We're all about a funky hotel or two, but some of the coziest spots are those with shabby-chic decor – just homey enough to be comforting, while still packing in a lot of style. Shabby-chic hotel design is a study in the art of textural contrasts: vintage leather, velvet furniture, deliberately faded rugs, woods and rich prints all add to the look. And when shabby-chic is done well, the end result is impressively style-conscious, yet more livable than some, shall we say more modern, spots we've visited. So today we're giving a photo tour of our favorite hotels that have the shabby-chic vibe down pat. Get inspired – and get the look.
Petit Ermitage, Los Angeles
We love the cozy, laid-back look of the Petit Ermitage, a quaint boutique in West Hollywood. The hotel's bohemianism – think stained glass, distressed fixtures and plenty of interesting artwork – gives the common areas and rooms a whimsical vibe. It may not look like much from the outside, but the Petit Ermitage boasts attention to detail in the design and amenities (rooftop garden, tasty restaurant, pool).
The Greenwich Hotel, New York City
This 88-room TriBeCa hotel (opened in 2008 by Robert de Niro, among others) features shabby-chic decor throughout, with emphasis on the "chic." Meticulously chosen leather settees, Moroccan tiles, Oriental rugs and artwork are all placed in rooms constructed of reclaimed woods, hand-applied stucco and handcrafted tiles, so they feel more like an old Italian apartment than a New York hotel room.
Carlton Oslo Hotel, Guldsmeden, Norway
This 50-room boutique hotel is notable for two reasons: its charming Norway-meets-Bali, shabby-chic decor, and its eco-friendly philosophy. Features such as four-poster beds with fur throws, organic wooden furniture, Oriental rugs and even bright, "country home" dishware create the rustic-chic look.
Korakia Pensione, Palm Springs, Calif.
Korakia Pensione, modeled after a Mediterranean pensione, looks like something out of Greece or Morocco – Forbes named it one of the sexiest hotels in America. The rooms are named, not numbered, and each is slightly different, but all have a shabby-chic look, particularly in the artist studio, where an antique four-poster bed, interesting sketches and light-filled French doors add to the aesthetic.
The Bowery Hotel, New York City
The Bowery Hotel redefines class in a gentrified downtown neighborhood where punk rock and squalor once ruled. With its faded Oriental rugs, shabby-chic vintage furniture and wrought-iron detailing, the lobby is unlike any other in New York. The atmosphere is darkly brooding and richly nostalgic: tasseled velvet couches, peacock feathers and leather club chairs.
Jake's, Jamaica
With just 30 boho cottages in secluded Treasure Beach, Jake's is one of the quaintest boutique hotels in Jamaica. Guests come to unplug – there's no phone, Internet or TV in the cottages. But there is plenty of shabby-chic decor: canopied beds, colored glass, rustic wooden decor, you name it. The property feels like it was plucked out of a hippie artist's utopia of the 1970s.
Source: StarTribune
