Faber and Company – Finch, London

Text provided by Faber and Company

Finch proves that small can be beautiful. Occupying a cubic retail unit measuring just 3.5m, Faber and Company has created a wine bar in Brixton Village that extends the spirit of the space beyond its physical constraints. With floor-to-ceiling brass wine racking and seating for twelve, a sprinkling of magic comes in the form of a circular trompe l’oeil on the ceiling: finches soaring in a forest clearing with floating gold feathers below. The project demonstrates that projects of any size are deserving of consideration and creativity – that a space many may consider unusable can be transformed into a commercially vibrant destination.

With locality and sustainability at the heart of the client’s business (English wine specialist Grays and Feather), it was important the approach to this project shared the same ethos. Every part of the interior is locally manufactured, from bespoke bar stools to the suspended lighting sculpture. The materials used throughout are either from recycled sources or themselves recyclable at the end of their life. Care was also taken to select materials that embody low levels of carbon – an excellent example being the striped bar front of natural marmoleum, an extremely durable material that also enables a fantastic pop of colour.