Posts Tagged :

    Goddard Littlefair

    Gleneagles to redesign its famous restaurant

     730 565 Hamish Kilburn
    By:
    0
    Gleneagles to redesign its famous restaurant

    The redesign of The Strathearn restaurant at Gleneagles is being led by Ennismore Design Studio and was inspired by the golden age of railway travel…

    With the aim to bring back the glamour and decadence of fine dining experiences of the 1920s and ’30s, Gleneagles will in May 2019 unveil the relaunch of its famous restaurant, The Strathearn following a design transformation by Ennismore Design Studio.

    The space – which has welcomed a host of famous faces over the decades, from Vivien Leigh, Sir Laurence Olivier and Sir Sean Connery, to John Travolta, Bob Hope and Her Majesty The Queen – is to unveil a new look inspired by an era when glamorous socialites would travel in style from London to Gleneagles to enjoy summer seasons of country sports and decadent dining.

    The new designs will celebrate that elegant spirit through a setting that evokes the theatre of the outdoors, the beautiful flora and fauna of Scotland. The creation of a stunning mosaic-floored orangery will offer beautiful views of the estate and the Ochil Hills across the seasons, while a new stage for musical performances will complement the elegance and drama of the rich décor – evocative of first-class carriage journeys in the early twentieth century.  A new kitchen-style breakfast servery will also double up as an occasional private dining space – breathing fresh life into the area that housed Gleneagles’ kitchen in the 1920s.

    “After years of meticulous planning, 12 months of interior design work and four months of careful renovation, we can’t wait to unveil the beautiful new look in May.” – Sharan Pasricha, CEO of Gleneagles and Ennismore

    Dinner at The Strathearn will be an even more decadent affair, with traditional gueridon service from bespoke dining trollies bringing excitement and energy to the room as a selection of classic dishes are finished at the table. Personally attending each table, the team will add a theatrical flair to the evening, as they effortlessly carve Scottish smoked salmon, prepare and dress a salad, or flambé a ‘Steak Strathearn’ on request.

    “As one of the final strands of our three-year design transformation, the renovation of The Strathearn restaurant was always going to be one of the most important phases of all,” said Sharan Pasricha, CEO of Gleneagles and Ennismore. “After years of meticulous planning, 12 months of interior design work and four months of careful renovation, we can’t wait to unveil the beautiful new look in May.”

    “Originally known simply as ‘the Dining Room’, the restaurant has been a destination for decadent dining and lively celebrations since Gleneagles first opened nearly 100 years ago. It’s been cherished by generations of guests, so we didn’t want to radically change the fabric of the space or the spirit of the experience. Instead, we wanted to take the essence of The Strathearn and turn up the volume. By amplifying all the elements that are so well loved – the elegant décor, the history, the lively atmosphere, the culinary theatre and the exceptional food – the team has brought back the vibrancy, energy, playfulness and glamour of fine dining experiences a century ago.”

    The Strathearn will be overseen by Restaurant Manager, Daniel Greenock, who has moved home to Scotland having honed his craft at Marcus Wareing’s Michelin-starred restaurant at the Berkley Hotel and the world-renowned three Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park in New York.

    Now under new owner Ennismore, Gleneagles has enlisted the skills and expertise of some of the UK’s most acclaimed designers including David Collins Studio, Timorous Beasties, Macaulay Sinclair, Goddard Littlefair and Ennismore’s own in-house design studio – with the aim to create designs and spaces that celebrate the rich, glamorous heritage and beautiful architecture for which the hotel is famed.

    The latest redesign announcement follows Gleneagles’ Conor O’Leary winning Hotelier of the Year at The Brit List 2018 for his unmatched leadership style.

    Main image credit: Gleneagles/Ennismore

    The Lowry Hotel, Manchester, unveils images of new presidential suite

     730 565 Hamish Kilburn
    By:
    0
    The Lowry Hotel, Manchester, unveils images of new presidential suite

    The £700,000 renovation of the luxury hotel, The Lowry in Manchester, was led by The Brit List award-winning design firm Goddard Littlefair…

    Amidst the increase in luxury hotel development in Manchester, The Lowry Hotel is upping the ‘luxury stakes’ once again by unveiling the first look at its newly renovated Presidential Suite, designed by Goddard Littlefair and the largest both currently available or planned in the city.

