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Democracy Brewing, Boston
RETROFIT TEAM
ARCHITECT: EMBARC, Boston
GENERAL CONTRACTOR: James J. Welch & Co. Inc., Salem, Mass.
MATERIALS
EMBARC Interior Designer Michelle Acosta knew Parterre’s LVT designs would fit the look and needs Democracy Brewing’s owners were seeking. A challenge in any hospitality space, the flooring needed to stand up to heavy foot-traffic and food or drink spills that were likely to happen in such a busy space. Acosta eventually selected Heart Pine, a natural wood look from Parterre’s InGrained Resilient Plank collection, for the entire second-floor space.
“We wanted the luxury vinyl to have a reclaimed-wood appearance. The color fit in seamlessly with the other design elements while also acting as the perfect backdrop for the space,” Acosta says. “Everything fell into place: The graining was right; the color was ideal; the price point was perfect. It was a no-brainer for the project.”
The design team paired exposed brick walls and textured plaster ceilings with the flooring to tie the old in with the new. “All the finishes in the space are grittier, but with a warmth and refinement to them. The flooring tied in well with that aesthetic,” Acosta adds.
LVT FLOORING MANUFACTURER: Parterre
THE RETROFIT
Former economic justice organizer turned brewer, James Razsa, and veteran brewer, Jason Taggart, opened up the brewery in 2018. Razsa, Taggart and their team wanted to establish a brewery that blended old-world brewpub charm with classic Boston character. Democracy Brewing opened for business on the Fourth of July—fitting for a brewery that describes itself as celebrating “Boston’s rowdy revolutionary history from the 1700s to the present.”
PHOTOS: FLAUNT BOSTON