Design Lessons From New York’s Crosby Street Hotel

A Suite at The Crosby Street Hotel

I am absolutely in love with The Crosby Street Hotel in Soho. The first stateside hotel from London’s ruling boutique hotelier Firmdale, every space is a riot of color, pattern and cheeky Brit style.

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A Guestroom at The Crosby Street Hotel

No two of the 86 rooms are alike but designer Kit Kemp’s love of stripes, florals, and bold color is evident throughout.  Oversized headboards, fabric covered dressmakers forms, floor-to-ceiling windows and inviting, unfussy furniture give the rooms continuity. Distinctive colors, fabrics, and original art, give each guest room its own original look.

A one bedroom suite plays with the contrast of dark walls and light fabrics in the bedroom....

A one bedroom suite plays with the contrast of dark walls and light fabrics in the bedroom….

…while the living room plays opposites with pale gray walls and dark charcoal furniture

Guests’ preference for patterns, hues, and downtown views are meticulously documented, so with each subsequent stay you can expect to be in a room that speaks your personal design language.

Stripes paired with florals are a signature design element of the hotel

Stripes paired with florals are a signature design element of the hotel

There are so many design details that stand out at The Crosby Street Hotel. For starters, there are the fabric covered walls that envelope each room in color and texture. In the drawing room below, a breathtaking pink Sakura Linen from Osbourne & Little lines walls.

A Francois Bard painting of a Jack Russell shares space with an African sculpture

And then there’s the art, designer Kit Kemp mixes tribal art, photography, and contemporary paintings seamlessly. A favorite theme is dogs (the hotel is dog-friendly) and whether it is the adorable neighborhood hound pics in the elevator, the giant Francois Bard Jack Russell portraits, or the cute Peter Clark collages–the dog art adds to a whimsical vibe.

My absolute favorite room at the hotel is Room 308. I love the play of masculine pinstripe fabric covered walls with a feminine floral print and a touch of pink. Here’s the design breakdown for the room:

Walls: Covered in a charcoal grey pinstripe fabric,  Jasper Conran’s Clarges Stripe in Charcoal (available through Designer’s Guild).  Headboard: Measured from the floor, the oversized headboard is 78-inches high and upholstered in Manuel Canovas Perla in Rose Indien (available through Cowtan & Tout). Contrast: Notice how Kemp uses an abundance of white in frames, curtains, trim and bedding to balance out the dark wall color. Comfort: I love how homey the matelasse blanket makes the room feel, a nice change from those heinous bedcovers that so many hotels use. You can find matelasse coverlets everywhere from Target on up. Here’s a nice one from Pottery Barn. Pops of color: Picking up the strongest color in the headboard for the two throw pillows and part of the bench is a clever way to add color to the space and an easy trick to recreate at home. Copycat: You can achieve a similar look on a budget with charcoal gray paint, lots of white, a light colored rug, and a boldly patterned headboard.

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