DESIGN NOTES 

 The inspiration for the new Victoria Terrace tea rooms at The Grand came by researching the history of conservatories in a beach setting. We discovered the first iron and glass conservatory was the Athenium, just down the beach and built around the same time as the hotel. We took this as our theme and there is a Victorian conservatory image on one wall with contemporary furnishings in strong Victorian colours. The Harlequin Amazilia Velvet fabric was the starting point for the colour scheme and used as a feature to the back of custom made lounge chairs. Hotel guests apparently keep asking to buy the chairs…the ultimate compliment!

The end result is an uplifting interior which retains its Victorian heritage in a refreshed and relaxed way, a perfect place for afternoon tea. The feeling created in the main lounge is of luxury and refinement. Carly Gordon explains; “In the main lounge and bar we took our inspiration from an original pair of paintings of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert which we had restored. They’re perfect for the period of the building but to make a contemporary statement we situated them within a large grid of very small gold frames on a back-drop of dark blue textured wallpaper. The Zoffany Tespi Velvets range was the perfect upholstery for this area in gold and blue colour ways, adding the touch of glamour these spaces demand”.