The Lowell, in the heart of New York’s Upper East Side, was recently updated by designer Michael S. Smith. And there’s a chic new restaurant, Majorelle, and a popular new bar, Jacques. The Lowell’s location makes if a favorite of cosmopolitan travelers and transcontinental business leaders.
This week I spoke to designer Michael S. Smith exclusively about the design of The Lowell hotel.
Positioned perfectly and conveniently on East 63rd Street at Madison Avenue, The Lowell hotel, is considered a second home for many guests, who take up residence for weeks or even months at a time.
Dina de Luca Chartouni , the co-owner and design director of The Lowell has a vision for the hotel that is rich in both comfort and style, and she sets the residential tone. She is the quintessential New York woman, born and raised in the city and a graduate of Barnard, and dedicated to creating an environment in which guests instantly relax.
Built as a luxury apartment house in the 1920s, The Lowell is a rare small private New York hotel with just 74 rooms and suites.
The seventeen-floor hotel was recently updated and renovated by Los Angeles/New York designer Michael S. Smith who carefully built on the residential feeling with individual décor for penthouses, as well as for all suites. His approach was to curate painting and photography collections, and to arrange furniture in a practical, residential style. Antiques and one-of-a-kind vintage pieces enhance the ultra-private rooms.
Frequent guests of the hotel (some take up residence for spring and summer, others for the fall cultural season) often have special requests for ideal furniture arrangements.
Sixty percent of the hotel is dedicated to spacious suites that are ideal for family visits. Many have terraces and kitchens as well as wood-burning fireplaces that are unusual amenities among hotels in New York. Several suites have outdoor terraces from which Central Park may be viewed.
Like a film director, Chartouni has assembled a dream team including general manager Heiko Kuenstle, restaurateur Charles Masson, interior designer Michael Smith, and architect Mark Pinney. Together they made a statement that is design-driven in the guest rooms as well as in a new culinary universe anchored by a restaurant called Majorelle with a bar, Jacques, and a guests-only Club Room as well as an outdoor dining terrace.
When the recent renovation was completed, I spoke to California designer Michael S. Smith to learn more about his philosophy of design for The Lowell.
DDS: What was the feeling you wanted to create for the hotel?
Michael S. Smith: I wanted to orchestrate an instant classic. People who know The Lowell love it. It has a loyal, very European following, with charm and a real sense of tradition – very classic. I wanted to do something that in your mind’s eye looks like it’s always been there. I was also inspired by apartments that Maison Jansen designed in New York in the 1950s and 1960s. A universal, classic, timeless and elegant look.
DDS: The color palette?
Michael S. Smith: Natural materials – limestone, marble and stucco – dominate the color palette. The owners of The Lowell love a pale blue, green palette, which is great because that is one of my favorites as well. I used those colors to give the space a very soft, clean and fresh look. The design and palette are neoclassical, inspired by the idea of a classic New York City apartment.
DDS: Inspirations?
Michael S. Smith: I love the classic idea of a celebratory hotel – a place for special occasions like a proposal, a birthday or a chic Saturday night dinner. I see The Lowell as a dream urban hotel, inspired by many French elements. I did not want to make it too theatrical because some guests are there often.
DDS: What are your favorite design ‘moments’ at the hotel?
Michael S. Smith: I love the new paneled rooms – they are magical. It’s almost as if you couldn’t imagine them not being there before. They feel solid and built into the building. I also love the inlaid floors, especially the ones based on a classic Jansen design from the 1960s. The mirrors in the dining room were etched by Nancy Lorenz in her ‘Fireworks’ pattern. Intellectually your brain knows how mirrors work, but mirrors feel magical and other-worldly.
DDS: Michael, thank you. It has been a great pleasure.
Note: Diane Dorrans Saeks collaborated with the designer to create, “Michael S. Smith Elements of Style’ published by Rizzoli in 2004. The book has been a best-seller, and went into nine printings. Designers today tell me that this is a book they refer to most frequently.
Yasmin has been creating beautiful seasonal floral displays at The Lowell for over twenty years. Recently she combined majestic and fragrant Casablanca lilies and tiger lilies, with peonies in a pastel palette, and guests lingered to admire the flowers and capture images.
Charles Masson does all of the flowers for Majorelle – it is his passion and he is known for his lavish arrangements. He selects the most beautiful seasonal flowers—and arranges them generously, colorfully, and with great branches and leaves and fronds to add texture and height. Glorious.
The restaurant is beloved by locals, who drop in often, sometimes more than once a day.
The entry is framed by Botticino and Carrara marble columns, and features a custom patterned gray and ivory marble floor, vaulted wood arched ceilings, and deep blue hues of silk velvet on the chairs and banquettes.
The Club Room, which features a library of art books, has French oak parquet floors, hand-painted paneling, a wood burning fireplace, dedicated bar, and handcrafted crown moldings, all by Smith.
“It’s a new era for The Lowell, one that adds to the level of luxury, comfort and elegance that defines us,” said Chartouni. “This excellence is and always will be my passion and our ultimate mission.”
CREDITS:
Images published here courtesy of The Lowell, New York, used with express permission.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Positioned perfectly and conveniently on East 63rd Street at Madison Avenue, The Lowell hotel, is considered a second home for many guests, who take up residence for weeks or even months at a time.