    The renovations totalled £700,000 and include a complete reconfiguration and redesign of the space, an enlarged dressing room and a new bespoke marble bathroom. The suite also includes a fully equipped kitchen, large bathroom with a double steam shower and free-standing bath, super king size bedroom, a walk-in dressing room and lounge plus a dining room for up to eight people. There is also an additional second bedroom and with adjoining bathroom.

    Image of stylish, modern guestroom. Geometric headboard and views over Manchester

    Image credit: Gareth Gardner

    The floor-to-ceiling windows offer views across the river Irwell and Manchester’s skyline, and the room also comes with a mini grand piano, two in-room bars, two smart TVs and an Amazon Alexa. As well as complimentary valet, luggage management, personalised welcome drinks and in-suite check in, guests can take advantage of a butler, on-site hairdresser, endless beauty treatments, Tesla hire, private chef or personal trainer whilst staying in the luxury suite.

    “We drew inspiration from Manchester’s industrial history and in particular from cotton, weaving and the city’s industrial forms, geometry and heritage.” – Goddard Littlefair

    Renowned interior designers Goddard Littlefair, Interior Designers of the suite, commented on the inspiration behind the design: “‘This was a special and prestigious project for us, showcasing the first of our new designs for The Lowry Hotel. We drew inspiration from Manchester’s industrial history and in particular from cotton, weaving and the city’s industrial forms, geometry and heritage, including the shape of Trinity Bridge over the River Irwell, directly outside the hotel. We were also inspired by Lowry’s own colour palette, as the artist famously kept to a base palette of only five colours, mixing them to achieve tonal shades that nonetheless stayed within a distinctive overall range.

    Marble-lined shower area plus freestanding bath

    Image credit: Gareth Gardner

    “The new design has a residential feel, with light and bright tonal colours used for the walls, curtains and carpets, offset by darker joinery, geometric-patterned fabrics used for cushions and curtain trims for added visual interest. Colours range from rich bronzes and burnt oranges to off-whites and textured blue-greys. Special joinery features include four sets of double screens around the living and dining areas to help zone the space and a bespoke dining table for eight with a feature veneer inset pattern.

    “The bedrooms and bathrooms feature timber slatted walls, which mirror on the opposite wall, whilst the bathroom also has feature walls in luxurious, richly-veined marble. The main bedroom features a bespoke, contemporary version of a four-poster bed, in a room where the colours become softer, more muted and restful. The stunning dressing room, with a large, anthracite velvet ottoman at its centre, is dominated by a tiered feature light, made of threads and inspired by Manchester’s cotton production history.”

    Soft interior decor. Geometric wall partitions within the suite and a baby grand piano on the right.

    Image credit: Gareth Gardner

    In homage to the hotel’s namesake, L.S Lowry, a selection of art has also been chosen for the room by ARTIQ. Kate Terres, Head of Operations at ARTIQ, commented: “The collection at the Lowry presented an exciting opportunity for us, because it is rare for hotels to be named after celebrated artists.  In curating the collection with Goddard Littlefair, ARTIQ pulled specifically on L.S. Lowry’s recognisable palette of charcoals and dark reds against pale smoky backdrops. Alongside these distinctive tonal elements, the curation draws on the shapes evoked by Manchester’s solid industrial architecture of the twentieth and twenty-first century – examples of which can be viewed from the Presidential Suite – as well as heavily abstracted figures that draw on Lowry’s matchstick figures.

    “The collection is comprised of painting, sculpture, photography and print, with an emphasis on varied and rich textures that range from highly polished stainless steel – representing the industrial subject – to thickly modelled paintings incorporating found elements. Examples of large format photography depicting an abstracted industrial narrative contrast with the delicacy of the works by artist Kelly M. O’Brien. Kelly’s mixed-media practice involves burning paper and layering with inserts of gold leaf and, for The Presidential Suite, focuses on a linear radiating pattern that recalls the bridge architecture viewed from the window as well as playing with a high/low contrast of material. Also in the collection is work by artist Laetitia Rouget, whose playful series focuses on simplistic line drawings of the human in thickly pulled paint – a modern interpretation of Lowry’s matchstick men.”

