We caught up with Dave Knight from Dtwo, the team behind the redesign of The Lonsdale, who filled us in on a little bit about himself and the project.
Lonsdale - What was your brief with the Lonsdale?
DK - Simply to redesign an already great night spot, making the venue slicker and tailoring The Lonsdale for an increasingly discerning bunch of West London sophisticats not content with an ailing interior decor and also to impact, through good design, the day to day (or night to night) operational side of the business.
Lonsdale - What did you set out to achieve with the space?
DK - The trick at The Lonsdale was tweaking the Operational side and really making the bar and dining room functional. Once that is concrete you’re half way there and before you know it your deep down and dirty with the finishes.
DK - Being no stranger to The Lonsdale’s late night antics I was already familiar with the space and had for years thought about ‘what could be’ whilst waiting for drinks service in the ‘narrow squeeze’ that was a Friday and Saturday night.
Lonsdale - What was your inspiration behind the design?
DK - The design side of things come naturally. We are constantly playing with materials and have a good angle on how things should look and be constructed. We’re inspired by just about everything that surrounds us.
DK - It was imperative we focused our attentions on the operational side as mentioned firstly. The interior fit by Dtwo is usually a more technical affair, choosing to shun wall paper in favour of a mechanically textured finish in whatever form it may take. We feel commercial fits shouldn’t utilise products you could buy for your home, they should be different, challenging and individual. Bar and dining experiences are about theatre, drama and about the actual experience. It should be about a sensory experience that one wouldn’t get by staying home! It’s about going for it and getting involved!
Lonsdale - What has been your favourite project and why?
DK - It’s got to be the first project we ever took on - back in the 90s! It was our first foray in to the dark and sometimes rather murky world of the London bar scene. A project that cost the best part of £900,000, which back in the day was not unheard of...In fact it was almost the norm. It enabled us to work solely on the one project, from inception to completion. It was a blast from start to finish. Great friendships were formed, and a great bar was delivered!
Lonsdale - What do you enjoy most about your job?
DK - I love tinkering and being inquisitive. Formally trained at Central in Product and Industrial design says it all really. I ride everywhere on motorbikes, most of which we build and race. I love wearing a suit one day and overalls the next. I love dealing with old white lab coat manufacturers with handlebar moustaches (you know who you guys are) and have a penchant for the British Industrial Age.
Lonsdale - And finally, if you could only give one piece of advice to someone who is looking to re-design a bar/restaurant, what would it be?
DK - Get involved, get excited, get passionate and don’t accept no for an answer. Go full on, go all out and have a blast whilst you do it.
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