In this article, we will introduce you to three boutique hotel interior designers who are iconic in their own way. They are of different ages and accordingly created in different periods. We will introduce you to their biography, key projects from their portfolio and share quotes of each of them.
David Rockwell
Born in 1956 in Chicago, Illinois, USA Website: https://www.rockwellgroup.com/we-know-hospitality
David Rockwell is a legendary architect and interior designer. He comes from an artistic family and this predetermines his relationship with projects for the furnishing of sets for various productions in the theater. He graduated in architecture from Syracuse University.
The company Rockwell Group, founded by him in 1984, subsequently signed a contract with Marriott for the furnishing of various brands of hotels from the portfolio.
One of his most famous projects is the restaurant at the Nobu Hotel Caesars Palace Las Vegas. The tables are separated as booths and give a sense of privacy.
He also designed the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco and the Dolby Theater (formerly the Kodak Theatre), where the Academy Awards were held several years in a row.
“Every project is an opportunity to learn, to solve problems and overcome challenges, to invent and reinvent. "
Philip Stark
Born in 1949 in Paris, France
Website: https://www.starck.com/
Philippe Starck's work is very distinctive. He bets on the black and white range, with elongated lines. It is often chosen for the design of hotel lobbies that want to stand out in a certain way, such as the Paramount Hotel in New York. If we're talking about influence, Stark's work is staggering. There are over 10,000 designs in various fields, from sneakers, through various vehicles (motorcycles, golf carts and yachts) to the cultural center of Bilbao.
He recently participated in the first chair design project using artificial intelligence.
“I'm trying to rediscover why a subject exists and why someone would try to revise it. I don't consider the technical and commercial parameters as much as the desire for a dream that people have tried to project onto the object."
Kelly Whistler
Born in 1967 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA
Website: https://www.kellywearstler.com/
A curious fact about Kelly Whistler is that in 1994 she was noticed by an editor of Playboy magazine and became Playmate for the month of September under the pseudonym Kelly Gallagher. With the funds she earned, she paid off her student loan and graduated in interior design at the Massachusetts College of Art, Boston.
Kelly Whistler has been a highly successful interior designer for boutique hotels since the late 1990s. Her projects intertwine different shapes and surfaces, giving a feeling of coziness to the space.
One of her most distinctive projects is the design of the rooms at the Santa Monica Proper Hotel. The combination of shapes and colors in the bedrooms and bathrooms of the hotel is truly impressive.
“Raw and refined are not at opposite ends of the luxury spectrum. They are two complementary characteristics with which to populate the luxury environment.”
"It's all about color. If you look at a magazine, an advertisement or television, the thing you remember is the color.'
If you are interested in other stories of interior designers, you can visit the blog of the leading importer of Italian furniture Essence.
