The winter spa: interiors inspiration

The Winter Spa is the tranquil heart of The Halston Aparthotel in Carlisle, Cumbria, bringing a premier pampering destination to the historic town. Owners Craig and Laura Winter have totally transformed the depths of the historic building, working flat out for 18 months to bring their vision to live. Previously the main post office for Carlisle, the impressive site was built in 1916 and now houses a hotel - and The Winter Spa in the former safe room and vaults. "The building was abandoned in the early 00s as the post office looked to downscale," explains Craig. "But it's probably one of the most impressive and imposing buildings in Carlisle; if not Cumbria. The owners had various ideas of what to do with it, but once they decided on a hotel I knew it was the ideal place for the upmarket spa and hair salon we wanted to create." New York loft-style living was the inspiration for the décor, with a modern but warm and welcoming overall mood. "The hair salon and nail bar are located in the same area and have shot blasted exposed brickwork and pipe work with lights suspended on a custom-madetray system to give an industrial feel while still retaining some warmth with the natural red brick colour," says Craig. "The shelving unites for each section are custom made using the original stage from the derelict cinema/theatre that was demolished next door - not many salons have somewhere to rest your coffee and magazine where the Stones and the Beatles once stood!" Spa treatment rooms have a more relaxed feel, with warm mauve tone walls - chosen to accent the staff uniforms. The entire spa has reclaimed parquet flooring throughout too, that was refurbished and relayed after being taken up in the old mail sorting room. Craig reveals that the 18-month refurbishment was filled with research trips. "Any spare weekends were spent travelling to different suppliers and scouring the internet to get the look just right," he says. "I had a fixed idea of exactly the look we wanted to achieve, all I needed was to find the products that matched! We travelled everywhere from Edinburgh to Glasgow, Liverpool to Birmingham and as far south as London."

The Winter Spa: In Pictures

[hji-gallery-legacy] In Brief Name: The Winter Spa Address: c/o The Halston Aparthotel, 20-34 Warwick Road, Carlisle, CA1 1AB Owners: Craig and Laura Winter Size: 110 sq meters How long have you been in the premises: September 2014 Number of staff: 8 full time, 1 part time Number of styling stations: 9 Budget: Started out low, but ended up high! Financing: Self Funded Design by: Craig Winter Top Tips

• Plan your budget and double it...
• ...Plan a timescale and treble it!
• For any structural changes, get the paint sprays out and walk through the changes; things always look different in real life than on drawings.
• There can never be enough storage and although it's dead space, it's vitally important.
• Lighting, décor and furnishings may be important, but heating, cooling and ventilation are what the customer really notices.