The Thrill of Transformation

Every season offers visual transformation, but when old man winter blows in and blankets the landscape with snow, there is simply nothing so dramatically redesigned. It makes the terrain we thought we knew into a place that is strangely and beautifully transfigured. Visual transformation has always held a certain allure, it’s no wonder that the Cinderella story has captivated readers for centuries. In a similar vein, today’s relentless reality shows, depicting plastic surgery in all its gory glory, are further testament to how riveted we are to the notion of before and after.

The attraction to change is as undeniable as it is understandable. But being a part of the process is where the real excitement is. We are fortunate to have the opportunity to change rooms and houses from something often undesirable (or worse) to spaces that provide human comfort and visual delight. In homage to the wonders of winter transformation, we offer a few befores and afters of our own. Here, with a good dose of inspiration and lots of hard work, a tired room takes on a completely new persona.

For our recent redesign of banquet rooms at the Carlyle Hotel we took fussy, dated rooms and made them into spaces that are fresh and inviting. In the elevator vestibule (above), we created a one-of-a-kind wallpaper to give the space a feeling of openness, especially as compared to how it was before. The design creates a bridge from the Art Deco period of the building to the twenty-first century. The look is further enhanced by a modern console table and classic gilt-bronze lamps.

In the lobby that leads to the banquet rooms, we created a layered wall treatment, incorporating sumptuous wallpapers delineated by thin, horizontal mouldings. New furnishings in elegant textiles that recall luxe, Deco era rooms, are accentuated by the carpeting that we designed especially for the Carlyle. The final result is richly appointed, but tailored, giving the rooms an elegance equal to the Carlyle itself.

Transformation is always exciting, and the creation of entirely custom wall and floor treatments makes these rooms utterly unique. The Carlyle Hotel has been a draw for stylish New Yorkers for many decades and today that tradition continues. For information on using these beautiful rooms for your next event or private party, you may visit www.thecarlyle.com.