Restaurant Interior Design Case Study: Salthouse Harbour Hotel
Faber transformed Salthouse Harbour Hotel’s bar and brasserie through an art-led concept inspired by the owners extensive art collection.
Rather than drawing on obvious waterfront references, the design explores how interiors can become part of the artistic conversation. The former lobby was reimagined as a destination bar, while the restaurant became a vibrant British brasserie with a stronger connection between brand, space and guest experience.
Concept Development
The starting point was a rejection of the familiar hospitality design formula. Instead of recreating the hotel’s local context too literally, the concept focused on discovery.
Robert and Claire Gough’s long-standing passion for collecting art became the foundation for the project. Faber looked beyond the artworks themselves, exploring the mindset of the artist - curiosity, experimentation and interpretation - as the basis for the interiors.
Brand Concept
The Salthouse brand identity was developed around an organic, symbolic S, inspired by sculptural forms.
Designed as a flexible mark, the S can be overlaid with artwork to represent different areas of the experience — the hotel, bar and brasserie, spa and sauna boat. It can also be repeated to create a distinctive pattern language, extending the identity across menus, printed pieces and guest touchpoints.
This allowed the brand to feel expressive, adaptable and closely connected to the wider creative concept of the interiors.
From Concept to Interior Design
The interiors were designed to feel part gallery, part artwork in their own right.
In the bar, rich fabrics, warm tones and layered lighting create intimacy within the former glazed lobby. In the brasserie, colour, form and commissioned artworks are used more boldly, creating a series of distinct settings throughout the room.
The Salt Light Installation
Within the brasserie, salt became a source of creative enquiry rather than a literal reference to place.
Artwork explores the microscopic structure of salt crystals, while the suspended light sculpture translates their molecular geometry into an illuminated three-dimensional form. The result is a focal point that connects the hotel’s name, concept and guest experience through art and light.
"The redesign has really anticipated what our customers want and taken it to a level we never thought possible. We're delighted with the result, but more importantly the response from our customers has been incredible."
- Robert Gough, owner of Gough Hotels
Before and After...The transformation gave new purpose to spaces that were previously underused.
By reducing the reception footprint and turning the lobby into a fully operational bar, Faber created a new commercial opportunity while improving the layout and flexibility of the restaurant. The result is a stronger, more distinctive F&B offer for hotel guests and local customers alike.
Commercial Impact
The Salthouse project was about more than creating beautiful spaces. It was an opportunity to strengthen the hotel's food and beverage offer, improve the guest experience and support the long-term growth of the business.
By rethinking the layout, underutilised circulation space was transformed into a new 30-cover destination bar, creating an additional revenue stream and a stronger arrival experience. Removing the restaurant's central island bar also released space for 20 additional dining covers while improving flexibility within the brasserie.
Alongside the interior transformation, Faber developed a new visual identity to support the hotel's evolving offer, including its new spa and sauna boat. Together, the redesign and rebrand helped reposition Salthouse Harbour Hotel as one of Suffolk's leading independent hospitality destinations.
The result is a more commercially effective environment, a clearer brand identity and a stronger appeal to both local customers and overnight guests.
The finished result... 
An interview with owner Robert Gough
To reflect on the project, Salthouse owner Robert Gough sits down with Faber’s Creative Director Tony Matters to discuss the thinking behind the redesign, the challenges of transforming a well-loved hotel and the impact the project has had on both the business and its guests.
Watch the conversation below to hear the story behind the transformation in their own words.
View the full finished project here →
Explore our restaurant interior design and hospitality branding services.