Dina de Luca Chartouni , the co-owner and design director of The Lowell has a vision for the hotel that is rich in both comfort and style, and she sets the residential tone. She is the quintessential New York woman, born and raised in the city and a graduate of Barnard, and dedicated to creating an environment in which guests instantly relax.
Built as a luxury apartment house in the 1920s, The Lowell is a rare small private New York hotel with just 74 rooms and suites.
The seventeen-floor hotel was recently updated and renovated by Los Angeles/New York designer Michael S. Smith who carefully built on the residential feeling with individual décor for penthouses, as well as for all suites. His approach was to curate painting and photography collections, and to arrange furniture in a practical, residential style. Antiques and one-of-a-kind vintage pieces enhance the ultra-private rooms.
Frequent guests of the hotel (some take up residence for spring and summer, others for the fall cultural season) often have special requests for ideal furniture arrangements.
Sixty percent of the hotel is dedicated to spacious suites that are ideal for family visits. Many have terraces and kitchens as well as wood-burning fireplaces that are unusual amenities among hotels in New York. Several suites have outdoor terraces from which Central Park may be viewed.
Like a film director, Chartouni has assembled a dream team including general manager Heiko Kuenstle, restaurateur Charles Masson, interior designer Michael Smith, and architect Mark Pinney. Together they made a statement that is design-driven in the guest rooms as well as in a new culinary universe anchored by a restaurant called Majorelle with a bar, Jacques, and a guests-only Club Room as well as an outdoor dining terrace.
When the recent renovation was completed, I spoke to California designer Michael S. Smith to learn more about his philosophy of design for The Lowell.
DDS: What was the feeling you wanted to create for the hotel?
Michael S. Smith: I wanted to orchestrate an instant classic. People who know The Lowell love it. It has a loyal, very European following, with charm and a real sense of tradition – very classic. I wanted to do something that in your mind’s eye looks like it’s always been there. I was also inspired by apartments that Maison Jansen designed in New York in the 1950s and 1960s. A universal, classic, timeless and elegant look.
DDS: The color palette?
Michael S. Smith: Natural materials – limestone, marble and stucco – dominate the color palette. The owners of The Lowell love a pale blue, green palette, which is great because that is one of my favorites as well. I used those colors to give the space a very soft, clean and fresh look. The design and palette are neoclassical, inspired by the idea of a classic New York City apartment.
DDS: Inspirations?
Michael S. Smith: I love the classic idea of a celebratory hotel – a place for special occasions like a proposal, a birthday or a chic Saturday night dinner. I see The Lowell as a dream urban hotel, inspired by many French elements. I did not want to make it too theatrical because some guests are there often.
DDS: What are your favorite design ‘moments’ at the hotel?
Michael S. Smith: I love the new paneled rooms – they are magical. It’s almost as if you couldn’t imagine them not being there before. They feel solid and built into the building. I also love the inlaid floors, especially the ones based on a classic Jansen design from the 1960s. The mirrors in the dining room were etched by Nancy Lorenz in her ‘Fireworks’ pattern. Intellectually your brain knows how mirrors work, but mirrors feel magical and other-worldly.
DDS: Michael, thank you. It has been a great pleasure.
Note: Diane Dorrans Saeks collaborated with the designer to create, “Michael S. Smith Elements of Style’ published by Rizzoli in 2004. The book has been a best-seller, and went into nine printings. Designers today tell me that this is a book they refer to most frequently.
Flowers of The Lowell
Guests who arrive early in the morning may be fortunate to meet Yasmin Kantakis, the artist who creates the very lavish flowers in the lobby at The Lowell.Yasmin has been creating beautiful seasonal floral displays at The Lowell for over twenty years. Recently she combined majestic and fragrant Casablanca lilies and tiger lilies, with peonies in a pastel palette, and guests lingered to admire the flowers and capture images.
Charles Masson does all of the flowers for Majorelle – it is his passion and he is known for his lavish arrangements. He selects the most beautiful seasonal flowers—and arranges them generously, colorfully, and with great branches and leaves and fronds to add texture and height. Glorious.
Majorelle at The Lowell
Charles Masson, after forty years of service at La Grenouille, opened Majorelle at The Lowell.The restaurant is beloved by locals, who drop in often, sometimes more than once a day.
The entry is framed by Botticino and Carrara marble columns, and features a custom patterned gray and ivory marble floor, vaulted wood arched ceilings, and deep blue hues of silk velvet on the chairs and banquettes.
Jacques Bar at The Lowell
The adjacent Jacques bar is an intimate space with French oak wood paneling, an antiqued mirrored ceiling, and a marble bar.The Club Room, which features a library of art books, has French oak parquet floors, hand-painted paneling, a wood burning fireplace, dedicated bar, and handcrafted crown moldings, all by Smith.
“It’s a new era for The Lowell, one that adds to the level of luxury, comfort and elegance that defines us,” said Chartouni. “This excellence is and always will be my passion and our ultimate mission.”
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| Designer Michael S. Smith |
CREDITS:
Images published here courtesy of The Lowell, New York, used with express permission.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
1 comment:
It's the only place to stay if you are a former UESer! I stayed there when it first opened and felt right at home. Luckily one of my best friends still lives nearby and I get to stay with her when I visit. If not, this is the place...
"homier" than the Carlyle.
Love the menu of the restaurant. Could eat there morning, noon and night!
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