There was an article in the New York Times two weeks ago about how all the fashion people are trading in St. Barts for Tulum, Mexico. Mexico is one of my favorite places (and I always thought Tulum was one of its jewels) so I started browsing the web for some of the places mentioned in the article and I came across this spread in the Selby. That Todd Selby is always up on these things. He apparently shot Nicolas Malleville and Francesca Bonato’s place/hotel/spa/shop in Tulum a while back. Have a look:
They created a really sophisticated but relaxed atmosphere while retaining all the local flavor. That’s not a combination easy to achieve and they totally nailed it.
Fashion and interior design go hand in hand and runway to room type features are pretty common in magazines and blogs. But what happens when interiors are actually “dressed” like models on a runway?
That’s the concept behind Hotel the Exchange in Amsterdam. Students and graduates of the Amsterdam Fashion Institute treated the rooms as if for a fashion show and the result is like nothing I’ve ever seen in any hotel.
I just love the out-of-the box thinking. To make it even better, the hotel is housed in buildings dating back to the 1600′s and is also part of an urban renewal project. Fabulous all around.
Thanks for all the really thoughtful and interesting comments on yesterday’s post. I really appreciated hearing your thoughts!
We are thinking about adding Provence to our travel calendar this year and if we do, I know the perfect place to stay. La Bastide de Moustiers is an inn with the very finest dining set among olive groves and lavender fields. Honestly, what more could a francophile ask for? Okay, maybe a charming room with typical Provencal decor. Well it has those too:
By coincidence, on my way home from India I was browsing magazines in between flights when I saw this Indian hotel featured in Marie Claire Maison.
The Dune Eco Village and Spa in southeastern India is decorated with 70′s Bollywood posters, traditional furniture and lots and lots of bright colors. So fun!
Whoa, is it really December already?? This is a busy travel month for me so it’s going to be a mad frenzy around here while I try to get things done in between trips. Thanks for all the sore throat suggestions this week. It feels a lot better although now I sound like Peppermint Patty. (That’s the husband’s description.)
Anyway ….. let’s take a look at the only chateau-hotel in Paris – the St. James Hotel - because there are so many great design ideas to take away.
As a francophile, there’s nothing I don’t like about this place.
Check out the ceiling:
The painted detail around the drapes is something I haven’t seen before and I really love it:
Black and white toile and stripes are always good together:
The interesting striped wallpaper is a perfect background for the gothic headboard and I like how it’s echoed in the drapes and walls:
This soft color palette is so pretty and here’s a sunburst collection done right:
Baroque headboard, bubble pendants and Bergeres all work beautifully in this serene room:
P.S. If you haven’t already left a comment on my “Creating an Entertaining Space” Ideabook at Houzz, I would really appreciate it! Each comment is a vote for me and if I win, you could win a $250 gift certificate to any online retailer of your choice. Merci beaucoup!
Greetings from Tennessee! While the word “farm” is in its name, Blackberry Farm isn’t exactly your average farm. It’s rustic luxury at its very best in a beautiful mountain setting and the decor is spot on.
Gray velvet rolled arm sofa? Yes, please. Worn leather couch and 19th century oil paintings in gilt frames? My name written all over it. See the perfect grid of botanical prints? It hides the tv. Pretty and functional. And tell me those chairs don’t make you want to paint something turquoise.
I’m off to explore some more so I’ll leave you with that for today.
(Photos: FROM THE RIGHT BANK)
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We’re going to take a little road trip during Thanksgiving week (can you believe it’s in two weeks?) and I wanted to show you where. This is Blackberry Farm at the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee.
The setting may look rustic:
but the interiors are anything but:
And look:
Baby animals!
I hope it’s as nice in real life as it is in these pictures!
If you’d like to know more about the Hotel Picks FROM THE RIGHT BANK series, click here. You can see all of my past hotel picks here. Bon voyage!
So the Hicks rug ended up in the dining room. I decided it was too much pattern for the living room but it works well in here because there’s less going on.
This is truly one of my favorite patterns so I’m really glad I was finally able to use it somewhere in the house.
