The south place hotel London … glamorous and hip !!

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Described as the Shoreditch end of the City of London … this is the part of London where it is all happening.  Every new bar, restaurant and hotel that I read a review of, seems to be in this locale.

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The very smart Conran designed guestrooms appeal to both business and leisure travellers.

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The first hotel venture by the D&D London group, this hotel has 80 guestrooms, two elegant restaurants, three bars (one secret garden bar), roof top terrace and sponsors its own art prize !!!

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… and so much to explore beyond the confines of the hotel.

London olympic luxury

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I am sitting here in Sydney full of Olympic Spirit …. no not in London !!! Tickets scarce and crowds crazy, so very happy to travel when London returns to normal. However should I be over there, I have decided that the Firmdale Hotel Group do have the most exciting properties to choose from …. and in all the right locations …. Covent Garden, Haymarket, Soho, Knightsbridge, South Kensington and my favourite Dorset Square.  What could be more divine than this Regency terrace overlooking a leafy square.

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Kit Kemp loves colour and plays with fabric in a very adventurous way.  Each property is unique … in fact, each guestroom is unique, from what I can see. She combines slick contemporary with traditional pieces and details, very brave indeed.

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Firmdale call it ‘fresh contemporary English style”.  I have to say that I have not always been sure that it all works but looking at the newest addition in Dorset Square I have been won over.  Either my taste has changed or I have taken time to ‘just get it’.

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I acknowledge they are quirky, however the attention to detail is exceptional, the furniture and furnishings are beautiful and I am sure the experience would be pure 5 star.

Dorset Square is where I would be staying … just a short walk to Marylebone High Street, an area I love with its gorgeous shops and cafes … oh so civilised compared to the rat race of Oxford Street not so far away.

Would love some feedback on any of the Firmdale properties ….

French style …. hotel lancaster, paris

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The Hotel Lancaster in Paris is without doubt the prettiest hotel in Paris.  An extremely chic boutique hotel …. is this not just exactly what one would expect when we think of Parisian style.

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I adore the simple, pared back elegance which allows the architecture to shine.

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This is the most sophisticated use of colour …. so subtle, yet only for the brave.  Shades of lavender, lilac and aubergine teamed with shades of grey, crisp white and hint of gold …. how divine !  Not as easy as it looks to achieve the perfect balance.

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I have always loved the tile and marble combination in a bathroom … somehow it creates character.  It is so much more interesting than head to toe marble which is an easier option by far.  How decadent to have your own dressing table and in the bathroom… only in Paris !!

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This interior is timeless … classic and contemorary all rolled into one. Their collection of artworks and antiques complimented graciously by the sumptuous colour palette and subtle attention to detail.

Having said all that, how inviting does that sofa look. Perfect for putting your feet up after a day shopping in Galeries Lafayette.

I knew I was going to fall in love with this hotel when I spotted those lavender grey striped awnings and gorgeous flower boxes.

Hotel plaza athenee, paris …. a stylists dream

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I fell in love with these images as soon as I saw them however just couldn’t help but wish all hotel rooms felt this inviting.  It seems that no matter how much money one pays for that touch of luxury, hotel rooms do seem a little lacklustre. Yes it is the finishing touches …. flowers, candles, magazines and the extra scatter cushions …. and yes I have spoken about it before.  For any number of reasons this is the area that seems to have been eliminated from either the brief or the budget or both.  Therefore it is the boutique hotel with the fastidious attention to this sort of detail that we seek out …. the hotels that appear in glossy magazines and coffee table books.

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These images show the beautiful Plaza Athenee in Paris …. a stylists dream ….miles of silk curtaining, elegant panelling and architectural detail, glamorous chandelier and sumptuous furniture.  Why aren’t all hotel rooms filled with armfuls of fully blown roses, french champagne on ice and fragrant room candles !!!!

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Amangalla ….. gracious elegance

Another wet weekend indoors …. the bonus being the time it has allowed me to peruse my inbox in slightly more detail than normal.  In the process I was delighted to find that the latest Habitus Living online magazine had arrived. It’s images of Sri Lanka’s Amangalla I thought worth sharing.

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I quickly became lost in the world of Old Ceylon and the grandeur of this retreat … so very Aman.

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Dating back to the 1600’s these grand old structures have had a number of incarnations …. the New Orient Hotel, an icon in Galle and the hub for passengers from the P&O and Dutch East India Company vessels. In another life …. the Dutch governor’s residence and army barracks.

