The brief:

Craig Forbes, Operations Manager at Mains of Drum, a family owned garden centre situated between Banchory and Peterculter, approached our team with the task of decorating their coffee shop.

Craig had a clear vision for the overall look that they wanted to achieve, and had started planning before we’d even met. Working closely with their team, it became clear exactly what they wanted and how we could achieve it.

What started as a small refresh, with the replacement of wallpaper and seat coverings, developed into a full revamp of the space, incorporating new features to complement the original features.

Key design elements:

With the coffee shop being so popular, upholstery and lighting were the main focus of this project, allowing us to brighten up the space and ensure that the furniture could withstand a high turnover of customers.

In keeping with the country theme, we introduced beautiful wool textures in the upholstery, contrasting with a more practical leather base for some variety. The industrial style lighting created a point of interest to draw the eye upwards and through the large space, giving the whole area a feeling of extra height.

The layout of the sofa seating was reconfigured to create a more flexible area that maximised the space available. The new carpet in this area works well with the original hardwood flooring as it creates a clear zone between different seating areas, yet still ensures that the space flows seamlessly with the rest of the coffee shop.

Finally, the standout feature is the striking butterfly wallpaper, another point of interest that draws your eye through to the back of the coffee shop:

“The fun pattern on the feature wallpaper works perfectly for the setting of Mains of Drum, and it’s a great talking point while enjoying a lovely cup of coffee and cake!” - Amy Bruce, Interior Designer

End result:

The coffee shop has a strong family feel to it. With interiors that are welcoming yet practical, the space is perfect for keeping clean yet is still warm and relaxing for visitors to feel at home.

Each element flows together really well, which is crucial in an area so large. Having feature wallpaper and lighting helps act as a point of interest, whilst pulling the space together.

“We had worked closely with Andersons in the past, and it was lovely getting to work with the team again taking a collaborative approach when updating our popular coffee shop.

“The whole process was simple and straightforward, and we love the end result - I think my favourite feature would have to be the sofas and seat coverings, and of course the butterfly wallpaper!” - Craig Forbes, Operations Manager at Mains of Drum.