Since founding his own label in 2007, Lee Broom has risen to become one of UK’s leading product and interior designers. His lighting and furniture collections, as well as his retail, restaurant, and bar interiors encompass traditional British manufacturing techniques. By working closely with specialist craftsmen, Broom has produced collections that have garnered awards such as Designer of The Year Award in the British Design Awards 2011 and the ELLE Decor British Design Award for his “Crystal Bulb” in 2012.
Broom’s latest endeavor is an interior design project for the restaurant and cocktail lounge Old Tom & English that opened last just over a month ago. Located on Wardour Street in London, Old Tom & English is a contemporary take on 1960s home entertaining. Broom has created a space with relaxed and elegant features that incorporate many of his products from his latest collection “Nouveau Rebel.”
Photo by Luke Hayes
Old Tom & English is all about balance. The contemporary designs are based on traditional English aesthetics, with materials such as oak and marble. Broom includes his sculptural “Globe Light” pieces to provide a warmth in the space and uses his “Marble Tube Lights” to frame the post-modern fireplace. Guests are served personalized cocktails in Broom’s “On the Rock” glassware at the oak bar.
The intimate setting made to feel like a friend’s apartment balances the sophisticated practices of the restaurant. After ringing a doorbell and entering into the restaurant through a hidden hatch, guests are then seated at the bar, lounge, or one of the personal cloister areas. Each dining group is provided with a personal bar area. Five arched, private cloisters named after infamous ladies of the night accommodate larger parties.
Photo by Luke Hayes
Owners Maria and Costas Constantinou are well established in the Soho dining scene and have worked with Broom before on their Arts Theater Club, which is a Prohibition Era-inspired drinking den. On working with Broom, Maria said, “Lee doesn’t only deliver elegant, clever, and beautiful designs but he understands the complications of this well loved but tricky business. He embraces a project wholly, from the people involved to the venues local history, and continues to be part of it well after the design has been completed.”