I also brought this pillow out to see how it would look in the room:
A little story about this pillow – with a laughable number of gaps due to my horrendous memory. I bought it in Paris this spring in a little shop in the Marais (I can’t remember the name) and my girlfriend who was with me bought a makeup bag (or it might have been a coin purse – I can’t remember) made out of the same fabric. The salesperson told us the pattern is based on a medieval map of Paris and indeed, it depicts some areas and streets that no longer exist. Not the Louvre which you see here. Obviously that still exists.
I had never seen this fabric before and just loved everything about it. Then, when I was back in Paris this summer, I was reading a magazine (Air France inflight I think) and saw this:
It’s an ad for Le Mathurin, a hotel in Paris, talking about its newly remodeled rooms. See the pattern on the moodboard? It looks like they used it in wallpaper form in that room in the back. Anyhoo, I thought it was an interesting connection.
While we’re talking about Le Mathruin, let me leave you with the video from their website. It’s nicely done and I quite enjoy this kind of music on a Monday morning. In fact, the hotel is so well presented, I’m going to keep it in mind for future trips. I’m also going to make it one of my Hotel Picks FROM THE RIGHT BANK.
It’s going to be another busy week around here. For all you locals, if you’re free this Thursday, come talk blogging with me at Digital Atlanta’s Design Day at ADAC. You can RSVP here or with ADAC. I also have a great book giveaway and other fun stuff coming up later in the week. But today, I’m on my way to the dentist for a new crown. Hope your week is off to a better start than mine!
Amsterdam’s Hotel Seven One Seven really strikes a cord with me right now because I’m craving all things cozy these days. I think it has to do with the season.
That fireplace and overstuffed bookcase are so inviting. I also love all the shades of blue used throughout the hotel. Aren’t the color and details of this door to die for:
I used to spend a lot of time in Amsterdam but never came across this hotel until recently. Hey, I can’t always be on the cutting edge! Ha!
I’m loving everything in this room - the stripped wide plank floors, fireplace, wall color, small pieces of art and the crazy table:
It reminds me of some prehistoric creature. I love it!
I swear I’m going to paint a wall dark blue like this one of these days:
The white desk against it is just perfect.
A nice navy blue was used in the pretty outdoor space too:
And all of this is housed in a traditional canal house:
So Hotel Seven One Seven is this week’s Hotel Pick FROM THE RIGHT BANK. If you’d like to know more about this series, click here. You can see all of my past hotel picks here. Bon voyage!
There are some hotels so well-designed that I wouldn’t change a single thing and Hotel Unico in Madrid is one of them. Updated traditional furniture perfectly balanced with modern pieces in a black, white and gray color palette ….. how can you ever go wrong with that?
My favorite part, though, may be this sculpture:
Our entry is two-story and I would really love to hang something like this in it. Talk about a great first impression! Anyone seen anything like it on a smaller scale?
The decor in its two-star Restaurante Ramón Freixa is equally gorgeous:
as is the garden. Love the rows of box planters:
So Hotel Unico is this week’s Hotel Pick FROM THE RIGHT BANK. Click here for more about this series and here for all past hotel picks. Bon voyage!
There are so many gorgeous places to stay in Tuscany but I think Castello di Vicarello has to be near the top of my list. It’s incredibly cozy for a castle and if you didn’t know it was a hotel, you would think it was just a really stylish country villa. There is so much design inspiration, I kind of went crazy with the photos. Have a look and you’ll see why.
Have you ever seen so many pretty beds in one place?
So much rustic goodness …..
The outdoor spaces are no less charming:
Not that it needs one, but there’s even a pool:
And we can’t forget those famous views:
So Castello di Vicarello is today’s Hotel Pick FROM THE RIGHT BANK. Click here for more about this series and here for all past hotel picks. Bon voyage!
***Addendum: This entire vacation house series was written and scheduled in advance. I just learned that a tragic event took place at the resort yesterday so please excuse the unfortunate timing.***
Today I have a double dose of Hotel Picks FROM THE RIGHT BANK. 3Rooms is a hotel in Milan and in Paris that grew out of 10 Corso Como, the uber cool concept store I mentioned previously in this post. As the name suggests, both hotels only have 3 rooms each.
