The Whisky Den

A disused whisky shop in London’s Covent Garden district has had a makeover – and it has given a new meaning to the term ‘hand-crafted.’

Completed over a period of one month, the design team used only recycled materials imported from The Balvenie distillery. About 15 old barrels were reworked by hand into furnishings.

‘It was a totally organic process that grew intuitively and everything was done on site,’ says designer Olivier Ward of Anonymous Artists. On the lower level of the bar, a half-ton of barley was imported to create a malt floor. Over 3500 slats of packing wood were used to cover walls, roof, pillars and a staircase.

‘The smell of the wood was amazing, as all the furniture was made of old barrels that had previously been filled with whisky,’ Ward recalls. The result is an aroma that’s reminiscent of being at the distillery itself.

The space was created for whisky brand The Balvenie. ‘For them, handcrafting isn’t a fictional marketing technique, but actually based on the skills, heritage and craft retained at the distillery,’ Ward explains. ‘It was our challenge to bring that message to life in a way that urban consumers would not only understand, but be inspired by.’