Hstoric architecture in the centre of the Swedish capital is blended with modern scandanavian design to produce a hotel that is warming, welcoming and luxurious without being stereotypically plush

Interior Design: Claesson Koivisto Rune

This 201-room in the centre of Sweden’s capital has been created by one of the country’s foremost design practices, Claesson Koivisto Rune, melding historic architecture with contemporary Scandinavian design.

Located in two historic, interconnected stone buildings from the 19th century, the interiors are comfortable without excess, elegant and timeless, contemporary but not resorting to gimmickry – the epitome of the northern European design aesthetic.

The stone buildings, built for and used as apartments, are typical of the massive stone edifaces that began to emerge in the Norrmalm and Östermalm districts of Stockholm in the second half of the 1800s. (continue reading…)

Claesson Koivisto Rune is a Swedish multidisciplinary office based in Stockholm. It was founded in 1995 by former classmates Mårten Claesson, Eero Koivisto and Ola Rune.

Is the Nobis Hotel Stockholm your first hotel? Did it present any particular challenges and how did you resolve them?
Before the Nobis project we designed the Hotel Skeppsholmen, also in Stockholm. Being situated in the very heart of downtown Stockholm, Nobis had to be available to not only the hotel’s guests but also the Stockholm diners and bar crowd. The ambience of the public areas are diverse and people find their favourite area. (continue reading…)

Fantasy meets sophisticated Chic with Morgans hotel group’s unveiling of its third Mondrian. The lifestyle brand known for its distinct style makes its downtown Manhattan debut in the famed Soho neighbourhood

Interior Design: Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz; Mondrian In-House Team

Situated intimately in the midst of lower Manhattan’s coveted SoHo neighbourhood, Mondrian takes its place among A-list residents, fashionable and picturesque streets full of charm and energy.

With more than 100 shops, 250 galleries, and nearly 200 restaurants, SoHo is one of the most talked-about neighbourhood in New York. Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz, the designer behind the re-imagined Mondrian Los Angeles, was selected by Morgans Hotel Group to create Mondrian SoHo in collaboration with the company’s in-house design team. By weaving in elements of the signature Mondrian brand ethos in subtle yet provocative design features throughout the property, Morgans Hotel Group has created a luxurious yet approachable destination in Mondrian SoHo. (continue reading…)

A quintessential New York designer, Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz completed his first master’s degree in architecture at the University of Puerto Rico in 1982, then moved to New York where he earned a second MA in architecture and urban design from Columbia University. He started his career at the renowned interior and product design studio of John F Saladino, where he spent nine years, including six as head interior designer. Establishing his own firm, BNO design, in 1992, clients include singers Lenny Kravitz and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, the Trump Organization, Swarovski and Cartier. The Mondrian SoHo is his third hotel for the Morgans Hotel Group. (continue reading…)

Inspired by the European boutique hotels she’s stayed in, the New Zealand interior designer and co-owner of this intimate hotel has taken an historic hotel site and created a new iconic place to stay

Achitect: Mitchinson Simiona
Interior Design: Michelle Deery & Martin
Hughes Design

There’s been a hotel at the site of the Hotel DeBrett since 1841, but it wasn’t until the 1920s, when the original structure was rebuilt after a fire, that it began attracting a reputation as one of the city’s finest places to stay.

Today, twinkles of the hotel’s art deco glory days are still visible, from the spun copper orbs of Judy Darragh’s carefully designed chandeliers dangling from the glass-roofed main atrium, to the sparkling mirrored walls of the lift that carries guests up to their rooms. But there’s also a far more innovative side, which continually intrigues visitors by juxtaposing vivid man-made shapes and colours with coarser, organic furnishings.

Exposed, rust-coloured brick sits alongside glass tiles that are as smooth as melting ice, while open fires burn in an angular hearth.

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