The Cut & Craft is a luxurious all-day dining experience, located in the iconic Victoria Quarter, which is promising to transform Leeds’s casual premium dining scene. Offering a delicious array of fare from its famous Flat Iron Steak, classic mains, and bespoke hand-crafted cocktails, beers, and wines, The Cut & Craft is the ultimate spot for accessible all-day dining and elegant evening meals.
Formerly home to Collinson’s Café – where Titanic band master Wallace Hartley played shortly before boarding the ill-fated liner – the stunning building hosts iconic architectural features that has been sensitively incorporated into the design, including the beautiful domed ceiling and circular central bar.
In order to capture the ambience of grandeur and chic atmosphere, lighting designer Mistry Lighting appointed Lucent to provide innovative lighting solutions throughout the restaurant and bar spaces.
Krishna Mistry from Mistry Lighting Ltd explains: “The key aim of the lighting design was to create a beautiful space that can transition into a lively venue in the evening. It was also important to the client to celebrate the history of the site and the established branding of the restaurant, which provided some unique opportunities to play with light in order to create depth, texture and a sense of wonder in amongst the striking architectural features.”
Wallace Hartley’s legacy would also play a key role in the design concepts within the space, with interior designer Studio Two taking on the visual story of the bar and restaurant, which centred around The Titanic. The lighting complemented and accentuated the design features, which include sumptuous gold and brass fittings, deep oceanic hues, water-like metallics, crafted timbers and inviting textures.
The glass dome creates an iconic centre point for the space, in which Lucent’s experts were able to employ downlights around the structure’s underside to highlight its stunning curves and intricate glass panelling.
The use of ambient lighting in the seating areas beneath the dome bathes guests in a warm, golden glow that harks back to the romance and luxury of Titanic’s iconic décor.
The champagne bar, located on the first floor, is designed to represent The Pearl of the Ocean, using pearlescent wallpaper and back-lit onyx worktops. The standalone bar is illuminated in golden light, with stylishly inviting seating to draw in guests and create a show-stopping feature under the majestic dome. Amidst the bar, backlit shelves showcase sparkling glasses and bottles, drawing the eye and creating added depth and texture.
Giovanni Premi from Lucent, said: “The decadent architectural features and beautifully crafted fittings made this a dream brief for our team. Utilising cutting-edge lighting fixtures, we were able to achieve stunning results that blended the opulence and luxury of yesteryear with the chic modernity of a fresh, premium dining experience.
“We played with colour and shadows to enhance the brand experience for guests – highlighting the regal and striking blue shades selected by the interior designers in the reception, booth seating and bar areas.
“We wanted the lighting design to carefully accentuate every detail within the space – from the artwork on the walls – which we delicately enhanced with spotlighting – to the intimate mood lighting of the restrooms, which twinkles against the reflective ceiling to create an underwater effect.”
The result is a dynamic and creative lighting design, illuminating opulent features and rich decorative hues for a space that is impactful, atmospheric, and meets the brief perfectly to bring the history and luxury of The Cut & Craft to life.
Project credits:
Lighting Designer: Krishna Mistry, Mistry Lighting
Interior Designer: Studio Two Interior Design – Harrogate –
Electrical Contractor: D and A York Ltd
Photographer: Stevie Campbell