Apologies that it has been so long since our last blog. We have had a very busy eight months, working hard and I trust that the results are worth while.

Since the last post, back in July, we have completed Masters House Hotel in Hertfordshire, and have completed Bar Wizard Lounge in Littleborough for a couple of celebrity barmen.

Following on from the success of Velvet Hotel in Manchester, we have been asked to undertake work for Bar Fibre: a well-established venue in Leeds. We aim for a makeover that moves away from ‘modern contemporary’, to a more sophisticated look – the brief was for a lot of ‘theatre and camp ‘, and I hope that the sketches alongside do it justice.

On the pub side of things, ‘ The Cheadle Hulme’, ‘The Griffin’, the ‘Bridgewater’ and  ‘ The Cock O’Budworth’ for Joseph Holts have all been finished , and well on its way to completion is the Elizabethan Public House, in Heaton Moor for J. W. Lees.

Barbirolli was finally finished prior to December, see images opposite and on www.barbirolli.com and we have also developed designs for an Italian restaurant off King Street in Manchester, together with a new unit for Chilli Banana in the Trafford Centre.

Nick is currently working on designs for a new Barburrito in Deans Gate, Manchester, and also a further outlet in Leeds ; the concept has developed quite a lot from the initial outlet in Manchester

We are still working for Nectar Taverns ‘Last Orders’, with Rylle and Kendle being  the latest to be completed, and finally we have a couple of projects on not too far removed from the world of football – a house and a bar should be keeping us busy, then.

Interesting times indeed……………..

We have been working on the refurbishment of the suites, lounges and stands for the past six months or so, but the subsequent promotion of the club resulted inenhanced schemes, a greater spend and a much tighter programme - we now have to get ready for the visit of Man U at the beginning of August  and are all watching Burnely’s progress with interest. For details see the presentation opposite.

Richard has been working on a couple of schemes and sketches for J.W.Lees…….

……and we are getting really excited about the opportunity to design a Steampunk bar in the centre of Manchester…….more of this next month!!

Browsing through this sunday’s Observer newspaper, I came across a fabulous review in the Escape section of our work at Velvet hotel in Manchester by Joanne O’Connor, calling it “Manchester’s chic-est Boutique Hotel”….

Its nice to feel that you have achieved something – we generally try to work closely with clients to achieve something stunning, and to be recognised nationally means at least we must be doing something right!

If you haven’t seen it already check out the Velvet website gallery, whish shows the “dramatic flourishes” and rooms “decorated with great flair ……all in the best possible taste”.

www.velvetmanchester.com

Elsewhere we have been working on a new outlet for Barburrito in the North-West – they still have to complete on the site, but hopefully the sketches (opposite) will help close the deal. It’s a good operation, having already picked up awards at the Manchester Food and Drink festival for Best Newcomer, and it would be nice to see more of these outlets appearing…………..and the food is excellent!

Finally, as I write, we are being briefed out on new interior works at Turf Moor, home of newly promoted Burnley Football Club – more news and pictures to come next month

With regard to Barbirolli that I mentioned last week, our sister graphics practice The Purple Penguins, are working on the corperate identitiy and branding - it’s worth checking out their website as they do some really good stuff in the leisure industry, particularly for Wyborowa Wodka 

www.purplepenguins.co.uk

last week The Lake Court Hotel at Carlisle that Paul has been working on opened its doors to the public - we did 28 bedrooms together with the grounnd floor public areas. … pictures are opposite, and we think that it looks very good.

Ok, so whats new this week - we have just finished the best part of eighteen months work on Velvet Hotel on Canal street in the centre of Manchester, which opens around now ………19 bedrooms, each completely different - a logistical pain, but we enjoyed every minute of it, and I realised a long time ago that if you are not enjoying it then there is little point in doing it. The Hotel is really cool, check it out on www.velvetmanchester.co.uk……………….

Next up for us is a 30 bedroom hotel on Oldham street over Dry bar - again a boutique hotel , this time with a central glazed atrium to get some daylight into the centre of the building. I have made a seriously good model , Richard has done a reasonable sketch (you will need to click on the sketch to get the full image) and the planners - after some eighteen months again - have given it the thumbs up from the Conservationists and the green light for planning approval……………..

………and for upcomimg t.v.appearences, watch this space……

 Photographs of the model and Richards’ sketch for NQ Hotel, over Dry Bar.

www.joseph-holt.com

The site had previously been a restaurant but had been shut for some twelve months or so; our client had already decided to extend the property – partly an old stone-built pub – and our brief was to provide a dining area with theatre kitchen , bar and champagne bar. We agreed with the client on a palette of natural materials – light stone floors together with French walnut flooring to the front bar area, limed oak vertical boarding again to front of house with custom built panelling to the rear dining rooms and the champagne bar………comfy furniture, and a lot of individual items sourced and selected by the client himself.

The restaurant caters for some eighty or so covers around the theatre kitchen and the display fridges holding the uncooked steaks for selection – the clients background in butchery demands prime importance being given to the quality of produce and its preparation. Together with the traditional bar to the front of the premises there is a cocktail bat to the rear providing much more of a ‘clubby’ atmosphere.

Drinking, dining – all in a relaxed atmosphere that combines traditional comfort with contemporary styling and quality service – and good food!

see also www.fencegate.co.uk …we designed the bar and the restaurant.

The client – a local operator with good knowledge of the city and the client base.

The brief – to take the bar forward, make it warmer , add a touch of glamour and warmth.

The result – a stylish classy bar, booth seating , a hint of thirties cocktail style and a feel, an identity to lift it away from the boring cream walls / brown leather sofa bars that seem to be everywhere these days. An interior we were really pleased with,
especially as we were asked to do another one in Beverley for the same client.

As usual Purple Penguin Design did an excellent job on the branding and the wall murals.

Park Royal was another new acquisition for Q Hotels.

The public areas of this 130 bedroom, Leisure and Conference Hotel had been decorated in the style of a Regency Manor House.
The Brief was to rework the public spaces, loosing the labrynthe of seating areas and creating an open Bar and Lounge which flowed from the Reception Lobby through to the stand alone Restaurant.

Gillinghams design was to create a contemporary curvilinear interior. Ignoring the grid of beams and cornices all new elements intoduce cherry veneers, natural Coniston slates and rich black granites.

Ultra modern chrome and glass lights, together with slick modern art work. The interior theming has a passing nod to the local network of canals and waterways extending to the high technology of Santiago Calatrava and cutting edge technology of the Falkirk wheel.

A truly modern re-working of a traditional space.

www.qhotels.co.uk