     The luxury Lowry Hotel also boasts six Riverside suites, an additional 164 guestrooms, a spa, bar and The River Restaurant.

    Main image credit: Gareth Gardner

     

     

     

    The Brit List 2018 – Designer Profiles

     676 433 Hamish Kilburn
    By:
    0

    In the coming weeks, Hotel Designs will be profiling the 75 finalists in the Hotel Designs Brit List 2018. We continue with profiling our winning designers in alphabetical order…

    This year’s The Brit List 2018 concluded on November 22, when leading designers, hoteliers and architects gathered at BEAT London to find out which of them made it on to this year’s The Brit List 2018. The hundreds of nominees and entries were whittled down by the event’s five judges, who were:

    • Gilly Craft, President of the British Institute of Interior Design
    • Charles Leon, founder of Leon Black Architecture and Interior Design
    • Gerri Gallagher, former associate editor, Tatler
    • Lysbeth Fox, founder and director of Fox PR
    • Hamish Kilburn, editor, Hotel Designs

    Top designers 2018

    Harry Gregory – Director, ARA Design 

    Harry Gregory has more than 35 years’ experience in designing hotels, restaurants and private residences worldwide. After graduating from the Royal College of Art, he worked on product design and later specialised in furniture design at Dale Keller & Associates.

    Gregory then made the move to GA Design in London, incorporating his product expertise into interior architectural design. It was there that he met Andre Avedian, and acknowledging their complementary work patterns and mutual desire to create a truly bespoke experience for clients, they co-founded Ara Design to deliver just this.

    Harry Harris – Managing Director, SUSD

    SUSD recently completed The Curtain, which opened as Shoreditch’s new kid on the block and has a key focus on private members’ clubs look and feel. With more than 25 years’ experience, Harris who founded SUSD Ltd, has been at the forefront of the renaissance in private members’ clubs in the UK.

    SUSD specialises in delivering standard-setting, complex projects, within strict time and budget requirements. Its vision is to provide a project delivery service of the highest standard incorporating collaborative working combined with innovative thinking.

    Helen Fewster – Director, Suna International Design

    Suna Interior Design is an award-winning boutique interior design consultancy who provides interior services for property developers and the hospitality industry. Helen Fewster and Rebecca Hunt head up the London-based studio ensuring that a high level of attention is dedicated to each client and project.

    “As a tight-knit team of designers, we ensure concepts and visions become reality, producing lifestyle enhancing designs delivered through a consistently personal service. We are proud of the portfolio we have created, which is showcased here.”

    Jo Littlefair – Director, co-founder and designer-at-large, Goddard Littlefair

    Jo Littlefair is a designer-at-large for the company, bringing inspiration from her travels into the studio and sharing her passion for new and exciting dining, dwelling and hospitality experiences. Littlefair’s curious and observant nature quickly recognises coming evolutions in consumer, industry and design trends. Her particular focus is on delivery, ensuring that the essence of a concept has always been fully evoked and that all the softer details and touchpoints meet her exacting standards.

    Littlefair is regularly asked to write and speak about innovations in consumer behaviour, as well as in developments in luxury-market fabrics, furniture and colour.

    Joseph Stella – Director, Twenty2Degrees

    Prior to working with Twenty2Degrees, Joseph Stella worked as a senior designer for Jestico + Whiles and RPW Design.

    He is currently working on projects such as Le Meridian Abuja, Hyatt Regency Rawalpindi, Four Points Sheraton Abuja and Westin Abuja. Since joining the company in 2013, Stella has brought to the team a diverse and open approach to design that encapsulates the ethos of twenty2degrees, strengthening the conceptual side of the practice.

     

    Pastel palette in Legacy Suite

    Checking in to Gleneagles, Scotland

     800 534 Hamish Kilburn
    By:
    0

    Intrigued to find out to what extent the power of interior design can lift a building, editor of Hotel Designs Hamish Kilburn checked in to review the one and only Gleneagles…

    Positioned in 344 hectares of land, under Perthshire’s Ochil Hills, is a Scottish jewel. The ever-majestic Gleneagles first soared to be a natural star in the spotlight when it first opened its grand doors in 1924. Its ‘cutting of the ribbon’ was celebrated with Scotland’s first ever outside broadcast, and these moments of the hotel’s many milestones can be found injected into the fabrics of many pockets of the today’s Gleneagles.

