La Cantina – Heaton Moor
La Cantina is a new tapas bar in Heaton Moor which we completed in September 2016. The restaurant was a bespoke design and build project, from branding the concept right through to the full fit out. Our brief was to create the homely atmosphere of an old Catalan tapas bar, as if it had been plucked from the back streets of La Rambla and settled on Heaton Moor Road, many years ago.
The space is cosy, relaxing and welcoming and the staff, from the chefs in the open kitchen to the front of house, are mostly Spanish. The food is authentic, fresh and delicious!
The lighting in the restaurant was sourced from street markets in Barcelona. We used colourful toleware wall lights, a hand carved wooden pendant, a multi-coloured glass flowered pendant, and three painted hand woven baskets which we turned into lamp shades.
We used technical decorative painting techniques to create the look of well worn lime plaster for all the main walls. The use of burgundy and deep greens in some of the elements contrast with the bold yellow, orange and green in the branding. We used new oak worktops distressed with dark wax for the bar and shelving and original 19th century wrought iron balustrades for the stairs and under the bar shelving.
The whole look was finished with hand painted antique decorative plates, terracotta ware, an original oil painting, hand painted cutlery tins, vintage shelving and Spanish provincial market finds.