DE S IGN CENTRE
OPPOSITE: Martin Brudnizki Design Studio’s scheme for the bar at The Dorchester pays homage to its glamorous past. BELOW: A balcony at Hotel La Palma; the oldest hotel in Capri is set to bring back the island’s dolce vita lifestyle with a redesign by Francis Sultana. OPPOSITE: The lavish Heritage Suite at The Twenty Two, Natalia Miyar’s first hotel, features customised ‘Iznik’ wallcovering by Iksel
used in individual suites, alongside fabrics by Romo and GP & J Baker, and Samuel & Sons trimmings. In Mayfair, a Grade II-listed Edwardian former
family home has been reimagined as a hotel and members’ club, The Twenty Two, by designer Natalia Miyar (it was also her first hotel project). The decoration is opulent, maximalist and inspired by 18th-century classical French style. “It has the comfort level that you would expect, but also an escapist quality in the surprise combination of colours and materials,” says Miyar, citing the bold silk drapery soured at Turnell & Gigon, passementerie by Clarence House and wallcoverings by Iksel as examples. “It’s a showcase of how much texture you can layer into an interior when you’re allowed to run wild.” Often, it’s not only the building that has a story to
tell; the link to its location can be equally fascinating. “When you stay in a hotel you want to know where you are in the world and that’s something historic buildings have,” says interior designer Francis Sultana, referencing his transformation of Hotel La Palma. The oldest hotel on Capri, it dates back to 1822 and is due to re-open this autumn. “I was inspired by a sense of place, history, colour and local design. To the neutral colour palette, I’ve brought in typical shades of the island – azure blue, pistachio, hints of lemon – that create a romantic vision of Capri.” He has also added in artworks by Luisa Lambri and sourced Dedar and Rubelli fabrics from the Design Centre.
Grande dames hotels are always being reinvented for
new times, yet they nearly always reference their storied past. Martin Brudnizki Design Studio (MBDS) has just completed a refresh of the bar at The Dorchester, with a new palladium-leaf ceiling and mirrored columns giving the whole space a warm glow, paying respect to the hotel’s design history. “We were hugely inspired by the revolutionary artists and designers of the 1930s and 40s, such as Cecil Beaton and Oliver Messel, who both have a long history with The Dorchester, which we feel is integral to keeping the spirit of this landmark bar.” MBDS is moving its studio into the heart of the Design Centre, with product-design sister company And Objects occupying an adjacent showroom. Settings don’t come much more rock ‘n’ roll than at
Chateau Denmark, which is spread across 16 buildings on Soho’s Denmark Street where the Sex Pistols once lived (their graffiti is listed and is in one of the suites) and The Rolling Stones recorded their first album. The hotel – whose idea is that guests bring the party back to their room – has four design schemes: Vintage Gothic, Timeless Grandeur, Modern Psychedelia and Punk Now. “It’s such a culturally iconic street,” says Jane Landino, creative and design head of studio at Taylor Howes, who is behind the interiors. “We couldn’t ignore the history within the walls; the vibe of the hotel had to reflect the community and hold its own, paying homage to different eras of music while being a bit tongue in cheek.” Pieces include Thibaut leopard print cushions, curtains with snakeskin edging by Kelly Wearstler from
GP & J Baker and couches in faux leather by Kirkby Design at Romo. Another one-off concept is The Other House in
South Kensington, behind the facade of 11 Victorian townhouses. It combines the best of hotel and residential living with service on demand, a members’ club and Club Flats that guests can check into for a night, a month or a year. “The heritage buildings in Kensington and Chelsea are what make it unique,” says CEO and founder Naomi Heaton, of what drew her to the area. She worked with Marie Soliman of Bergman Interiors on the design. “I had a clear idea of what I wanted to do, both in terms of the clubby, contemporary look with lots of layering and colour, and the any length of stay which links to slow travel.” Other noteworthy launches this year include
already-opened The Ned NoMad in New York, set in a beaux-arts style building with rooms that channel a 1920s aesthetic (vintage pieces, hand-knotted rugs, botanical art deco fabrics); the highly anticipated Raffles London at The OWO, which is slated for this winter (Whitehall’s iconic Old War Office will have interior design by Thierry Despont) and The Albion in Wales, from the team behind Fforest, which is housed in a pair of warehouses by the River Teifi with tall ship graffiti preserved on the walls. Perhaps it’s a post-Covid leaning towards hotel spaces that feel more human, or an urge to bed down in buildings with a story, but these are places to stay that all look to the future while still keeping their connection to the past.
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