    Since the 1920s, ‘The Glen’ has served many important purposes and duties outside of being a luxury hotel in the country hills. During WW2, like many hotels of its time, it was converted into a hospital. In 2005, it witnessed world leaders tackle tough debates at the 31st G8 Summit. And most recently, in 2014, it’s famous golf course was the stage of the Ryder Cup.

    With all great hotels, comes great renovations – and in this case even larger responsibility in maintaining a priceless charm throughout. In 2016, just after the hotel was sold to the ‘hipster team’ behind Hoxton Hotels, Ennismore, a multi-million-pound upgrade was announced. Calling for sensitive brushes and creative minds, the task to revamp the building fell onto the shoulders of four leading design firms under watchful eye of lead architecture firm 3D Reid. David Collins Studio, Timorous Beasties, Macaulay Sinclair and Goddard Littlefair together gave the hotel more than just a lick of paint. Instead, they bravely and boldly went about redesigning, re-crafting and to some degree restructuring the hotel to ensure that it created both a warm and inviting space which also gave an appropriate nod to its history in all the right places.

    As I enter the building and walk up the steps, my pre-conceived perceptions of what I thought would be an overly stuffy and ‘far too posh’ hotel are immediately erased. Instead, thanks to the wonderful work of David Collins Studio, the large, airy lobby, which sits on luscious green carpet, creates the kind of first impression that many hotels from around the world can only strive to achieve.

    Long corridors at Gleneagles

    Image credit: Goddard Littlefair

    The long corridors, designed by Goddard Littlefair and lit by Heathfield, are unlike any I have walked through before. It took 20 minutes for me to reach my suite. The fascinating art and original memorabilia, conceived by ARTIQ, hang on delicate gold chains as a further reminder of what the hotel walls have witnessed over the years. Although each piece is different, together they tell a tale of rich Scottish tradition, which is further explored in the rooms.

    The guestroom experience

    The Legacy Suite on the fourth floor is, like all the other 25 suites, aptly named after famous Scottish whiskey. The left door to room 404 opens into what is a large and comfortable living area, while the right door to 405 opens onto the bedroom. With a timeless pastel palette, the whole suite is outlined by wood panelling, which creates a high-end residential style throughout.

    Formed of a lobby area, lounge, bedroom, bathroom and a dressing room, the overall look and feel of The Legacy Suite is that of a club lounge, where Chesterfield sofas and robust, hard-wearing materials reflect sporting activities and the feel of country life.

    A sense of place is very much underlined in the design of the estate-like rooms. Goddard Littlefair worked with local craftsmen, fabric producers and upholsterers wherever possible, referencing the many classic fabrics Scotland is renowned for, supporting Scottish businesses and paying respect to long-standing links between the hotel and particular manufacturers.

    The lounge is complete with an upholstered leather sofa, club chairs in olive-green buttoned leather, as well as a bespoke coffee table and a dining area that seats four people comfortably.

    Separating the living area from the bedroom – something that not many other hotels can achieve because of lack of space – is a quirky corridor which leads to an unparalleled view which stretches over the estate. This area allows the suite to naturally breathe and very much makes the room look and feel large and spacious.

    Image caption: The Legacy Suite (rooms 404 & 405)

    The bedroom on the other side of the suite is a plush oasis with the same soft hues as what is in the living room, again creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. The oversized burgundy headboard is comforting, while natural light floods in through the panelled windows, which again look out onto the grounds. The flooring is a bespoke carpet and the rugs were sourced from India with varying colourways and designs selected individually to work the scheme. The rugs are in taupe with hints of green, a further nod to its luscious location.

    The en-suite hand-picked marble bathroom is, quite frankly, fit and designed for a king. It is complete with a large bath on one side and a high-powered separate shower on the other, which is divided appropriately with vanity units and square basins from Villeroy & Boch with Perrin & Rowe brass finish taps. Completing the bathroom are ornate mirrors with an antique finish to communicate a timeless feel that marries up with the building’s age.

