Part of the Chatsworth estate, Carriage House Café is a self-service, fully licensed restaurant located in the 18th century stable block designed by James Paine.

Chatsworth House’s original kitchen was the starting point for the refurbished Carriage House Café which required a sensitive but durable renovation. In order to conjure up the feeling of a working kitchen, our interiors team relied on a paired-back palette of neutral colours utilising organic materials like wood. Plastic chairs were replaced with wooden ones, and large, chunky pieces of furniture – such as a table made of railway sleepers for the bakery products – create a sense of functionality. 

Jelly moulds, books, decorative items and an assortment of domestic objects have been carefully selected from Chatsworth’s archive and placed around the space to capture the warmth and familiarity of a country kitchen and to connect the restaurant with its heritage.  

Flourishes of dry flowers by influential florists Swallows & Damsons can be found in large vases and adorning furniture throughout the café, alluding to the abundant natural world outside in Chatsworth’s gardens and the wider estate.

Circulation was improved by opening an old corridor, enabling customers to move through the space with ease. The gantrys and signage were redesigned by our team for maximum clarity and to improve the user journey.

The final café draws on Chatsworth’s long history and highlights the building’s original architecture to create a welcoming atmosphere that enables customers to fully unwind after a bracing walk in the great outdoors.