Bronze on H Street was designed by Drummond Projects.
Bronze (bronzedc.com) isn’t merely a new, three-story Afrofuturistic restaurant that dishes everything from torched oysters to cacao beetroot cake; it’s also a design marvel. DC-based Drummond Projects (drummondprojects.com) brought the ethereal space together by sourcing artwork and furniture, creating a unique lighting design and crafting a 26-foot back bar that anchors the sleek space.
Storytelling was a critical element of the process, says Jimmie Drummond, the firm’s principal. During COVID, Keem Hughley, one of Maketto’s creators, conjured a sci-fitale, and Drummond’s team responded with the dimly lit ground-floor “pre-earth”; natural light and greenery on the second “earth” level; and a third-level cocktail bar, complete with crane-studded wallpaper, taking in the views.
Team Drummond also was inspired by the words of Chicago writer and choreographer Ytasha Womack: “Afrofuturism is just about people wanting to tell stories about the future and wanting to be a part of the future—and feeling like they can shape it.”
