Austin Proper Hotel
DESIGN: KELLY WEARSTLERAUSTIN | TEXAS, USA238 ROOMS AND 99 RESIDENCES –FROM 700 € PER NIGHTPROPERHOTEL.COM/AUSTIN
For the uber-luxurious, 32-storey Austin Proper Hotel, audacious interior designer Kelly Wearstler went for a very Texan vibe, opting for local arts and crafts and a palette of earthy colours, but without abandoning her trademark mix & match style.
For several years now, Austin has been a popular destination with hipsters of all kinds. They are drawn to the cutting edge arts and music scene in Texas’s capital—and probably for its wide choice of bars too.
With the opening of the Austin Proper Hotel, decoration and design enthusiasts with a taste for the very latest interior design trends will now be joining the fray, curious to find out what certain seasoned designers—and above all Kelly Wearstler—have still got to offer. In addition to Austin, the other Proper Hotels— San Francisco, Santa Monica, Downtown L.A. also bear her trademark.
It was Wearstler’s husband, entrepreneur Bradford Korzen, the cofounder and current CEO of Proper Hospitality, who helped her get her foot on the ladder. He gave her her first chance in the 2000s, when he asked her to design a show room for The Avalon in Beverly Hills and then another for the Viceroy in Santa Monica. Kelly Wearstler is therefore part of that generation of designers who, some 25 years ago, saw the arrival of the boutique hotel concept, in other words hotels that raised the bar in terms of comfort and design and which were emblematic of the period.
It’s not for nothing that Kelly Wearstler is part of today’s interior design elite. Not only is she innovative and ultra-creative, but right from the start, her propensity to tear up the rule book means she stood out from the crowd. Wearstler’s trademark is an eclectic, mix & match approach—prints, materials, textures etc—that has revolutionised a hotel aesthetic that was often conventional and adverse to taking risks.
For the 32-storey, ultra-contemporary, glass, concrete and metal Austin Proper Hotel situated in the heart of the 2nd Street District, Wearstler was able to think big. To say that it is luxurious is an understatement. Setting the tone as soon as you step through the door is a sculptural, pale oak staircase draped with numerous vintage rugs in a homage to Art Nouveau. The idea behind this jaw-dropping statement piece was to evoke the comfort seen in the homes of Austin’s well-to-do. And as if that wasn’t enough, the staircase itself includes platform-like extensions that play host to a collection of all sorts of pots and vases that add visual depth to the scene.
Obviously very inspired by Austin and Texas, the designer chose to show-case local art and crafts throughout the establishment. In addition to ceramics by Rick Van Dyke and Zhu Ohmu and textile art by Magda Sayed, the patchwork plaids, geometric pattern rugs and native Indian prints are all informed by the images that Texas calls to mind. Wearstler never tires of vintage furnishings and indeed she spent several years collecting vintage pieces for the project, in particular in Round Top, a small town in the southeast of Texas where a large antiques fair is held three times a year.
The incredibly comfortable rooms flooded with natural light by floor to ceiling windows are decorated in a typically Texan palette of earthy colours. On the ground floor, the walls of the Peacock Mediterranean Grill are covered with colourful glazed tiles and wallpaper inspired by William Morris and the Arts & Crafts movement. These colours and patterns contrast with the cobalt blue bar, floral print lounge chairs and brutalist coffee table. The same multi-coloured inspiration is at work in the bar, Goldie’s, with its floral print wallpaper and velvet armchairs in different colours and patterns.
Finally, Mexican restaurant La Piscina has a more outdoor beachy feel, which as it is next to the rooftop pool seems only logical. It offers panoramic views of Lady Bird Lake and the city: trendy locals have already made it their own. Hipsters, hipsters…
Ace Hotel & Swim Club Palm Springs
DESIGN: COMMUNE DESIGNPALM SPRINGS | CALIFORNIA, USA179 ROOMS – FROM 230 € PER NIGHTACEHOTEL.COM/PALM-SPRINGS
If you’re looking to stop off on your way to Las Vegas, this former motel with a retro 50s vibe is the place to go. Located in Downtown Palm Springs, it’s the perfect spot to rub shoulders with an eclectic crowd of hipsters and occasional A-listers straight from L.A. What if we told you that, when topping up our tan one day, Katy Perry was on the next sunbed! It has to be said that the pool is a big draw, especially during Coachella. As the hotel is also a swim club, the main pool is sometimes chock-a-block—just imagine a Vegas pool party with a DJ at the decks but in fact that only adds to the charm. When taking a dip or lunching by the pool, the views of the palm trees and San Jacinto Mountains are to die for. Staying here is a full on, California Desert dream and just like everybody else, you’ll be taking photos left right
