Acanteen

Floor Area: 7100 sq ft | Location: Chelmsford, Essex

Acanteen is a family-run, all day restaurant and bar in Chelmsford, headed up by a mother and daughter team. Outgrowing their previous unit, Acanteen found a new, larger space in the centre of town.

Lifeforms were keen to take on the project to revamp this local restaurant. As the space was a former car park below a department store, the low slab height and minimal daylight it gave tough restrictions to design around. Despite the challenges, we managed to incorporate an open kitchen and canteen style dining area with a bar and deli/café counter (known as Abakeshop). Working on a tight budget, we kept the design simple but clever use of materials gave the warm and inviting feel that perfectly matched the Acanteen ethos.