Project Overview

Client: The Celtic Arms
Location: Northrop Country Park, North Wales
Project Type: Pub renovation and interior design
Scale: Large food-led pub with function room, converted from former golf club house

Challenge/Brief

The Celtic Arms, a popular drive-to venue nestled in North Wales countryside, presented unique challenges:

• Large rooms with high ceilings created an impersonal, echoing environment
• Underutilised bar area lacking atmosphere
• Limited budget requiring creative solutions
• Need to work with existing fixed elements including seating and wall panelling
• Tight timeframe for project completion

The owners, referred to MGI by an existing client, sought to transform the space into a warm, cosy environment that would enhance the pub’s food-led offering whilst maintaining its function as a popular destination venue.

Solution

MGI developed a comprehensive design strategy focused on creating intimacy within the existing large-scale architecture:

• Introduced a warm, natural colour palette to visually reduce the sense of scale
• Planned strategic placement of soft furnishings to break up expansive areas
• Designed new seating arrangements to maximise bar area potential
• Created a scheme that complemented rather than competed with existing fixtures

Implementation

Working alongside the client’s preferred sub-contractors, MGI executed a carefully coordinated transformation:

• Installed feature sofas in booth arrangements to create intimate dining zones
• Added new bar seating to encourage casual drinking and socialising
• Introduced warm-toned curtains, rugs, and soft furnishings to soften hard surfaces
• Incorporated faux planting for natural warmth without maintenance concerns
• Installed new light fittings to create ambience and highlight key areas
• Refreshed existing furniture through professional refurbishment
• Curated new artwork to enhance the welcoming atmosphere

Results

The transformation exceeded expectations, delivering substantial benefits:

• Under-budget delivery despite comprehensive improvements
• Compressed timeline successfully met through efficient project management
• Dramatically improved atmosphere with warm, cosy environment achieved
• Enhanced functionality with better utilisation of bar area
• Exceptional client satisfaction with owners extremely pleased with results
• Positive patron response from both new and returning customers
• Successful space optimisation creating intimate zones within large rooms

The project demonstrates MGI’s ability to transform challenging spaces into welcoming hospitality environments whilst working within budget constraints and tight deadlines, showcasing our expertise in pub and restaurant design across the leisure sector.