    Image caption: The Birnam Brasserie

    Elsewhere in the hotel, the public areas are equally impressive. The hotel shelters no less than nine bars and restaurants – of which the Strathearn is the main one and most formal. The Birnam Brasserie, designed by Ennismore Design Studio stands out as it is, unlike what I imagined, a casual dining experience designed in a conservatory-like space with many plants around the restaurant – including a full-sized living wall – playing on the concept of indoor-outdoor living to perfection.

    American Bar

    Image credit: The American Bar

    Every decent hotel experience should end with a night cap in the bar. The award-winning American Bar, designed by David Collins Studio, is the perfect setting for such a thing. Layered with cashmere walls, the bar is a time machine taking guests back to the 1920s, complete with just the right injection of ’20s glamour, without the cliché glitz.

    Meeting rooms

    The glue that holds the whole meeting experience together, in my opinion, is the newly unveiled Ochil House. Inspired by the original private members clubs, Ennismore Design Studio has carved out each of the six rooms available to hire to create light, open and refined meeting spaces. Named after their original rooms in the hotel – including The Card Room, The Reading Room, The Writing Room and The Broadcasting Room – these spaces give an appropriate nod to the hotel’s storied history.

    Image caption: Ochil House

    “The overarching ambition of the design was to inspire, arouse ideas and stimulate conversation – encouraging guests to look around, explore and discuss, rather than sit at a table in a blank function room,” said Charlie North, design director at Ennismore. “It’s a reinvention of the meeting space concept – somewhere that’s not just practical but also beautiful, as well as homely, welcoming and fun – and a place where people naturally want to gather and enjoy conversation.”

    Since checking out of Gleneagles, London – or anywhere for that matter – hasn’t quite looked or felt the same. The majestic countryside estate in the heart of Scotland made a lasting impression and it is as much a jewel today as it was in 1924.

     

    Top 5 stories of the week: New swanky brand, a futuristic opening in China and a floating hotel

     799 389 Hamish Kilburn
    By:
    0

    It’s been a busy week for the industry, with plenty of news in the air to digest. This week Hotel Designs has seen the launch of a new upscale hotel brand, new openings from around the world and we are one step closer to the first hotel brand launching on water.

    Here are the top five hotel stories of the week, as selected by editor Hamish Kilburn:

    1. IHG launches voco, a new upscale hotel brand

    coffee and voco menu

    At an exclusive press event in London’s Saatchi Gallery, our editor learnt all about the new hotel brand, voco. We broke this story to the world on Tuesday morning, and have since watched it soar the charts to become this week’s most read article. Read all about how the brand is planning on launching to be ‘reliably different’…

    2. New London hotel restaurant: Hans’ Bar & Grill unveiled at 11 Cadogan Gardens 

    Hans’ Bar & Grill, a new west London neighbourhood restaurant in Chelsea’s Pavilion Road, has opened. The new striking and contemporary interiors scheme, created by leading hospitality and F&B designers Goddard Littlefair, includes an exciting new extended café-bar space and a new restaurant, which plays on the concept of indoor-outdoor dining…

    3. Seven minutes with Fiona Thompson, Principal of Richmond International

    We last spoke to Fiona Thompson in 2014, when she and her team had just completed the quintessentially British Sterling Suite and Club Lounge at The Langham London. Having just agreed to be our headline speaker at Meet Up North on July 18, we wanted to know how the industry is shaping up from a leader’s point of view…

    4. Zaha Hadid Architects unveils new flagship hotel for the City of Dreams resort in Macau

    Image credit: Virgile Simon Bertrand

    From one design visionary design house to another, award-winning architecture firm Zaha Hadid Architects designed the futuristic Morpheus as a simple extrusion of the existing abandoned foundations…

    5. The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection opens reservations to the public 

    Rendering of the yacht

    Claiming to be the first luxury hotel group to take its service and ambiance of its resorts to the sea, The Ritz-Carlton, L.L.C. has announced the opening of reservations for The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. The yacht will also feature two 158 square-meter lavish Owner’s suites, each with its own private whirlpool, modern craftsmanship and interior finishes jointly designed by The Ritz-Carlton and leading design firm Tillberg Design of Sweden.

