HORWOOD HOUSE
(BUCKINGHAMSHIRE · 2022)
(HOTEL)
The space begins with a porch entrance-way. Adorned in greenery & horticultural heritage, this area gives the feeling of a potting shed, harking back to the grounds' heritage as the birthplace & training ground of Percy Thrower.
As the viewer walks into the space, they are greeted by a large Lancashire dresser from the mid-1800s. This was initially a piece of kitchen furniture, that had been adapted to function within a barn as agricultural storage. With a sympathetic restoration, we kept the authentic patina & character to this piece, whilst ensuring it will endure for years to come.
This is paired with a Welsh bookcase from the late 1800s, featuring a variety of vintage & oak bottles.
We changed the lighting in this room to pendant lights and tiled the floor with an Edwardian-style aesthetic to maintain our visual theme.
The planters in front of the window are Brutalist concrete vessels from the 1960s, with a shock of muted blue to fit within our classic country house colour scheme.
Inviting, adaptable & historically-founded; these were the key words we focused on when developing this breakout space for Horwood House.
As the central space between several conference rooms, it was crucial to make this area a place where delegates can relax, whilst making the space fluid to fit the needs of any function, be it socially-purposed, open-plan or marketplace-style in layout.
Visitors then enter the main space, with a large French Empire checkerboard dining table to the centre. This is coupled with a set of 6 carved oak dining chairs to complete the set, making this the perfect space for meetings, collaboration & food service.
Along the wall sits a coffee bar made from a reclaimed joist atop a pair of Victorian industrial legs, that originally came from a lathe. These are complemented by a pair of 1920s Holophane-style lights, alongside a tiled backsplash. The stools in this area comprise of a mixture of vintage pub & farmhouse stools, reupholstered in varying fabrics.
The gallery wall features a mixture of vintage frames, with some dating as far back as the Georgian era. These have had the glass & mounts replaced to hold a variety of media. On display are a series on vintage prints, documentation of the pieces in the area being restored and original oil paintings. Amidst these also sit a selection of dried flowers, herbs & vegetables, inspired by the seasonal menu and ethos of the kitchen within Harry's, the restaurant at the hotel, whilst also linked to the House's horticultural heritage. In the image to the left, you can see an arrangement made by our team showing a classic british roast dinner.
To separate the main floor from a more lounge-orientated area, we installed a vintage garden gate, that remains fully functional. This means it can act as a room-divider when needed, or fold away close to the wall in times when the space is more suited to an open plan arrangement for an event or function.
This piece was adapted with the addition of some reclaimed shelving to allow opportunity for further decoration and increased privacy for those separated by the screen.
The lounge area holds an antique carved French love-seat, alongside two matching armchairs.
From this angle you can best see the wall paneling found throughout this space made from a mixture of antique headboards to thematically link our involvement with Crisis on this project to the hotel. This motif started from viewing areas of authentic paneling in other areas of the hotel, which we wanted to mirror in our own way.
The headboards used are mainly Victorian, with some Art Deco and French Empire pieces incorporated also.
Close to the lounge area sits a repurposed French dresser, with a splashback and shelving made from a bed frame of similar origin.
Both pieces are hand carved from a mixture of oak and walnut and have be subtly altered to serve as a coffee station. Featuring original handles and detailing, the dresser appears in original condition but has some internal alterations in order for the piece to house a water butt and other functional elements.
The marble top is original and makes authentic yet easily cleanable surface for food & drink preparation.
You can see stocked at the top of the shelves the Crisis blend of coffee, made by Volcano Coffee. For every bag of this coffee that is bought, a percentage is donated straight to the charity. Horwood House has kindly agreed to stock this coffee for this machine to further ingrain Crisis' benefit and sense of place within this area.