Ginamarie's restaurant is located in a 3,200-square-foot building that is part of a strip mall n the small downtown of Scotch Plains, NJ. The building has 15-foot ceilings and walls that do not meet at right angles. However, looking around the restaurant with its vaulted ceiling, colonnade, pilasters and wall niches, one would not guess that there is an irregular geometry to the space.

According to James Knafo, project designer, Inside Architecture P.C., Hopewell, NJ, the solution to this irregular geometry was to seemingly insert a three-dimensional frame that was regular in geometry into the space. The straight and repetitive rhythm of the pilasters and a colonnade on either side of the restaurant are the major elements of this frame. The vaulted ceiling above springs from a height of eight feet at the colonnade to the full 15 feet at the pilasters.

"The ceiling acts as a canopy over the dining room," says Knafo. "At the front of the restaurant, the windows and walls were left as is. The three-dimensional frame is then set 10 feet back, so guests are better able to see the ceiling as a distinct architectural element that shelters them."

In addition, the curve of the ceiling decreases the volume of the space, which in turn eases the burden on the air conditioning system, especially when Ginamarie's is filled to capacity with 100 persons. To accommodate the space needed to fulfill this seating requirement, the kitchen is divided in two; food preparation is done in the basement, while meals are cooked on the first floor.

To emulate the feel of an Old World social hall, the concept of one large volume of space was adhered to in the main dining room. But for the sake of privacy, moveable partitions divide the dining room into smaller zones, or in the case of large groups, create temporary party rooms. In addition, a separate bar area behind a fixed partition acts as a backdrop for the dining room. The bar is flanked by a spiral stair that leads to an intimate private dining room for two to four people with a wet bar, sofa, restroom and a one-way window for viewing the activity in the main dining room.

"The private dining room is above the servers' station, which is behind the bar," says Knafo. "In order to have the vertical space for this room, we had to keep the ceiling over the servers' station quite low."

The colonnade acts as an edge to the dining room and creates a clearly defined circulation zone for staff and access to the telephones and restrooms. The pilasters tie together the front and rear entrances to Ginamarie's. According to Knafo, the rear entrance is used most often because parking is behind the building. Thus, the pilasters are immediately introduced upon opening the entry vestibule door and their rhythm guides guests through a waiting area, coat check, maitre d' stand, bar and, ultimately, into the dining room.

Classically Modern
Ginamarie's is owned by a husband and wife team who also are part owners of two other restaurants. While those two are strictly classic in design, Ginamarie's, named for the owners' five-year-old daughter, features classic design elements reinterpreted in a modern way. This interpretation fulfills the clients request for a "casually elegant" atmosphere.

For example, the parts of the frame -- columns, pilasters and ceiling -- are modern interpretations of classic design elements. The pilasters are inlaid with chrome strips that delineate the classic base, shaft and cap of a column. The ribs of the ceiling are smooth and streamlined as are the diamond-shaped wall niches. The artwork that is mounted on the wall between the columns of the colonnade is what Knafo calls, "a reinterpretation of classic modern art in the Kandinsky vein."

The vaulted ceiling, columns, pilasters, partitions, wainscoting and bar area are finished in figured anigre veneer with white maple trim. The imported African anigre with its figuring pattern lends a modern touch to a dark wood. The white maple was chosen for contrast.

Durable China lotus slate tile was used as the floor finish in the entry vestibule and bar. The dining room and staff circulation area along the colonnade have carpet for a softer and quieter finish.

The wall surfaces between the pilasters are detailed with a diamond-shaped recess from floor to ceiling and are painted in a darker tone from the adjacent wall to create a layering of surfaces.

"The three-dimensional portions of the walls and the ribs on the ceiling are painted beige," says Knafo. "All of the existing wall is a mustard color."

This diamond motif is repeated in the etched glass partition that divides the bar and the dining room, on the moveable partitions, as well as in the etched glass doors and all of the restaurant's graphics.

The wall recesses provide the perfect spot for light sconces, which were selected for their aesthetics and ability to throw light into the space. According to Knafo, the owners did not want to interrupt the flow of the ceiling surface above the dining room with lights. Therefore, fixtures that worked with the character of the space and gave off plenty of light were imperative. The wall sconces, lights above the bar and sconces atop the columns combine to illuminate the ceiling and the room.

For a subtle snap of color in the predominantly earth-toned dining room, the napkins, candle votives and perimeter of the plates are blue. This one primary color draws attention to the table, thereby creating a more intimate dining setting.

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