Interior design studio Duelle, based between London and Milan, have created the scheme for an informal plant-based restaurant in Somerset House’s south wing: Café Petiole. Inspired by the great artist cafés of Europe and dreamed up in line with head chef Rishim Sachdeva’s ‘rustic and nostalgic’ influences, the space founders Melanie Liaw and Micaela Nardella have masterminded extends a warm welcome to artists and non-artists alike – with a colour palette to match.
Using Coat Paints, Duelle has achieved playful saturation with pastel colours that invoke their continental inspirations: the lemony walls could be straight from a Sicilian grove, injecting a bit of sunshine into the cooler natural light of London. The custom palette is deliberately vivid, adding warmth to a space that otherwise could easily feel dark (as anyone who’s ventured into the labyrinthine Somerset House can attest). The ‘Ash Rose’ shade, used on the seating and tables, was picked to give the space a ‘romantic’ feel, balanced by buttery blue accents. ‘We knew we wanted the space to be thought of as “the yellow café” at Somerset House,’ says Nardella – and mission accomplished.
Renowned for his critically acclaimed Tendril restaurant in Mayfair, Sachdeva has opted for a mostly vegan menu over at Petiole. Expect cheering confections like almond, fennel seed and morello cherry cake and plum crumble, overseen by Tendril’s own head of pastry Tarryn Williams, alongside sandwiches, salads, dips and fresh bread.
Duelle collaborated closely with the chef on the look and feel of the space. They also worked with a local artisan they particularly admire to craft parchment and wire pendant wall lights reminiscent of budding petals – an elegant reference to the café’s name. ‘It’s wonderful when contacts we have worked with from our residential works cross over into our hospitality projects – we always feel like this adds a freshness to both sides of our work,’ Liaw explains.
As well as adding contemporary twists, the duo wanted to look back in time, exploring how any additions to the historically significant building – a sprawling Neoclassical complex first commissioned by the Duke of Somerset in 1549 and built up over the 17th and 18th centuries – could be sensitively handled. To help integrate the space, Liaw and Nardella came up with a form of rose-coloured faux marble cornicing, which they then hand-painted, with a satin-like quality and a ‘whimsical and artistic’ feel; a nod, the pair confirms, to the theatrical flourishes seen elsewhere in the building, such as in the ornate details of the Seamen’s Hall or the golden light fixtures in the Navy Board Rooms. It was a rewarding experience, Liaw reflects, to be able to work inside such a richly historic setting with a diverse history in public service, entertainment, art and commerce. ‘It has been truly exciting to be able to invite people in to experience that dialogue between architecture, design and service.’
For more information, visit somersethouse.org.uk
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