The design takes cues from the name ‘ochre’ itself which is a pigment found within rocks and soil. The palette for the dining space is a mixture of these earthy colours including burnt oranges, yellows and browns which are then continued in the varied textiles within the restaurant ranging from deep luxurious velvets, boucle and embroidered textiles, to raw cottons and linens and informed the design process from the start. The addition of hand patinated brass as a repeated detail throughout further adds to this painterly palette while the handmade ceramic tables by ceramicist Emily Lloyd-Pane recall large ochre paint splashes.

Set within the ground floor of The National Gallery, Ochre retains many of the building’s original features from the classical architecture, including high ceilings and large windows. The inclusion of contemporary banquette seating that zig zags across the centre of the main space serves to separate the drinking areas from the dining areas. Designed and purpose built to playfully mimic that of a paint stroke, this focal point pays homage to the history of the building and to the act of painting itself. The wooden bar stools continue this artistic theme with the bases shaped in the form of painters’ palettes.

The lighting at Ochre creates an atmospheric ambience as if the diner themself is seated within a still life painting. Large bespoke free-standing lighting was created in order to emphasise the double height space of the gallery by stepping away from the existing wall panelling and swooping from floor to table in grand, intentionally exaggerated and playful gestures like a brushmark. In the private dining room to the rear of the space there is an oversized chandelier that acts as a stunning focal point to the space.