Main Street's Downtown Design Awards for 2024

As a continued tradition that started in 2003, the Downtown Design Award was selected by the Design Committee under Main Street Murfreesboro.  Businesses within the historic business district were encouraged to apply if they had done major renovations on a building, creating a sense of place by restoring a historic building and adding economic value by activating the space.  Many worthy businesses applied in 2024, but two were selected based on the extent of their renovations to a historic building and adding a new business to the downtown that had not been in the space before their construction project.

The Velvet Room Speakeasy is located in the back alley of S. Maple Street and is owned by Crystal and Daniel Creach.

In their own words, “We chose not to modernize the interior but rather honor the historic element of the building by creating an environment with a strong historical design element – Victorian and Prohibition-era themed.” Creating authentic period-specific fixtures and furnishings, such as a handmade repurposed wooden Victorian bed frame as a fireplace and dining hutch as the structure of the wine bar, Daniel created a sense of place in a once empty cellar downtown.  And don’t think it is too easy to find in this back alley. The Velvet Room has all the essential parts to make your experience somewhat challenging, exciting, and memorable.  Once you find the gold vault door, you ‘know’ that you're just a few steps away from stepping back in time.  

One of Nineteen Cocktails and Raw Bar is located at 103 N. Maple Street and is owned by Christie and Shawn Hackinson. 

In their own words, “One of the things that attracted us to the property was the way you could see the history in this building. The original brick exposed, as well as the original concrete floor in the basement, contains patches where you can see how the use of the building has changed over the years. It was important to us to honor the original historic nature of the building. We aimed to let it stand independently and accent its beauty. The rafters have been left open with pipes and conduit exposed. The concrete floor has been sealed but unstained. Most of the bar is hidden away downstairs, but we do have a brass sign out front to let guests know where to find us.”