First, in Milan, the hotel is tucked away within the 10 Corso Como store. Each suite is individually decorated with designs from the best mid-century designers and architects.
Check out all the Eames textiles in the bedrooms!
Now moving on to Paris, 10 Corso Como teamed up with the supremely talented fashion designer Azzedine Alaïa (one of my favorites!) to create another 3Rooms hotel, located within a townhouse attached to his atelier and apartment.
He handpicked all of the furniture and the result is pure design heaven.
I’d be tempted to stay in my room all day, waiting to get a glimpse of the man working next door! (Okay, that sounded stalker-like. He probably gets that a lot though.)
In both, each suite is a full-floor apartment with private entrances. I imagine it would be like staying in the apartment of your most stylish friend ….. who also has the most amazing design collection ever.
Click here for more about Hotels Pick FROM THE RIGHT BANK and here for all past hotel picks. Happy Traveling Thursday and bon voyage!
If you’re as big a fan of Swedish interior design as I am, do I have a treat for you today! Today’s Hotel Pick FROM THE RIGHT BANK is the Wreta Gestgifveri Hotel. It’s located about an hour and a half south of Stockholm in beautiful country surroundings and charming doesn’t even begin to describe it. The rooms are decorated in styles that range from Baroque to rustic, all of them impeccable.
Phew! I tell you, it’s almost too much goodness in one place!
Click here for more about Hotels Pick FROM THE RIGHT BANK and here for all past hotel picks. Happy Traveling Thursday and don’t forget tomorrow, we’re rounding out Swedish Week with an amazing giveaway!
I’ve been hearing a lot about the 25 Hours hotels in Europe so I did a little investigating. They have 6 hotels in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and they all have a similar colorful and fun aesthetic. Check out their Vienna location.
There’s another new hipster hotel in New York and it’s called the Nolitan. Nolita is one of my favorite neighborhoods in the city so the name caught my attention right away.
I like all the tufted leather and the industrial, masculine vibe of the public areas.
The floor-to-ceiling windows, mid-century modern furniture and those tubs aren’t bad either.
For all of my past hotel picks, click here. For the background on Hotel Picks FROM THE RIGHT BANK, click here.
This is most definitely a Johnny-come-lately post. I’m sure you’ve seen at least one of these photos circulating around the blogosphere the past couple of years.
I’ve posted a few of them myself, including these:
What I didn’t know about all of these rooms is that they are all in the same rental cottage called the White House, located in Daylesford, Victoria, Australia. When I learned that, I was like, “Duh, where have I been?” then I pulled together all the photos I could find so you can see how lovely the entire cottage is.
Could it be any more charming? To be truthful, I had to look up where Daylesford was but now that I know, I may need to make a detour when I make it down to Australia.
For more about Hotel Picks FROM THE RIGHT BANK, click here. For all of my past hotel picks, click here.
I just learned that Martin Margiela designed a hotel in Paris. One of my all time favorite fashion designers + a hotel + Paris? I flipped out when I heard the news. And when I saw these first photos, I really flipped out. La Maison Champs-Elysées is scheduled to open in a few weeks and here is a first peek.
I’m going back to Paris in a couple of weeks and I’ve already booked my hotel but you can bet I will be paying La Maison Champs-Elysées a visit!
For more about Hotel Picks FROM THE RIGHT BANK, click here. For all of my past hotel picks, click here.
The style is very traditional with a Spanish bent and what really blew me away was the attention to detail. At every turn, there was something beautiful to take in. It is overflowing with amazing art, stunning antiques and gorgeous accessories.
The above are all photos from the hotel’s website and here are some that I took:
The gardens and all the outdoor spaces were so beautifully done.
Isn’t this just so Southern:
Another beautiful room and look at these details:
Here’s our balcony and the views we had:
If you were on Facebook, you already saw that I was obsessing over this mirror in our room:
I was obsessed with a few other things too like this bench (you can see it peeking out in the bathroom photo above):
and all the rugs:
I wanted every single rug in the hotel. And light fixture. And painting. And ….. To me, the Cloister is the perfect example of traditional done right.
