Karlee Szczesniak Blog
Crafting Timeless Luxury: Nostalgia, Sustainability, and the Evolution of Hospitality Design
Through materials, historical elements, and nostalgia, the landscape of luxury design has changed from conventional trends to authentically timeless. As a result of the COVID-19 shut down, travel is at an all time high, especially for high-income earners. Thus, hospitality spaces must reinvent what the luxurious experience looks and feels like to achieve the ever changing idea of status.
https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/romwv-w-rome/overview/?scid=f2ae0541-1279-4f24-b197-a979c79310b0
Healthy Maximalism
During the COVID-19 pandemic, global isolation limited the population's sensory experiences, emphasizing the need for immersive environments. To achieve this, incorporating captivating materials is crucial. Utilizing inviting textures like silk, velvet, linen, and mohair, alongside rich tones such as gold, red, blue, and yellow, can create an inviting space.
Additionally, integrating multi-scaled patterns across various surfaces—floors, ceilings, walls—complemented by brass, glass, and lux stone accents, elevates the environment, ensuring a more immersive experience.
The Beekman Hotel, designed by Martin Brudnizki, embraces the beauty of abundance, celebrating boldness, intricate details, and a captivating clash of patterns and textures that create a visually rich environment.
https://www.hyatt.com/thompson-hotels/en-US/lgath-the-beekman?src=corp_lclb_gmb_seo_lgath
Thoughtful Nostalgia
With the uncertainty of today’s society, individuals are seeking comfort and belonging through nostalgic memories. By integrating objects evoking old-world luxury—such as books, analogue clocks, keys, and rustic materials like rattan and cane—the space exudes sophistication while offering a comforting ambiance. This analogue design approach invites individuals to disconnect from the present and immerse themselves in a more nostalgic environment.
Christian Liaigre’s timeless design at New York’s Mercer Hotel incorporates vintage accents such as classical books, antique-inspired clocks, and textured materials and furnishings, creating a sophisticated yet inviting atmosphere.
https://mercerhotel.com/
Historic Sustainability
In response to the younger generation's call for sustainability, it is vital to reuse and refurbish site-specific materials to meet society’s newfound values. By reintroducing timeless elements like flagstone, mosaics, oak, and brass alongside natural textiles, the design honors the environment's history and reflects the principles of sustainability. This juxtaposition of historic and contemporary design elements captivates audiences, offering a compelling narrative.
London’s historic Whitehall has reopened as Raffles London at The OWO as a testament to history and sustainability. The redesigned space features period oak paneling and flooring, grand fireplaces, and free standing bathtubs paying homage to the historic atmosphere while reintroducing pieces to achieve sustainability.
Raffles London at The OWO, situated in London's historic Whitehall, stands as a tribute to both its rich history and sustainable ethos. Within the newly revamped space, period oak paneling, flooring, grand fireplaces, and free-standing bathtubs elegantly evoke its historic charm while embracing sustainability through the reintroduction of carefully curated elements.
https://www.raffles.com/london/
The future of luxurious hospitality incorporates modern designs with timeless accents to create a cohesive narrative for the audience. By introducing a controlled sense of maximalism through nostalgic accents, the viewers will become immersed in the environment and the sense of luxury.
