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Charles Wilson savoring the moment and the energy of Brun's back lounge
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The shelves and front of the whiskey bar were crafted from reclaimed and refinished wood.
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Fine whiskeys and cigars, and the aura of an old-school jazz club in the back lounge
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The juxtaposition of raw concrete, warm woods and fine art creates a sophisticated ambiance in the dining room.
The word “brun” means “brown” in French. It’s also the name of one of the newest dining and entertainment establishments in the Fan District. A restaurant up front, and a jazz club with a whiskey and cigar lounge in back, Brun is designed for socializing and savoring some of the finer things in life — food, whiskey and hand-rolled cigars.
The name Brun and the color palette throughout the space — shades of brown and black enlivened with pops of primary colors — were inspired by the owners’ desire to pay homage to Black and brown culture, says Charles Wilson, who opened Brun in 2021 with business partner Adam Evans. Brown is also the color of whiskey and cigars.
The Lombardy street venue previously housed Balliceaux and, before that, Bogart’s, both popular music and dining spots. Architect John Wilson was brought in to tweak the existing interior layout — improving the traffic flow upfront, enclosing the kitchen, and ensuring the efficacy of the state-of-the-art lighting and the air filtration systems in the back lounge.
There is a connectivity and ease of flow between each space. Raw concrete walls and floors in the dining room give way to a 1960s-era terrazzo floor in the back lounge, where it’s paired with industrial lighting, painted brick walls and a vintage-style punched-tin ceiling in a copper color, then crowned with the original mural “Homage,” painted by local African American artist Ron Stokes.
“ ‘Homage’ captures some of that Harlem Renaissance, ‘Lady Sings the Blues,’ Billie Holiday, speakeasy-type energy,” Wilson explains. “That Jackson Ward energy, where you had places like the Hippodrome that held festive events, and entertainment that allowed those interested to enjoy diverse cultural experiences.
“So these [design elements] are, in a sort of abstract way, a fusion of ideas constantly captured,” he continues. “A celebration of our heritage and the fact that we’re here — a 100% Black-owned business — and a welcomed member of the community.”
Decorator Aaliyah McLean helped draw the color palette throughout the furnishings, layering a mix of old-school leather sofas reminiscent of a Victorian men’s club with sleek industrial seating in the back lounge. The team also repurposed wood that was removed from the front bar to create the whiskey bar and custom shelving.
“We moved the furniture around to get a feeling that encourages socializing,” Wilson says. “The biggest thing for us was to encourage socializing. There are no TVs here, because it’s very important to us that our patrons are not distracted. We have enough distractions in our phones.
“Even though we’ve put our spin on the building and how we’re utilizing it … the feeling that we’re hearing from anyone who was here when it was Bogart’s — when everyone wanted to be in the place — when they’re here on a jazz night or other social event … is that we found it,” Wilson says.