For more about Hotel Picks FROM THE RIGHT BANK, click here. For all of my past hotel picks, click here.
I’m craving a little English countryside getaway. Yes, again. While I love an old fashioned country inn, I’m loving the more sleek style of Lime Wood in Hampshire.
Isn’t this a lovely color palette of soft green and lavender?
A cozy library with a fireplace. What’s better than that?
Love the tub!
Fresh and modern design inspiration ….. in the country. That’s why Lime Wood is this week’s Hotel Pick FROM THE RIGHT BANK. For more about my picks, click here. For past hotel, click here.
After all the color and pattern yesterday, I was feeling the need for something toned down and soothing. I can always turn to Sweden for that so this week’s Hotel Pick FROM THE RIGHT BANK is the Nobis Hotel in Stockholm.
I have to admit I still have a bit of royal wedding fever and it’s only further fueling my love for London. If I were to pay a visit right now, I’d love to stay at the newly opened Zetter Townhouse.
I just love the clubby English vibe and the fact that it’s in a Georgian townhouse (I just love those!). For more about Hotel Picks FROM THE RIGHT BANK click here. You can see all past picks here.
The individually designed rooms at the Hotel Areias do Seixo in Portugal is chock full of design inspiration. Some Moroccan, some modern, a little French, a little rustic …… Fabulous.
On the topic of travel ….. earlier this week, I was invited to participate in Boarding Pass, which Anne describes as “a weekly column exploring the creative ways people travel” on her wonderful blog, Prêt à Voyager. If you’d like to see more about my travels, you can find my Boarding Pass here.
Remember my trip to Singapore in the fall? It wasn’t until my last day there I read about the Wanderlust Hotel so I didn’t have enough time to pay it a visit but judging by the photos, it’s one of those hotels that I like because it’s doing something different, kind of kooky and wacky.
You know I love my grand, old school hotels but I equally like the ones that don’t take themselves too seriously and are just fun. So, this week’s Hotel Pick FROM THE RIGHT BANK is the Wanderlust Hotel.
Like I said, fun. Happy Traveling Thursday and bon voyage!
Today’s Hotel Pick FROM THE RIGHT BANK is so beautifully designed I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. It’s The House Hotel in Istanbul which is housed in a newly renovated four-story mansion built in the 1890′s.
Moldings galore, parquet floors, exposed beams, beautiful tile . . . when you have all that to work with, you’ve already got a head start but the elegant neutral decor is equally exquisite.
First, can we talk about that chandelier? It’s killing me. They’ve used it throughout the hotel and I want it. Very badly.
Look how it hangs from the ceiling! I can’t even.
Then there are the subdued colors: greige-y, taupe-y loveliness against bright white walls.
Perfectly tailored furniture,
plus my beloved Chesterfields and some marble top sideboards and tables (in gray) to boot.
Okay, I’m off to figure out where I can get one of these chandeliers. (Give me a holler if you have any tips.) Happy Traveling Thursday and bon voyage!
I was giving tips on Paris to a couple of people recently which reminded me that I never posted about Hotel Amour. I love the playfulness of its funky decor so I’m making it one of my Hotel Picks FROM THE RIGHT BANK.
On my last trip to Paris, I had lunch there in this courtyard. It’s a fun place to hang out and people watch – if you can get a table, that is. It was packed.
Thank you all so much for the really lovely comments yesterday. They were really touching and I appreciate every single one of you. Thank you, thank you!
A new year means a lot of new plans around here, including a full schedule of trips to feed my addiction. (Can you feel me grinning from ear to ear?) Italy is definitely one of my destinations for 2011 and as I was digging around my Italy files, I came across the Grand Hotel a Villa Feltrinelli on Lake Garda.
I’m completely in love with the architecture, decor, setting ….. everything! It’s absolutely exquisite and I thought it was the perfect hotel to be the first of the Hotel Picks FROM THE RIGHT BANK for 2011.
