Henrietta Southam Design have been Shortlisted for Restaurant – The Americas Award in The International Hotel and Property Awards 2021.

The Clarendon’s design was inspired by the owner’s wishes to bring an upscale snug pub to a hip and savvy crowd in the historical heart of Ottawa. Green was quickly chosen as the lead colour inspired from the turn-of-the-century French butcher shop tiles, a nod to the past echoed in the tapestry wallpaper more often seen in upscale Parisian boudoirs. The remodel was extensive as all surfaces were brought down to the studs and the space was redistributed to best serve a more organic flow between the front and the back. The concept was cheekily called “The Libertine Librarian” and is accessorised accordingly with library lights reminiscent of all-nighters pulled in said sacred spaces across the world.

The youthful twist and most adored pieces are the candy-like vintage lamps, with beautifully designed parchment tiered shades out of Oregon. Bringing in moss green velvets and felts as well as ox-blood leathers and tortoise rattan give the Clarendon the undeniable warmth of a cosy corner where open-mike Thursdays and board game Friday’s appeal to an all-ages clientele who seek trusted tavern fare with a twist in a luscious Old World setting with punch. The design birth of The Clarendon was at the heart of Henrietta’s “Restaurateurs and Relationships” story in Luxe Ottawa’s Magazine Winter 2018 Edition.

The design is pulled from the most vivid memories Henrietta’s life. The Clarendon’s eponymous green and black tiles hark back to her Parisian childhood memories of the corner butcher. The white, oak panels a lighter version of her University cafeteria walls, and the distressed floor tiles bringing back her visit to Lisboa. The wallpaper from Cole & Son is a nod to a 19th-century carpetbagger; The man who would knock on doors to sell an array of ingenious wares held in a large bag made from a recycled wool kilim. Sprinkle in industrial school chairs, oxblood leather banquettes, moss green velvet booths, with lobster-trap wicker lights and you get approachable, recognizable, affordable design that lends itself toward calm, comfort and companionship within its hallowed walls.

Henrietta Southam Design

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