Trebah Restaurant

Location: Mawnan Smith, UK
Client: Trebah Garden Trust
interior designer: hart miller design
photography: anthony greenwood

Trebah Garden is home to the award winning Trebah Kitchen, a café that prides itself on locally sourced, home-cooked food. Situated at the entrance of the gardens, the café is visually arresting, with high ceilings with exposed wooden beams, and floor-to-ceiling windows with views out into the sub-tropical gardens below.

Hart Miller Design was commissioned to update the interior by highlighting the architecture and connecting it with the garden, and the new lighting compliments their fresh and contemporary design. The use of organic forms and natural materials bring the outside in. For example, the cluster of bone china pendants in the entrance are reminiscent of seed pods. The eye is then drawn to the focal point of the cafe, the striking seven metre long Tom Raffield chandelier over the servery, whose steam bent curling forms are created from sustainably sourced ash. Orange and yellow wall lights add bright pops of colour, whilst discreet high level lighting provides the necessary light levels without distracting from the impressive architecture.

The overall effect of the new lighting scheme and interior is a bright and airy atmosphere that is more friendly and welcoming than ever; a testament to how effective design can transform a space. This was backed up by a 15% increase in sales in the new café’s first season.