflection on the steel windows is unavoidable.  But at least you can see the arched windows in the reflection!  Inside, the murmur of birds is a nod to Little Bird Lounge.

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One thing that caught our attention when we visited what would become Clementine years ago we’re the factory-style steel windows with blown glass in a gothic shape. We’ve never seen anything like them. The blown glass diffuses the light, but doesn’t color it. The shafts of light coming through the windows sweep through Adelaide Hall during the day.

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It took us 5 years after opening to find a vintage fireplace mantle that happened to be the same age Little Bird Lounge (1905). It also was originally from Nashville and perfectly fit the space. Our children led the installation. Here, success has been achieved.

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In 1905, the church added onto the sanctuary and promptly covered the bricks with a white cement slurry.  When we removed the concrete, we decided to keep the brick scarring.

We think that when restoring old structures it’s important to leave clues as to what came before.  Attentive visitors wonder why the scar is there and come up with their own conclusions.

Restoration is like plastic surgery, you should always leave some of what was original. 

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Old meets new.  Public meets private.   Built meets nature.   Design.

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A riff on Clementine’s facade.  Bird room, as identified by the wallpaper.

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Yucca in bloom in from of the board-formed concrete courtyard walls.  Black metal wall inserts.

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View from the courtyard entry into Little Bird Lounge.  We took seven small rooms and opened the space to create a 2,400 sf area.  Despite its size, the material, color palate, and some other tricks make the space intimate and welcoming. 

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Detail of column in Adelaide Hall.   Two columns flank the original mechanical pipe organ, and interestingly both columns have a different top.  Funny, people don’t notice these details.  But they matter.

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Old brick, in this case 1889, is comforting.  Here is a view from Little Bird Lounge of the exterior wall of the original structure of Clementine.  The stained glass is lit from the interior.   The gold bird identifies the room, subtly, of its identity.  The black reverse wainscoting sublimely references the drop being that met the brick at this point.

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We ascribe to minimal signage.  In this case Clementine, in our signature clementine orange, floating on the board-formed concrete wall.  Slate mulch and street treescape.

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The contrast of greens of the ivy against the gold of the Venetian cross window screen are just the start.

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There’s a right amount of neon in this world.   Clementine’s clementine-orange sign is discreet.

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We never forget that Clementine is in an historic urban neighborhood.  When we designed her, we continued the street wall that makes for a pleasant pedestrian experience.  Lush landscaping dissolves the hardscape.

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Entryway skylight looking up at the historic facade.  Notice the wallpaper on the ceiling.

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Modern wishbone chandeliers juxtaposed with historic Little Bird Lounge.