The recent opening of the Ivy in Chelsea confirmed my suspicions...Winter gardens, hidden courtyards, secret terraces are 'THE' trend right now...
Image Courtesy The Ivy Chelsea
Hopefully, unlike the ferns or flamingos trends in interiors, it will not escalate to a ridiculous mass-market level... Until it happens, I thought about the places I have been to, that really sparkle in me that love for indoor giant fig or orange trees, ferns or palm trees, cosy winter gardens and hidden courtyards....
As I grew up in France, I frequently went to Paris to visit friends and remember being in a place called La Bellevilloise. This is probably where I first encountered massive indoor greenery trend... How to bring the outdoor, indoor...
Image courtesy La Bellevilloise
Image courtesy Paris East Village
In the same spirit (still in Paris) you can visit Le Comptoir General... An engaging cultural center and a popular place to eat, drink, and socialize...
Image courtesy Grey Magazine
Let's leave France for a minute to escape to Ireland. One of my fondest memory of giants palms brought inside a grand cafe, was Cafe en Seine in Dublin. Café En Seine is one of Dublin’s most popular drinks & nightlife venues for sure and it was one of my favorite places at the time I worked for the sensual fabric company Casamance. Café En Seine is probably not as "green" as the other bars and restaurants I mention in my post, but still a very vibrant and nature-filled destination where we had some awesome nights out. Sláinte!
Before we moved to Essex, I discovered an amazing little cafe not far from Sloane Square called April's Cafe, next to Boutique 1. That cafe is my little gem :-) Although the menu is not really varied, the location, big fern trees and the fact there is no noise at all there (from busy roads around!!!) make up for it somehow...
Seating is a combination of banquettes, stools at the bar, a large communal table and an outside terrace, which is both heated and covered to make it a versatile option in London’s unpredictable weather. With its indisputable modern edge, April’s has been designed to engage the eye of both stylish locals and visiting fashionistas, with plenty of available plug sockets to assist those who fuse business and leisure. (Sloanestreet.co.uk)
Image courtesy April's Cafe
Now, the Blixen. A place I am really looking forward to explore ASAP! It is located on Brushfield Street E1, which runs alongside London’s Old Spitalfields Market. Once a bank with lofty ceilings, the restaurant is filled with natural light. The interior looks informal with a classic, old world twist. After researching about the glorious garden, I found out it has been designed by super talented Grace & Thorn
Image courtesy The Blixen
"The Blixen garden oasis takes inspiration from all corners of the world", says Grace and Thorn's founder Nik Southern. The garden has a colonial feel featuring indoor plants such as the tropical Kentia Palm and the Cheeseplant. British natives such as ferns and ivy also feature heavily. (Anothermag.com)
Image courtesy The Blixen
Petersham nurseries, another oasis on my list. Apparently you can enjoy there a de-li-cious, locally-sourced Italian meal and take the time to enjoy the glorious plants around you... Petersham Nurseries has a glasshouse restaurant, a beautiful nursery and a gift shop where you can find one-of-a-kind antiques. Visit planned before the end of the year, stay tuned!
Image Courtesy Petersham Nurseries
Image Courtesy Petersham Nurseries
FINALLY!... The B&H Buildings in Clerkenwell! How did I hear about that gorgeous place.... Thanks to the lovely Siobhan Hayles who posted a delicious picture of that social space on Instagram, see it THERE!... I cannot believe I have NEVER been there so far and can't wait to visit!....
The B&H Buildings is off East London’s Exmouth Market, not far from Hoxton: it does traditional grandeur with a contemporary creative edge. Would you expect something less that this from East London? ;-) The place is submerged with natural light and all the hanging baskets around you give the venue a home-feel somehow sooooo relaxed... I have seen there is a greenhouse restaurant which makes me think I can have a fabulous al fresco experience indoor, yay!
Image Courtesy The Bourne & Hollingsworth Buildings
You can read more about the place on their website. In the meantime I thought those few words from the team at the B&HB really make you want to explore the venue asap!
We’ve combined unusual textures and modern shades with trailing plants and rich fabrics to produce a highly original space perfect for anyone wanting to impress clients to those of you who just want to sink into a beautiful armchair with a bloody good Mary. (www.bandhbuildings.com)
Don't hesitate to share with me other places in the world that have winter gardens, hidden courtyards, secret terraces... 'THE' trend not to be missed right now...
U x