Koto Living: Moor Hall

What was the project? What was the brief?

Koto Living was appointed to deliver the interior design and furniture for Moor Hall Restaurant with Rooms' seven new luxury ‘Garden Rooms,’ designed by Koto and set in the picturesque grounds of Chef Mark Birchall’s two Michelin-starred destination in Aughton, Lancashire. These secluded, architecturally crafted suites blend design excellence, sustainable luxury, and a unique sensory experience that reflects the ethos of Moor Hall—from garden to plate to room. Inspired by seven botanicals, each room is named after a plant—Melilot, Sea Buckthorn, Woodruff, Sweet Cicely, Oxalis, Borage, and Anise Hyssop— and our bespoke interiors capture the essence of each botanical through subtle, nature-inspired colour schemes. For example, Anise Hyssop features warm wood tones with lilac accents, while Oxalis incorporates light wood with purple and burgundy details. Each room seamlessly connects guests to the surrounding natural environment through thoughtful design and luxurious touches, including a private terrace and hot tub.

What were the challenges? How did you overcome these?

The challenge was designing seven distinct Garden Rooms in tandem, each inspired by a different botanical, while ensuring a cohesive overall experience that reflected Moor Hall’s identity. Balancing the unique characteristics of each room with the need for consistency in design and quality across all the spaces required careful coordination.

We overcame this challenge by leveraging Programa, which allowed us to manage the individual design elements of each room while keeping the project unified. By organising everything from mood boards to timelines in one platform, we could seamlessly track progress and ensure that each room retained its own character.

What features does the practice use?

At Koto Living, we use several key features of Programa to streamline our scheduling and specification processes. The project timeline feature is particularly valuable, allowing us to create detailed schedules for each phase of a project and share them with both our team and clients in real-time. This has been especially helpful for coordinating complex, multi-room projects like the seven Garden Rooms at Moor Hall.Additionally, the product library and specification tools have made it easy to manage and track all the materials and furnishings for each room, ensuring that every detail—from finishes to furniture—meets the project’s specifications. The ability to centralise all this information has helped keep the project on track.

Any feedback on Programa from your team and clients?

Both our team and clients have found Programa to be incredibly useful in managing projects more efficiently. One feature that stands out is the ability to share schedules in real-time through Client Dashboards. This has been a game-changer for us. Our clients love the transparency—having instant access to project timelines, updates, and deliverables keeps them informed and engaged throughout the process.

Internally, our team appreciates how Programa streamlines communication and ensures everyone is on the same page, reducing the back-and-forth and minimising delays. The platform’s intuitive interface has made collaboration smoother, both within our team and with our clients, leading to more organised and successful project outcomes.

Reflect on the role of Programa in the project's success and its influence on your design process.

Programa played a crucial role in the success of the Moor Hall project by streamlining our design process and improving overall efficiency. Its real-time scheduling and project management features allowed us to maintain clarity and organisation, which facilitated quicker decision-making and adaptations as needed. This structured approach enabled our team to focus more on the creative aspects of the design, ensuring that each Garden Room not only met the brief but also delivered a unique and luxurious experience for guests.