    To ensure that you are kept up to date with all the latest news and features, sign up to our newsletter.

    New London hotel restaurant: Hans’ Bar & Grill unveiled at 11 Cadogan Gardens

     800 534 Hamish Kilburn
    By:
    0

    The new restaurant, located in the heart of London’s Chelsea district, is Goddard Littlefair’s first London restaurant project…

    Hans’ Bar & Grill, a new west London neighbourhood restaurant in Chelsea’s Pavilion Road, has opened. The new striking and contemporary interiors scheme, created by leading hospitality and F&B designers Goddard Littlefair, includes an exciting new extended café-bar space and a new restaurant, which plays on the concept of indoor outdoor dining.

    Hans’ Bar & Grill was named in honour of Cadogan family ascendant Sir Hans Sloane, one-time physician to the royal family and President of The Royal Society, as well a celebrated natural historian, whose incredible collection of specimens and artefacts led to the founding of The British Museum. Both London’s Sloane Square and Sloane Street were named in his honour.

    The new 106-cover restaurant encompasses 18 covers within the café-bar area, directly inside the Pavilion Road entrance; 46 covers in a covered courtyard area, forming part of the main restaurant, plus a further 42 covers in the dining area of the main hotel building. A further private dining space, ‘The Curio’, inspired by Sloane’s love of adventure and discovery, can seat a further 16 guests and is located directly opposite the internal restaurant entrance.

    “We’re very excited about the opening of our first London restaurant project”, Goddard Littlefair Co-founder and Director Jo Littlefair commented. “As a design studio, we’ve built an extensive portfolio of residential developments in London and an extensive portfolio of hospitality projects outside the capital, so it’s great now to have a completed restaurant project in the same city we work, eat and play in – and also to have been able to do it for such a prestigious client and in such a great location.”

    The final area of the restaurant is in the main hotel building

    Image credit: Gareth Gardner

    The first café-bar space is located within a converted former mews garage on Pavilion Road, where it sits alongside other converted garages to either side to form a new suite of upmarket, independent boutique retailers, from barbers and cheesemongers to specialist purveyors of wine and bread. Architectural works on this, as well as the courtyard refurbishment, were carried out by ReardonSmith Architects.

    Design walk-through

    The Pavilion Road entrance features glazing to either side and a black-painted timber surround. The interior design firm created all signage for the venue, applying new branding by Doodle, which includes fascia and projecting signs, as well as wayfinding, menu A-boards and external menu boxes.  The signage creates a discreet balance between the hotel’s traditional heritage positioning and the more contemporary styling of the restaurant.

    The bright and airy café-bar space has a clean and contemporary feel with a monochrome colourway, along with interesting, textured finishes, such as white slatted timber wall cladding and an original, exposed, yellow-stock brick wall to the left, plus white tiling behind the bar, where vertically stack-bonded Solus Ceramics tiles create a great hand-crafted feel. The bespoke feature bar front is in split-faced stone from Stone Republic, with a natural, honed grey basalt bar top from Natural Stone Projects providing a clean contrast.

    The furniture in this area is in butchers block oak and includes bespoke banquettes upholstered in pre-aged tan leather, designed by Goddard Littlefair, manufactured by Craftwood and located along the left-hand, exposed-brick wall. Cadogan family portraits, specially created for the space by artist Louise Seabrook, also line the left-hand brick wall. Hints of brass in this area – used, for example, as frame-lining within the bespoke glass and black-finish metal screens – link the space to the restaurant beyond, where brass is much more predominant, proportionally inverting the initial relationship of brass and black metal in this space.

    The ceiling is exposed and painted light grey, with architectural lighting on tracks, whilst feature lighting includes five industrial-feel brass wall lights from Istanbul-based Topos Workshop along the left-side brick wall, plus seven Nordlux Strap Pendant lights over the bar, which hang on leather straps.

    The flooring directly surrounding the bar is in a patterned ceramic tile from Royal Mosa in a bespoke mix of four different but complementary tones, ranging from cream through to chocolate, whilst the main flooring, also used on the stairs and in the former courtyard area, is a cobble grey FSC-certified brushed oak from the Solid Wood Flooring Company. Full-height glass and metal screens in black steel and brass, situated to either side of the steps leading down to the former courtyard area, provide drama and smooth the transition to the next part of the space.

