DESIGN + TRAVEL: HOTEL BACCARAT
When Hotel Baccarat opened its doors in New York in March 2015, it became the flagship hotel bearing the French crystal maker's brand name with more hotels in development in Doha, Dubai and Rabat. With a 251-year-old history, Baccarat became one more luxury brand that ventured into the world of high end hotel accommodation and even if your taste is, let's say, a little more 'minimal' (I know, I know), this hotel can definitely not leave you indifferent.
For starters there's a lot of crystal - in fact an astonishing 15,000 handmade Baccarat glassware. Plush carpets, mirrored tables, panelled walls and use of light and texture confidently. Then the super-classy trio of colours: BLACK - WHITE and RED. Glossy black and white check tiles, red walls, red trimming on cushions, white chandeliers (Baccarat of course), red carpets against black walls, seriously this hotel has it all. To me it's like the set of an old Hollywood movie with Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire - thinking Top Hat here.
Location, Location
The Baccarat Hotel is located in the Plaza district of Manhattan on West 53rd Street between 5th and 6th Avenues. It sits opposite MoMA (the Museum of Modern Art - check out what's currently on here) so it is perfectly located for someone who wants to wet their cultural appetite without missing out on shopping (just like looking at myself in the mirror here).
What you will find nearby:
The Onassis cultural centre
The Rockefeller Building (ascend 70 floors into the sky and take in sweeping 360 city views from 3 viewing decks); across from it you can also find the flagship Saks Fifth Avenue, one of the first department stores (opened in 1924) that used window displays as a form of merchandising.
Petrossian - On the ground floor of the ornate Alwyn Court Building, enjoy caviar and French-inspired food in a spectacular room decorated with Lalique glass and Limoges china. Dress up.
21 Club - This clubby historic New York spot for cocktails will make you feel like you're in a New Yorkmovie. Good spot for the horse set. Drink a Manhattan, by all means.
Burger Joint at Le Parker Meridian - Line up for one of the best burgers in the city.
Who's behind it
The hotel is a collaboration between global design firm Woods Bagot and French multi-award winning duo Gilles & Bossier. It was sold for a record $230 million a month before it opened to a Chinese Insurance company. A guaranteed investment? Possibly - the rate for the suite is currently around $18,000 per night. Besides the hotel only occupies 12 out of the 50 floors in the building, the rest being high end residences, also for sale.
Want to replicate the look in your home?
OK, so space is an obvious issue here, but the hotel could be your mood-board for a future project. Red is used in dining rooms up and down the country, so why not add black and white accents there and emulate the elegance of the hotel? Here's how.
Colour scheme
The palette to use is red-white-black in whichever proportions you like. If you have cream/white carpets, use red on the wall; if your floor is dark, use white on the walls and accessorise with red. The colours below are from Farrow & Ball, but scroll down below to find alternatives.
Products to use
You don't need to go crazy with chandeliers but statement lightening can do the trick. Also think of heavy furniture - dining table and chairs in black lacquer and large table lamps.
Eichholtz La Perla Sofa via Houseology; Crystal wall light John Lewis; FLOS wall light; Kelly Hoppen Emma Armchair; Carrow white chandelier, John Lewis, Eichholtz sofa via Houseology, GUBI Grand Piano sofa; Allto vase via Iittala from AMARA.com; Kelly Hoppen Tibet Table.
