Site Visit :: Finished Elberta Restaurant Design by Ishka Designs

This week we were invited to tour the beautiful new Prospect Heights eatery, Elberta, designed by Anishka and Niya of Ishka Designs. We were excited to learn more about another great business in Brooklyn after our recent small biz story slam night. We’re also thrilled to see an increasing number of small business owners posting their projects on our main site…a restaurant, an office and a shuffleboard court! For this project, the designers worked alongside the business owners to give a sophisticated makeover to the former Velvet Peach Cafe. Now the space, the mood, and the menu are all distinctly a part of the conceptual character of Elberta.

Anishka and Niya outside the new stainless steel facade that they designed. A view inside the gorgeous new space. ( All “after” photos copyright of Niya Bascom Photography) The designers explain that the result is a “modern mash-up of the South and our interpretation of a post-industrial New York.  [We honored] the existing exposed beams and brick wall with various metals, screws, etc., while layering in southern ideas and sophisticatedly soft elements.” From the new facade to the intimate interior, the design is all parts seductive, warm, and very sweet! Before, the existing cafe was ready for a change. The owners went for more than just a renovation by updating the program and menu to create a dinner & brunch destination. Another view looking in from an open facade — we can see some of the exposed beams and hvac coming together with the space’s softer touches. Same view before. Cafe tables were custom designed by Ishka Designs, and the stools and chairs were locally sourced. One of the most romantic aspects of the interior is the use of these warm edison bulb fixtures — we love the added sense of nostalgia. The designers sourced the fixtures on etsy.

Near the back of the space, gold & white wallpaper in a floral motif adds a touch of femininity. From this view we can get a sense of how the designers worked in layers of texture & contrasting colors to create Elberta’s mood. The brick wall was painted to match the white of the wallpaper using Mountain Peak White from the Natura line by Benjamin Moore.

One of the most important features and the inevitable centerpiece of the bar/restaurant was the bar top itself. The designers selected a sustainable surface by TorZo, made from sorghum stalks. And for the bar face, glass panels were mounted over a white surface.

Many thanks to Ishka Designs, Niya Bascom Photography & Elberta Restaurant & Bar!