A restaurant I designed in Brighton is up for an award! The New Club has been put into the category of Stand Alone Restaurant. This is an interior that was designed last year for a couple that wanted a challenge and were inspired by a whole range of restaurants from around the world.
The Site
They had found a great site on Brighton sea front with 4.5 metre ceilings and amazing windows that have views over looking the seafront and the west pier (or whats left of it). This turned out to be a double edged swords as they have had a hard time of it with the wind and rain this window with windows being hammered by the wind and the loss of a projecting sign thanks to the storms.
The Design
We worked into the space with a design that was contemporary and slightly industrial with a general feeling of warmth from brick, timber and leather. We then brought in some brighter colours with random doors in a blue colour and some pendent lights from Foscarini. To make sure design was not to shiny and new we peeled back a wall to bare brick behind the bar and found some reclaimed robinia which was plained smooth and sealed.
The Build
Cathie and Terry painstakingly took what was a tired Chinese Restaurant interior apart and stripped it back to shell condition. They then took the decision to manage the build and fit out of the interior on themselves, managing tradesmen on a daily basis to do the work and pitch in where they could. This took a lot longer than most of the Restaurants I design but meant we could review elements of the design and adjust as the build progressed. I visited site regularly and talked through all aspects of the design with Cathie as we combed Brighton for its materials, paint and tradesmen.
Trading
The New Club has now been open for just over a year and it has been lovely to have a restaurant I designed on my door step. I have been a few times and have taken the family. Cathie and Terry have not stood still, after some great reviews they are continuing to improve the restaurant and I am still helping them make the most of the space with some designs for a down stairs space along with extra seating upstairs. There have been a lot of challenges which they have taken in their stride
The award nomination
The nomination is for the stand alone category of Restaurant design and the competition is pretty stiff. Lets hope we get lucky and bring home the bacon.
If you ever find yourself in Brighton, you need to get yourself to The New Club
Here is a link to the nomination page