Sketchbook: Amavi

Welcome to Sketchbook - a space where we share the latest ideas, inspirations and design thinking emerging from the Faber studio.

Finding Common Ground

One of the most rewarding aspects of hospitality design is discovering unexpected connections.

For Amavi, a new Mediterranean restaurant in the historic market town of Marlborough, the challenge wasn't to recreate a Greek taverna or a rustic Italian trattoria. It was to find the common ground between Mediterranean vernacular and an eighteenth-century English cottage.

Texture. Colour. Pattern.

The restaurant occupies what were once two adjoining terraced houses, with the retained staircase to the accommodation above dividing the interior into two distinct dining spaces. Rather than seeing this as a constraint, we looked to celebrate the journey between them, creating a sequence of spaces that gradually unfold as guests move through the restaurant.

Working within the existing plan meant embracing the character of the building rather than fighting against it. The design carefully balances the practical requirements of the restaurant with the historic fabric, allowing the architecture to continue telling its story while introducing a fresh identity inspired by the Mediterranean.

The interiors are intentionally understated, allowing the character of the building to remain at the forefront. Existing timber beams and the rich patina of the original structure are complemented by an earthy palette of ochres, burnt umber and natural textures, bringing warmth without competing with the architecture. In the second dining room, a deep earthy green establishes its own atmosphere, providing contrast whilst remaining part of the same visual language.

Rather than imposing a Mediterranean aesthetic onto an English building, the concept explores where the two traditions overlap. The result is a restaurant that feels both familiar and transporting - rooted in its historic setting, yet unmistakably inspired by the warmth and generosity of Mediterranean hospitality.