Bar & Leisure Toby Maxwell speaks to designers shaping enticing spaces, and we assess a few examples of projects that have harnessed uniquely creative ideas to set themselves apart in a highly competitive hospitality field
Edited by Toby maxwell
LONDON AND LA-BASED interior architecture and design studio Fettle has created the interiors for San Carlo Liverpool, which has undergone a transformation.
Fettle’s brief for the project was to refresh and reinvigorate the existing, well-established space – an allday dining restaurant in the heart of the city centre. The restaurant offers a opulent and contemporary take on traditional Italian dining with interiors inspired by grand Milanese villas and gardens.
The bar, restaurant, corridor and bathrooms at San Carlo. Image Credit: Helen Cathcart
The 280m2 ground floor and 211-cover restaurant includes a feature bar and private dining room – The Rosa Room & Wine Cellar – and is situated on the lower ground floor. The aesthetic of the space is synonymous with the region of Northern Italy including a palette reminiscent of the coastline, with finishes nodding to classic Italian midcentury furniture.
Andy Goodwin, co-founder of Fettle, says: ‘Having previously worked with the San Carlo brand on two London-based restaurants, we were excited to embark on this new, large-scale refurbishment project. We stripped back the existing space to a shell, completely renovating and redesigning each element of the building.’
The bar, restaurant, corridor and bathrooms at San Carlo. Image Credit: Helen Cathcart
Fettle employed a rich and dramatic palette of marble, high gloss, timber and brass detailing throughout San Carlo, which has been softened by layered mohair, leather and patterned fabric upholstery. The furniture has been designed specifically for the project, including marble and timber tables, fluted oak bar stools with brass bases and green leather seats, elegant curvedlegged dining chairs, and burnt orange leather and velvet banquette seating.
The lighting scheme aims to create an overall softness to the interior and includes a mixture of bespoke statement chandeliers, pendant fittings, wall lights and table lamps, designed to give an intimate glow to each area of the bar and restaurant.
The bar, restaurant, corridor and bathrooms at San Carlo. Image Credit: Helen Cathcart
San Carlo features a unique colourful terrazzo floor in a mix of green, orange and cream tones. The walls are clad at low level in high-gloss timber panelling in a similar colourway to that seen within the water taxis of Venice or luxury Italian sports cars. The antiqued mirrored panels in the restaurant include a polished brass frame detail, adding to the overall glamour and sophisticated ambience. Fettle introduced a bold coral colour to the ceiling, which was also designed to ensure a soft acoustic within the space.
An eclectic and striking mix of artwork, including three oversized bespoke and abstract murals by LA-based artist Jessalyn Brooks, are positioned on the rear wall of the restaurant and opposite the bar. www.fettle-design.co.uk
