A flower glows in Bushwick.
At the very end of the warehouse-lined triangle of streets off Flushing Avenue is Rose Gold, a newly-blossomed underground cocktail lounge where the popular venue 96 Morgan died a year ago.
The venue has taken on a new look and feel under the management and creative direction of multimedia magician Signe Pierce and Safwat Riad, a self-taught industrial designer.
The lush vibe of this drinks-only cocktail lounge will cost you $12-14 per glass. A custom list provides twists on classics such as a smooth and heavy La Fluer Old Fashioned, a lovingly-crafted Rosemary Rickey tasting like a breezy Brooklyn summer day, and a candy-like Navy Strength.
While sipping your drinks, take a seat on Riad’s 3D printed benches and enjoy dimly-lit original artworks by both Pierce and neon-artist Kate Hush.
The seedlings of Rose Gold were sown a year ago when Cape House owners, who had long dreamed of underground sound, began to look for visual artists to design the basement’s interior. Entrepreneurs Randal Mixon, Ben Ward, and Dana Gardner entrusted Pierce with the task of transforming the basement. Riad then joined the project with painter Harlan Ballogg, who did the trippy black-and-white stripes throughout Rose Gold.
“He takes my dreams and makes them a reality,” Pierce said on Riad’s work. “At first we weren’t sure how much input we would get, but when we met the owners they really gave us the creative freedom to create the concept and identity. I just thought about what I would want to hang out in…I didn’t want it to look the same as a ton of other bars.”
“When I walk into a space, I really try to see what it needs and all the ways in which I can transform it,” Riad said. “I want to make a live painting by framing people and things in an interactive, beautiful environment. For example, the back bar I designed in Rose Gold is really a large bent-steel sculpture crafted by hand.”
Above the new nightclub, the seafood-serving Cape House has stood for a little over a year.
“We wanted to embrace Bushwick, but skewed to a younger crowd,” explained Ward. “We want to emphasize it’s a dance club venue, but we book live shows as well. Rose Gold just wants to throw great parties as many times as we can book them.”
Fancy a show? How about playing one? Rose Gold plans to book bands from the local music scene, but is also looking for touring acts. They’re also looking for DJs who want to spin throughout the night.
Rose Gold is currently only open for live music and DJ events, so make sure to check their Facebook before heading out. Owners say they expect the grand opening to be on Jan. 11. Stay tuned!
All photos taken by Darragh Dandurand