    The first courtyard section of the restaurant is filled with natural light, thanks to two large-scale feature rooflights, from which green and black blown-glass Amp pendants by Holloways of Ludlow hang, interspersed with bespoke spun-brass bowls full of natural planting. This subtle nature theme extends into the main restaurant area and café bar, where small pots feature throughout on the waiter stations and along the back bar.

    The first section of the restaurant in the former open courtyard space

    Image credit: Gareth Gardner

    The restaurant has a contemporary classic feel, with traditional wood panelling to the walls in a fresh and light grey paint finish (alternating with antiqued bevelled glass panels), plus skirting and a dado rail, as well as restored fireplaces, linking it in feel to the overall hotel, which Goddard Littlefair has also revamped. This space features a furniture mix of dark green banquettes with a fluted leather finish, whilst all loose furniture, similarly bespoke-made for the project, is in grey leather or else a mix of mohair and leather in light green or dusky orange, with dark timber frames.

    Joinery, including waiter stations and ambient wine displays, is in smoked, charcoal-stained oak and is darker-toned to create contrast. Restaurant tables feature smoked charcoal timber tops and brass surrounds, whilst those in the central section beneath the skylights have white Carrera marble tops to reflect the light.

    Approximately half of the restaurant space beyond the courtyard is an area that can be separated off, via curtains in a striking House of Hackney floral fabric, for private hire. This 22-cover space hosts a striking, illuminated wall display of 300 wine bottles and is in a moodier dark green colourway than the rest of the restaurant, specially-designed to set off the display, with green walls, a green fireplace and green banquette chairs, with a pop of orange for contrast in the form of a number of orange-upholstered mohair chairs with leather backs and bases.

    Bespoke, shallow brushed brass chandeliers, custom-made for the project by Northern Lights, add glamour, with one situated in the wine room and the other in the rear restaurant section that follows and completes the scheme. The rear section is also the indoor restaurant entrance area for guests coming from the hotel side. A pendant light over a six-seater booth here is the Gubi Multi-Lite Pendant in brushed brass. Art in this area of the restaurant is inspired by Sir Hans Sloane and includes a series of tropical birds, flowers and feathers, painted by artist Rebecca Jewell and curated by art consultants ARTIQ, hung either in ‘salon-hang’ clusters or as facing standalone pieces in the booth seats. Picture lights are from Vaughan Designs.

    Outside of the main restaurant and directly opposite is the 16-cover Curio space, with another space alongside, The Curio Lounge, which can be used for breakfast overspill or for a further 10 covers.

    Restaurant General Manager, Simon Smith (previously of Berners Tavern and Hakkasan) will oversee the wine list, which will feature over 195 BINS with a focus on unique and quirky bottles from around the world, whilst a concise list of classic cocktails designed by Salvatore Damiano, using British spirits, which will include a twist on a Gin Sour and the British Mule.

    “We want Hans’ Bar & Grill to be a real neighbourhood spot – a place people feel just as comfortable popping in for a drink and a salad for lunch, or for a special occasion with friends’, commented Restaurant General Manager Simon Smith.

    “We are exceptionally pleased with the work Goddard Littlefair have done to create what is quickly becoming a favoured restaurant in Chelsea. Their design has utilised the space tremendously well and the aesthetic intricacies compliment the quirky nature of 11 Cadogan Gardens. Furthermore, their understanding of hotel and restaurant operations is of great benefit to the various roles an all-day dining restaurant has to play,” added Soliman Khaddour, General Manager of 11 Cadogan Gardens.

    Supplier list:

    Lighting: Vaughan Designs, Northern Lights, Holloways of Ludlow, Nordlux Strap Pendant, Gubi
    Branding: Doodle
    Surfaces: Topos Workshop, Royal Mosa, Natural Stone Projects, Solid Wood Flooring Company,
    Art: Louise Seabrook, Rebecca Jewell, ARTIQ,
    Furniture: Craftwood,

    All images: Gareth Gardner