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The current Amangalla retreat captures it all …. large timber shutters on windows, wide timber floor boards, huge chandeliers hanging from the 6 metre ceilings, cord pull lights and the most fabulous and interesting solid timber furniture !!  They certainly have captured an era …. so pared back and yet so elegant. My favourite pieces …. the gorgeous wicker recliners !!

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They could so easily have thrown masses of colour into the interior …. very brave not to …. the vision being ‘to allow the centuries-seasoned building’s soul to shine’.

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I have always had a fascination with Sri Lanka …. just to explore the different regions…. the beaches, the tea plantations …. and maybe even a visit to Amangalla.

Ilse collection for georg jensen launched milan 2012

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Designer Ilse Crawford’s collection for Georg Jensen comprises a set of universal objects that frame simple daily acts. Studioilse’s design starts with the human being at the centre. The video attached to her ‘website in the making’ is beautiful and shows the pieces above …. in her own words “design can influence the way we behave and feel.”   

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Because I love her design so much …. I do try to keep an eye out for her latest projects. Her interiors for Soho House which originated in London and included High Road House, Chiswick and Babington House amongst others …. were to me ….perfect !! ….pared back, yet glamorous …. so different to anything else being done in London at the time. 

Such a success Soho House now has a much larger network.   

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Her latest is the Ett Hem Hotel in Stockholm, due to open about now. The above two photos are a little preview.  Designed with the feel of staying in someone’s private home ….. a feeling not many hotels manage to achieve or even set out to achieve.  Personally it is my only criteria when selecting a hotel to stay in.  I really don’t want to feel as if I am staying in a hotel at all.

Ilse Crawford’s pet hotel hate is more about how the hotel is run…..if they are unloved by the staff….whether the lighting levels are right !!  I can definitely relate to that.  I may have said this before but I can never bear to go back once the doors of a hotel open …. at least one I have worked on.

 

 

Home away from home at the greenwich hotel new york

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There is something rather special about boutique hotels like The Greenwich Hotel in New York…..they are so much more homely and inviting than the larger hotel chains….even if they are 5 star !!  The attention to detail during the design process is one thing but the concept of the smaller hotel offering a little more is what really makes the difference to its clientele.

The additional decorative items that you don’t see in the bigger hotels such as the occasional throw rug, coffee table books, magazines….the sort of decorative pieces that you would have in your own home or would like to have, are generously incorporated into both guestrooms and public spaces.

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Having spent a number of years working on the interior design of large hotels and small, there is only so far the big hotels are prepared to go when it comes to individualizing either the guestrooms, lobbies, restaurants or bars.  Yes it is a staffing issue…..after all straightening books and decorative items does take time!!!

The reason I don’t go back to hotels I have worked on is that I have been known to plump up cushions or reposition a collection of items on a coffee table !! I have to say that a large part of the thought process when incorporating all the gorgeous extras is how it will stand the test of time …. and the general public.

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Wonderful boutique hotels like The Greenwich have no two guestrooms alike.  They are elegantly eclectic …. incorporating delicate silk rugs, interesting art collections, glamorous mirrors and libraries of books…and are truly a luxurious home away from home.

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Where it’s at……hotel 27, copenhagen

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I keep reading about Copenhagen and thinking what a truly stylish city it is. Danish design has always been at the forefront ….fashion, furniture, architecture and interiors not to mention the arts.

Hotel 27 is in the centre of the city…..a heartbeat from where it is all at…..both culture and shopping !!

As you know, I have more than a passing interest in hotel guestrooms having spent a large portion of my life as an interior designer working on their design or redesign.  Hotel 27 has the hotel guestroom sorted.  The timber floors underpin the use of colour in the furniture itself… so different to the standard hotel guestroom. So simple, elegant and so well designed.  The colours are gorgeous…..slick, young and fresh. The attention to detail is brilliant.

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Hotel 27 has the warmth and comfort factor so often missing in a lot of inner city hotels.  Designers put together a lot of hard finishes and think that opulent furnishings will be the icing on the cake…..so often the spaces may have the initial wow factor but are simply not inviting.

The Danes do timber well.  The use of either timber flooring, panelling or furniture (or all three) creates warmth and gives a space a certain character.

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And now for some really vibrant Danish design…..iconic furniture combined with gorgeous fabrics for the Bar….only in Copenhagen !!

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