rebranding middleton lodge
A family-owned estate and boutique hotel
A complete reimagining of the visual identity for this enchanting escape, set in over 200 acres in Richmond, North Yorkshire.
brand strategy, creative direction, brand design, styling and art direction
Childhood home of founder, James Allison, Middleton Lodge Estate is a true labour of love and story of the vision and passion of its’ owners. In collaboration with his supremely talented, multi-hyphenate wife, the pair have transformed this private home into a destination hotel, wedding venue and spa, beloved of city-types in desperate need of the big skies, delicious food and supremely comfortable and inspiring spaces.
It could have been so tempting to overly ‘gloss up’ the Middleton Lodge identity, creating something super high-end, all-out-luxurious and ‘influencer-y’. But to do that would have totally missed the draw of this truly magical place and would have created a brand utterly out of alignment with what sets Middleton Lodge apart.
This brand deserved something with as much heart and soul as the unique experience they offer and that was what we set out to achieve.
A family estate set in over 200 acres of land, the magic of Middleton Lodge is the estate, in all its’ architectural and botanical diversity. It’s the Palladian Georgian mansion and it’s the enchanting Fig House, the Tom Stuart-Smith designed walled gardens and the rustic dairy cottages.
It’s the rugged Yorkshire landscape. The delicious, generous, modern food. The warm and welcoming hospitality and the immersive treatments in the Forest Spa. It’s the personal touch that can only come from a family-run enterprise. My vision for the brand that honoured that.
A down-to-earth, come-as-you-are place where you’ll be just as welcome in your floaty dress as you will in your wellies, we wanted to create an identity that spoke to this with a strong connection to the land. Something that felt equally elevated and properly Yorkshire - beautiful, aspirational and thoroughly unpretentious.
“I honestly can’t tell you how lovely it is to be working with you. Love it all! You’ve brought all sorts of things I hadn’t thought of (and some that i had forgotten about in the mele). It’s just wonderful.”
Rebecca tappin, architect and estate creative director 
an enchanting Yorkshire estate
creating publication-worthy imagery
The photography we created for Middleton Lodge has been key to the success of the rebrand. Evocative, informal, lifestyle images that viewers can ‘place’ themselves in has been a real hit with editors.
Our images have been featured in Conde Nast Traveller, The Sunday Times, House and Garden Magazine as well as the very beautiful British Boutique Hotels published by Hoxton Press.
“Thank you so much for this, it looks great and really makes me want to up my game. I’m definitely rewriting menus because of it and can’t wait to do the house. So much to do!”
james allison, founder 
an aligned foundation for growth
Armed with this strong and enchanting brand foundation, Middleton Lodge have been able to move forwards with specialist web developers to refine their site as well as landing some truly spectacular press.
We’re excited to work with them again in the future.
our work has been featured in
the dream team
ESTATE CREATIVE VISION, ARCHITECTURE & INTERIOR DESIGN Rebecca Tappin BRAND STRATEGY, brand design, STYLING & ART DIRECTION Studio Theia PHOTOGRAPHY Cecelina Tornberg for Studio Theia print DESIGN Caz Harrison for Studio Theia ILLUSTRATION Gail Jones for Studio Theia pr Aura
Let’s talk
If you’re looking to elevate your consumer, lifestyle or hospitality brand, we’d love to hear from you. We’re always keen to hear about new projects and jump at the chance to explore possibilities with passionate entrepreneurs. Please fill out the form below or drop us an email at fiona@studiotheia.co and we’ll arrange the perfect time.