Given a Georgian manor house-turned-uber luxurious country house hotel near Ascot to play with, how do you create a restaurant that manages to work seamlessly as a bright, informal breakfast room, but convey an adequately special, glamorous destination feel come evening?
This was the challenge that faced Martin Hulbert Design when charged with creating the restaurant at Coworth Park – for the second time, after overseeing the hotel’s original renovation in 2010.
This time, the London interior design studio was asked to reimagine the space as it became Woven by Adam Smith, to reflect the former Ritz chef’s classic, Michelin-starred, yet deliciously down-to-earth menus.
Style
Different spaces in Coworth Park are themed around the four seasons depending on the aspect of the room. Woven has been given the autumnal treatment, which translates in a rust, mustard and caramel palette across mohair and velvet upholstery and buttery leather.
Oak leaf-printed linen wall coverings and ombre curtains add a natural, earthy texture to compliment the food, as much as possible of which is sourced locally.
The most literal nod to autumn – and the restaurant setting – can be seen in the plaster plaque with root vegetables in relief by Locker & Riley that lines the back wall.
That’s not to say the restaurant does not work outside the harvest festival – blond wood and linen stop things getting too heavy, while the spectacular floor-to-ceiling sash windows overlooking the grounds transcend the seasons and will be equally appealing in spring and summer as the rich warm tones and cocooning lighting are in autumn and winter.
It’s the lighting that really helps take the restaurant from day to night and fresh to cosy, with pendant lights that are elevated during breakfast and lowered to offer more intimate pools of light in the evening.
There’s subtle Georgiana in the truly impressive wine room and pantry through which guests enter the restaurant, where cheeses and other bounty are displayed in an abundant (and mouthwateringly stinky) still life.
Design gem
The lighting installation designed by British architect Umut Yamac is constructed from 7,000 metres of gold cord, stretched across the bars to resemble threads on a loom, in reference to the restaurant’s name or an abstract, geometric forest canopy.
Light is refracted through the threads to mimic shafts of sunlight beamed between tree branches.
The thread motif is echoed in privacy screens set between tables, adding to the intimate, cocooning feel with the kinetic effect of the light dancing between the cords helping avoid any off-putting heaviness.
Get the look at home
The caramel leather armchairs are by Italian heritage design brand Poltrona Frau, which has some models stocked in Harrods and the Aram store in London. You could commission a root vegetable plaster cast of your own, or opt for a somewhat more affordable version with summer fruits by Peter Hone, £135 from Pentreath and Hall.
But the most covetable item has got to be the hand-painted glazed clay horse chestnuts that adorn the tables in place of flower arrangements in the evening. These are from Walsall firm Penkridge Ceramics and cost from £91 for a stalk-free version with removeable conker.
Good to know
It’s an unfortunate fact that sustainability often commands a high price tag and, while Coworth Park is working to operate as sustainably as possible, it is an almost impossible task to be both truly eco-friendly and truly luxurious.
However, the emphasis on sustainable and, where possible, local ingredients — with dishes such as Cornish crab with Kalamansi, radish and Thai green dressing; and Fallow deer, rhubarb and seddon leeks currently featuring and a heavily English-skewed wine list — is also reflected in the use of sustainable and repurposed furnishings by British makers and artisans.
Cutlery and plates are all different, some hand made, some vintage; the sleek dining tables are in fact made from layers of recycled paper; and handbag stools were whittled by a local woodworker out of fallen oak trees.
And a hot foodie tip: make sure to indulge in some chocolate. Smith is a genius with sweet treats and Woven is the only place to enjoy the chef’s phenomenal Valhrona chocolate.
How to book
Lunch at Woven costs £85pp with a wine pairing for £75. Dinner is £150pp; wine pairing £110. Book here
