High 5 for Friday!
My week consisted of pulling specs, making a budget and creating a presentation board for a boutique hotel. It never seizes to amaze me the amount of time that goes into each project! First step to designing a space is to come up with a concept for the design. The concept I chose for the Chicago boutique hotel is 1920's with emphasis from the movie, The Great Gatsby. I wanted a design that had a modern design, but with classic traditional touches, just like the inspiration I found below:
I wanted to the repeat the past in my design, but I didn't want the space to look just plain "old". The next step to design is specking your furniture pieces! This is where the time consumption takes into place! You want to source pieces that stay within the design theme you are going with to make the space whole. I sourced my main focal point furniture pieces to emulate the 1920s such as the sofa, lounge chair and headboard. Velvets, tufting, Walnut lumber, and mirrors were a main source of design in the 20s so I knew I had to incorporate them into my design. Below is the tufted headboard and a classic lounge chair I choose:
I mixed these two traditional pieces with a modern contemporary style of furniture such as a mirrored console for the sitting room and nightstand for the bedroom :
For bedding, I wanted a simple and classic look. With my walls being so full of detail, the bedding would be a focal point by it class simplicity. I chose the Restoration Hardware commercial grade bedding below:
For lighting, what says 1920s and Great Gatsby more than a chandelier? I chose a variety of chandeliers from Restoration Hardware that are absolutely stunning:
Above: 2 of these 19" round chandeliers would be installed on both sides of the bedrooms headboard. By hanging chandeliers, instead of nightstand lights, it adds a touch of glamour and class to the space.
Above: Since the 19" chandeliers do allow a substantial amount of light in the room, the above 31" Chandelier would also be installed centrally in the ceiling.
Above: This 43" round chandelier would be installed centerally in the sitting room. Due to two of the walls all be windows and open to the downtown Chicago, I found additional light was not needed in the space and therefore the main focal point would be this beautiful chandlier
Above: To continue with the theme of the chandeliers, I found the above 49" rectangle chandelier for the bathroom. Again, just adding a touch of class to the space, rather than the normal fluoresce commercial light.
I pulled the 1920's look together with additional accent pieces, mostly from Wayfair and Restoration Hardware:
Above: This is a commercial replicated phone used for hotel rooms. I thought that a modern push dial phone would pull away from the retro design I was achieving.
Above: Being in Chicago in the winter can be cold! So I would have a coat rack placed right when you walk into the space. This coatrack is from Wayfair and it made from iron metal.
Above: Crystal doorknobs! What a fun way to add character to a space, right?
Above: With all of the pieces being so modern I wanted a piece centrally located in the sitting room to really stand out and scream 1920s! I found this lift top trunk that I thought would be perfect!
Above: I am in LOVE with this piece! Such a unique find from Restoration Hardware. This is an IPHONE gramophone radio. Again, a modern touch on a classic piece.
For wall coverings I chose to inset moldings of black on the outside and white on the inside. The below wall covering from Innovations Wall covering would be installed in the moldings with 1 to 3 moldings on each wall:
Above is the wall covering pattern Above is the actual wall covering
with a design in beaded glass
I wanted the bathroom to scream glamour and glitz! I chose a Ralph Lauren Shimmer line of dark brown called, Molten Penny and used a Delta line called Delta Victorian bronze for bathroom finishes. I chose a white glazed tile for the shower that would tie to the white cerra countertop on the vanity. For wall décor I chose to install two high mirrors and 1920's glamour shots of women.
Above is a pieced together look of what the bathroom would look like.
Notice the curve in the mirrors match the curve in the vanity, which match the curve the headboard and lounge chair that is also in the curvy wall covering. By repeating the curve it helps piece the separate rooms together (sitting room, bathroom and bedroom)
So now that you have a design concept, inspiration, and your furniture specified it is time to put your design together for a client. There are a number of ways you can showcase your design. 1. you can create a digital rendering of the space, 2. you can create a digital board, 3. A notebook with all of your specifications, budgets and floor plans or 4th, the option I chose to do, along with option 3, a presentation board with the actual materials for the client to touch and feel. Below is my final project:
