London-based architect Nick Leith-Smith has collaborated with hospitality strategist Forward Associates to create Arthur’s, a new eatery within the Liberty of London department store. Spanning 100 seats and 1,830 square feet along the second floor of the store, the restaurant is named for Liberty’s founder Arthur Lazenby Liberty.
Replacing an existing café, the London restaurant’s design is inspired by the store’s artistic aesthetic in its early days. Illuminated by globe pendant lighting, a row of scallop-shaped banquettes upholstered in blue and green velvet complement semicircle timber tables trimmed in brass. Warm metal hues of brass and copper are featured throughout the interior to offset the pervasive dark timber and velvet tones. A striped geometric wall design in vintage pink injects energy into the space.
A marble-topped bar serves as the centerpiece of the dining room, which is populated with circular Italian marble-topped tables and coffee house chairs. The bar’s face is adorned with handmade glazed tiles arranged diagonally to create a spectrum of color, while the metal gantry installed overhead is draped with copper ribbons. “Given the store’s storied heritage, reimagining the new Arthur’s restaurant at Liberty is a huge privilege,” Leith-Smith explains. “The space is welcoming and elegant—an evocative way to experience Liberty—and in keeping with its esteemed relationship with craftsmanship and design.”
