Haddington House

Selected work focused on the experience of creating a hotel as a whole—across interiors, brand, and every design detail.

Haddington House is an ongoing project—an evolution of a historic seaside hotel shaped through a series of considered changes rather than a single redesign.

Leonie leads the creative direction across the hotel, working on interiors, brand, uniforms, and how they affect guests’ experience.

Over twenty years experience working in graphic design has enabled Leonie’s work to expand into the full experience of a place—how it looks, functions, and feels. A hotel experienced as a sequence of moments, not individual parts.

Photography Ailbhe O’Donnell, Trevor Hart, Kate Swift, Catherine Moran

Atmosphere

Close-up of a metallic plaque engraved with the words "Haddington House" and an establishment year of 1850, reflecting warm light.

Lighting, music, and material choices are often treated as background—but they define how a space is experienced.

A view of a cozy restaurant or lounge with a large, ornate chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The room is filled with warm lighting, and there are several people seated at tables, some engaged with their phones or conversing. The scene appears to be in the evening, creating an intimate atmosphere.
Close-up of a hand holding a brown leather bracelet with a yellow tag labeled '40s', in front of a display of yellow pasta hanging from above.

First impression

Arrival sets the tone, but it can be rushed or unclear. Small details—pace, welcome, first impressions—shape how a guest feels immediately.

A sign for Haddington House Parlor hangs outside a white building with multiple windows and street lamps, near a waterfront or ocean view.
A cozy seating area with tufted beige velvet couches, a round table featuring a glass vase with dried wildflowers, and large windows with black framing letting in natural light, in a warmly decorated interior.
Wall of black lockers with gold nameplates and red leather keychains hanging from each locker's handle.
Medal with red ribbon and inscription reading 'Perfect Attendance' awarded by Haddington House College in 1897, displayed in black case.

Living spaces

How a guest moves through a hotel should feel natural, not instructed. Transitions between spaces are as important as the spaces themselves.

A cozy indoor restaurant with large glass windows showing an outdoor scene decorated with string lights and greenery. Inside, there are tables with guests dining, lit by candles, and an elegant ambiance.
Interior of a cozy lounge or restaurant with wooden flooring, vintage red velvet armchairs, gold curtains, a modern chandelier, and decorative lighting. Glass partitions separate seating areas, creating an inviting atmosphere.
Interior of a stylish bar with a curved green bar counter, glassware hanging above, warm lighting, and plush seating with patterned cushions.
Elegant lounge with purple, green, and pink velvet chairs, wooden panel walls, floral wallpaper, paintings, a fireplace decorated with flowers, and warm lighting from wall sconces and a chandelier.
View through curtains revealing a bar area with wine bottles and hanging glasses, illuminated by warm ambient lighting.

Room experience

A room should feel easy to inhabit. Everything from the position of the bed to the quality of light contributes to how comfortable and intuitive the space feels.

A bedside table with a vintage black rotary phone, a brass bedside lamp, and a lampshade with a floral and animal pattern. The headboard is brown wood, and the wall features patterned wallpaper with floral and lion motifs.
A hotel room with two beds, ornate wallpaper, a chandelier, a vintage bathtub, a sitting area with chairs and a table, large windows with curtains, and warm lighting.
A cozy corner with a round marble table holding a blue vase with dried flowers, a china teacup, and an armchair with yellow upholstery near a window and a dark door.

Brand in use

Brand becomes part of the experience through use. From menus to printed matter to uniforms, these elements sit within the space—quietly reinforcing the identity and narrative of the hotel.

A bouquet of pink, yellow, and white flowers resting on top of a stack of vintage books on a wooden surface.
A bouquet of dried flowers in a pink glass vase on a wooden table, with a travel magazine in the foreground and a wooden paneled wall in the background.
Two housekeepers in navy uniforms with white collars and trim, standing in a hotel corridor, smiling and holding white towels and linens.
Close-up of a green leather-bound menu with embossed text reading 'HADDINGTON HOUSE' on the cover, placed on a wooden table.
A soothing hot water bottle with a message tag that says "Stay Warm" placed on a bed with two green velvet pillows in the background.
Three brown bottles of personal care products with green labels, placed on a white tiled shelf in a bathroom, next to a shower hose.
A man dressed in a formal navy blue uniform with a matching gold-button coat and a black top hat standing inside a warmly lit hotel lobby, holding a door handle.
A woman in a dark blazer and skirt standing in a room with a bookcase and mirror behind her.
A beige notebook titled 'Take Notes' on a dark wooden table, with a pink pencil labeled 'Haddington House' beside it. In the background, a pink and purple glass vase holds a bouquet of white, red, and purple flowers.
Close-up of a woven straw beach bag with leather handles, with tags and a paper card that reads 'Swim Club' with a seal and a line drawing of a swimmer.
A light blue bicycle with a wicker front basket and a blue towel hanging from it, parked on sandy ground near a body of water with trees in the background.

Detail layer

The smallest details carry the most weight. When considered carefully, they create a sense of consistency that isn’t always obvious, but always felt.

Close-up of fabric swatches and design samples on a table, with textured fabrics, printed textiles, and decorative items, for interior design planning.
Close-up of a wall-mounted light fixture illuminating a sign with brass text on a beige background, partially visible, showing room numbers at a hotel.
A close-up of a wooden wardrobe beside a decorative standing lamp with a colourful lampshade, against a background of ornate floral wallpaper.

In the end, it’s not any single element that stays with you—but how everything came together.

Take a look at the renovation video below, for a better understanding of the bedroom restoration task undertaken in 2025, for which Leonie was creative director.