Polishing a Bettys gem: creating our new-look Belmont Room

Polishing a Bettys gem: creating our new-look Belmont Room

As Aesthetics Director for Bettys, Clara Turlington recently took on a very important job – ensuring that the refurbishment of our historic Belmont Room and Suite stayed true to the luxurious vision of our founder Frederick Belmont, while making it even more delightful for today’s visitors. We spoke to Carla and found out how everything from carpets to wallpaper has been perfectly curated.

Why is the Belmont Room so special to Bettys?

The Belmont Room and Suite is almost unchanged from when Bettys founder Frederick Belmont commissioned it in 1937. It is his legacy to us. It’s an architectural gem both in terms of its contribution to our national heritage (Bettys York is a grade II listed building) but also a significant part of our legacy and the continued success of Bettys. It is the jewel in the Bettys crown and, for many customers, it has become part of their families’ collective memory of happy times.

Why has this refurbishment work taken place?

With a historic building like ours that is also a working Café Tea Room, there is always a careful balance between retaining what is significant to us as a family business and our heritage, and what we need to do to ensure that our interiors are as spectacular as possible. We want our customers to have a magical experience, and although so much of the room is beautiful, there were elements that needed to be updated to ensure that visitors continued to be delighted by them too.

What has influenced you in creating a new look?

We were hugely influenced by the room itself and the craftsmanship and detailing of the original room, the ambition of the original endeavour by Frederick Belmont. But also, the Art Deco era – however, we have to be really clear what we mean by Art Deco, as it is such a broad term that is different in lots of people’s minds. The architectural style we have in the Belmont Suite features beautiful forms with the subtle repetition of distinct motifs – some geometric, others softer and curvilinear. There are references to the aerodynamic Streamline Moderne look, yet the Belmont Suite mixes decorative, purely aesthetic flourishes with fine lines and strong vertical form. The natural grain of the wood panelling almost appears as an animal print in places; the beautiful etched glass panels with stylised clouds, exotic figures, mountains and palm trees depict scenes of far‐off lands, a theme of travel echoed by the flying geese marquetry. Collectively, these all lead to an interaction of lines, geometric forms with soft, organic shapes, scenic images and textures that balance out to create the overall look and feel. It is far more gentle than, say, one of the most famous Art Deco buildings, the Chrysler building. This is closer to The Rivoli Bar at the Ritz, but with decadent afternoon tea on offer rather than cocktails (although we do serve wonderful champagne cocktails with our afternoon tea). There are also similarities with the 1930s interiors of Eltham Palace.

What craftspeople have you worked with?

We have worked with many craftspeople: a talented seamstress has re-imagined and upcycled our curtains to give them a new life. We have a long history of working with Wilton Carpets and together have developed a bespoke carpet inspired by the stylised clouds in our etched glass. The wallpaper in the restrooms has been designed for us by Haley Studios – a local family firm that creates an original piece of art to produce a wallpaper – and is inspired by the beautiful etched glass panels in the Belmont Room. We believe in the personal connection. We enjoy working with local family businesses who share Bettys values.

How do you want Bettys customers to feel when they visit the refurbished Belmont Room?

We want our customers to feel even more special. We want the whole experience to feel elegant, beautiful and befitting of the time that people have chosen to spend with us. We also want an interior that perfectly complements our famous customer service, attention to detail and the craft of our bakery.