Kelly Wearstler makes "bold and eclectic choices" for Downtown LA Proper hotel

American interior designer Kelly Wearstler paired the rich history of Downtown Los Angeles with other colourful global influences when creating this hotel, which features 136 unique types of tile.

Part of the Proper hotel group, Downtown LA Proper sits between Downtown Los Angeles' South Park District and the city's Fashion District.

Kelly Wearstler designed the eclectic interiors of Downtown LA Proper

The 148-room hotel is located within a former private club that was designed by architecture studio Curlett & Beelman in the 1920s.

Real estate developer The Kor Group teamed up with Wearstler to transform the building into Downtown LA Proper, with Wearstler spearheading the interior design.

Morgan Peck created a chunky graphite reception desk

According to Wearstler, the hotel's interiors take cues from LA's "creative scene", as well as the colours and forms of Mexican, Moroccan, Spanish and Portuguese design.

"My point of reference for the Proper Hotels is always the location, so Downtown LA Proper really called for bold and eclectic choices," she told Dezeen.

Guest rooms feature patterned headboards

"As the design of the hotel was greatly inspired by the community and history of the area, I used a deep, warm, colour and feel throughout to speak to this rich culture and history," added Wearstler.

"The [hotel's overall] design comprises 136 unique types of tile, from vintage to custom."

Wearstler used a colourful palette throughout the hotel

Visitors enter the hotel via the building's original ornate archway, which is flanked by column-like cacti in rustic pots, where they are met with a graphite reception desk designed by ceramicist Morgan Peck.

The original pink and white checkerboard floor tiling was retained in this area, while the ceiling is decorated with a hand-painted multicoloured mural designed by Abel Macias, which drew on the flora and fauna of Mexican folktales.

Caldo Verde includes a bespoke stained-glass doorway

This eclecticism is also reflected in Downtown LA Proper's guest rooms. Wearstler blended contrasting elements such as chunkily-patterned headboards with smooth wooden floors, while the walls vary within a spectrum of charcoal, mauve, dusty blue, umber and ecru.

The building contains three eateries including the lobby-level Caldo Verde restaurant and bar, which Wearstler designed to reflect the rest of the hotel's interiors.

[

Read:

Kelly Wearstler creates sculptural oak staircase for hotel in Austin

](https://www.dezeen.com/2021/03/05/austin-proper-hotel-residences-kelly-wearstler/)

A collection of vintage rugs and seating, cocoa and sandstone tiles and jungle-like plants are set against a bespoke stained-glass installation by Judson Studios that makes up the restaurant's doorway.

Other design elements that create Downtown LA Proper's bright and bold atmosphere include Mexican brutalist hand-carved chairs, woven pendant lights from the south of France and stone mosaic tables.

Brutalist hand-carved chairs add to the project's eclecticism

"The building itself is a historic-cultural monument, so we wanted to maintain some of the original integrity and fabric, like the window casing and brickwork, while elevating it with contemporary jewel tones, patterns and plasterwork," said Wearstler.

"I truly wanted to embark on a spirited exploration of materiality, colour and form, to share with guests a hyper-localised flavour of the city and create a hub for local creatives."

The work of emerging artists features throughout the hotel

Wearstler founded her eponymous interior design studio in 1995 and is responsible for the eclectic interiors of several other Proper hotels including its San Francisco and Santa Monica outposts.

The designer also recently transformed a 1950s beachfront cottage in California into a bohemian retreat for her family.

The images are courtesy of Kelly Wearstler.

The post Kelly Wearstler makes "bold and eclectic choices" for Downtown LA Proper hotel appeared first on Dezeen.

#all #interiors #hotels #instagram #usa #tiles #downtownlosangeles #kellywearstler

Kelly Wearstler creates modernist Gingerbread Dreamhouse

Interior designer Kelly Wearstler has put an architectural spin on a Christmas classic, creating a gingerbread house in a California modernist style.

Wearstler designed the limited-edition Gingerbread Dreamhouse in collaboration with pastry chef Mark Tasker from New York restaurant Balthazar and entrepreneur Richard Christiansen from food retailer Flamingo Estate, with all proceeds going to charity.

The Gingerbread Dreamhouse is a modernist take on a festive tradition

"Gingerbread houses are such an iconic and traditional staple of the holiday season but Richard Christiansen of Flamingo Estate and I wanted to give them a classic Californian contemporary spin," Wearstler told Dezeen.

Instead of the typical gabled cottage, Wearstler's gingerbread house has the intersecting flat planes of a low-lying modernist home. Porthole windows and a white checkerboard icing facade, with varying sizes of checks, complete the look.

The house is made entirely from gingerbread and icing, with features such as a checkerboard facade and round windows

"We drew inspiration from many iconic mid-century and brutalist homes in Southern California, particularly Rudolph Schindler and Frank Lloyd Wright's iconic architecture," Wearstler said.

The structure is built entirely from gingerbread biscuits with icing as the bonding material.

While coming up with a design that would be strong and stable under these constraints was challenging, Wearstler found that mid-century style was actually perfectly suited to the task.

"The main challenge was designing an incredible house that could be easily assembled in the classic gingerbread style," said Wearstler. "We really leaned into the flat-pack, simple planes of modernist architecture and it truly all fell into place."

Wearstler devised the Dreamhouse design in collaboration with Richard Christiansen of Flamingo Estate

"In the end, we designed a house we would actually like to live in," she continued. "We often think of gingerbread homes existing in cold, alpine climates but ours is a desert home with sharp lines and a modern attitude."

One hundred Gingerbread Dreamhouses have been made in total, and are available to purchase via the Flamingo Estate website for US$650 (£490).

[

Read:

Kelly Wearstler's Malibu Surf Shack is adorned with "rustic and raw" decor

](https://www.dezeen.com/2021/07/27/malibu-surf-shack-kelly-wearstler-rustic-raw-decor/)

All proceeds will go to Create Structure, a charity that aids communities to rebuild after natural disasters.

Wearstler founded her design studio in 1995 and is best known for her hotel projects, such as San Francisco Proper, which combines vintage European design for an eclectic look.

Her recent work has included the renovation of a 1950s Malibu beachfront cottage and a virtual house-garage hybrid designed for basketball player LeBron James' electric Hummer.

The post Kelly Wearstler creates modernist Gingerbread Dreamhouse appeared first on Dezeen.

#products #all #architecture #design #christmas #cakes #kellywearstler