Positioned above Paddington’s iconic Light Brigade Hotel, La Scala restaurant has had a facelift thanks to the adept touch of designer Annie Snell.

The building is an original Art-Deco Hotel built in the 1930’s and a central curved staircase divides the space which also features original brick rendered walls and windows.

The aim was to create a restaurant where the ambience is relaxed and the food is the hero.

For Annie Snell Design, every decision was budget and time driven as they only had three weeks to complete the design and build.

“We wanted to strip the restaurant back – so the materials we used were also stripped back – recycled oaks with oil finishes, leathers and warm colours,” commented Annie Snell. “We wanted to connect the space with the ground floor hotel where we introduced natural greens, blacks and timbers. We found this colour scheme attracted a more varied and balanced crowd and realized its potential in a dining environment.”

 The use of recycled timbers for the walls, bar fronts, columns and table tops ties the concept together.The space feels more relaxed but NOT casual.

The use of warm coloured bulbs throughout gives the space a more intimate feel. A selection of different fittings add interest and texture to the space.

Like many of her projects, Annie Snell tries not to use any sharp corners. All table tops for instance have slightly rounded edges and corners.

“Our major challenge has always been getting patrons to the first floor,” said Annie. ” By making it more of an extension to the hotel downstairs (rather than a separate entity) the client is less confused about the offering provided.”