And that was 2023…

A year full of great projects and an opportunity to work with like minded clients, with a real emphasis on sustainable design. 

We began the year completing the interior design of Doddington Hall's new site, which is located in a small hamlet, just outside of Lincolnshire. Doddington Hall is a country estate run by the Birch family. The estate has been in Claires family for many generations and she has a wonderful commitment to supporting the local plant and animal life found there, as a result the Wilder Doddington scheme was created.

Christmas 2022 APA was approached to help with the design of a new restaurant on the estate that was to be built where the old grain store previously stood. The idea behind the restaurant was to create a sustainable design that would be somewhere guests could be immersed in the important work of Wilder Doddington.

The restaurant was named The Grain Store with a strong nod to the site's original store that was located there. We were given the brief to create a destination venue, where guests in Lincolnshire would want to visit, for quality ingredients grown in the kitchen gardens, beautifully crafted cocktails and an opportunity to sit on the mezzanine and enjoy the endless views across the estate and over the river and boat house. 

The idea behind The Grain Store is to offer a place for exiting guests, bikers and walkers to relax in the day and in the evening, offering a more relaxed restaurant experience, with softer lighting and the use of the mezzanine floor. 

The interior design scheme became a way of softly educating guests on Wilder Doddington and the different recycled materials that guests previously may not have been aware of. 

The Grain store has two bars, one an impressive 10 meters long, both are predominantly oak, handcrafted to give an organic feel, with a recycled glass countertop, which will be back lit in the evening and will become a real focal point. 

We discussed introducing foliage into the space but there were worries on the maintenance of so many plants in such a large space. Therefore, we began to explore how to introduce plant life in other ways, not only as it has been proven that people spend money around plants but also due to the huge connection to the brand's story. Working with Clayworks we created a unique wall finish, where dried foliage like Meadow Grass, that is commonly found on the estate, was imprinted into the clay. Bar lighting was created by beautifully handmade glass pendants, and dried cotton grass was added to the centre of them, creating an impressive focal point. 

We also looked at adding bird footprints in the main flooring and created screenage where dried foliage could be placed between perspex and laid out in an abstract pattern. 

As part of the ‘Wilder Doddington 100 year Project’ where the objective is to bring more nature to Doddington Estate, Miranda Creswell was commissioned to create three oil paintings, each measuring 5 metres by 2.5 metres. These pieces will surround the bar and create a huge focal point. An ‘imagined landscape’ was created, the product of many locally observed smaller paintings and drawings. The main focus of the work is a landscape in constant movement and flux, be it weather patterns, movement in trees, grasses, insects, water, birds and animals. It is beautiful and we have greatly enjoyed seeing it evolve over our site visits. 

Other interesting features include timber posts from oak planks found hidden away on the estate, placed in corten base brackets and lit throughout the restaurant. Pendant lighting and acoustic boards are made from mycelium, bricks found on the estate have been repurposed for the skirting. An old Belfast sink has been used for the dog's water bowl outside, whilst the upholstery reflects the colour palette of old grain bags. 

The Grain Store will open in 2024 and we hope you will visit. 

We have also had the opportunity to work on some wonderful smaller projects but definitely not less important, including The Cricketers Arms, located in Birmingham. A fantastic team to work with and a great opportunity to undertake a facelift for an already very well established pub and eatery. 

Through adding new skylights the restaurant has been made a lot brighter, and by removing fixed seating, solid screens and dark timber finishes. 

Through adding new skylights the restaurant has been made a lot brighter, and by removing fixed seating and dark timber finishes. 

The idea behind the brand's development is to create an interior that has a strong nod to Indian and English cricket, taking inspiration from cricket shirts and the bright colours of traditional Indian patterns. The aim was to create somewhere families wanted to visit, couples and small groups of friends. We have sourced some beautiful terracotta floor tiles, where the pattern is reflective of the Indian cricket shirts.

If you would like to find out more about other projects we have been involved with this year, including beauty salons, retreats and small independents then check out our instagram as we finally start to update our work or drop an email to hello@apa-interiors.co.uk for an updated lookbook. 

For now though sending best wishes and wishing you all a very happy 2024. We look forward to discussing and supporting you with any new projects this year.