Iconic London hotel unveils suite designed by Paul Smith
Designed by English designer Paul Smith in collaboration with Olga Polizzi, director of design at Rocco Forte Hotels, the “Sir Paul Smith Suite” at Brown’s Hotel features a range of custom and vintage furniture, hand-picked artworks, brand collaborations and soft furnishings from the debut Paul Smith home collection.
Drawing on Brown’s Hotel’s history as a favored residence for literary greats in Mayfair, London, the suite is designed as a space not only for rest and relaxation, but to spark inspiration and creativity through art and interesting objects, with every detail of the room, from the rugs to the individual art works carefully considered.
The suite features furniture and art that resonates with the designer and his eclectic taste.
Several pieces can be found in Smith’s office at his Covent Garden HQ, such as Christopher Simon Sykes’ impressive photograph of Chatsworth House library and, notably, his 1970s’ leather desk chair by Mario Bellini. As another personal touch, Smith has also selected a small library of art and design books for the room.
Several of Smith’s notable collaborations feature heavily in the room, including sofas, tables and leather goods from his recent “Everyday Life” collection with Italian luxury furniture company DePadova; Type 75 lamps from the longstanding partnership with British lighting brand Anglepoise; and checked wool blankets designed by Smith for design company Maharam.
The partnership came about
naturally, through Rocco Forte Hotels’ Polizzi, who is responsible for the design of each of the individual rooms at Brown’s Hotel and is a long-time visitor to Smith’s Albemarle Street shop.
Further references to the Albemarle Street flagship shop, which is located just meters away from the hotel, are dotted about the room. They include custom Paul
Smith + The Rug Company rugs and a Maharam headboard, both of which feature a geometric pattern inspired by the building’s iconic iron façade.
“Being asked to design a space for such an iconic Mayfair institution is a great privilege — and I’ve had a great deal of fun in the process! Just like Brown’s does with its rooms, we design every Paul Smith shop
differently to celebrate the area’s individuality, which is just one of the reasons the project appealed to me. On a more personal level, I’m so pleased we’ve been able to include objects that inspire me personally and I hope, in turn, they’ll inspire the suite’s guests,” Smith said. Polizzi added: “It is exciting to have a Sir Paul Smith suite at Brown’s Hotel. It is elegant, bright
and happy and has a lovely sense of fun. The sitting room is full of interest with its wall of pictures, smart sofas and flamboyant cushions. The bedroom is strikingly different, with its sense of calm and space. He has caught the feeling of Brown’s Hotel, but with a Paul Smith twist.”
The Paul Smith Suite starts at 5,500 British pounds ($6,980).