Hospitality Design - October 2013 - 45

perspectives

clement
> The mezzanine level of the storied
Peninsula New York hotel was long home to
the restaurant Fives. Now, it has been replaced
by 3,300-square-foot Clement, reminiscent of
an elegant abode. For this new space, Torontoand New York-based Yabu Pushelberg
envisioned a fictitious girl named Cloë, who
upon graduation from New York University,
marries a banker and opens a place that “at
once satisfies her Upper East Side roots and
is fun for her friends to hang out,” explains
Glenn Pushelberg. “We wanted to achieve
an environment within the hotel that was
an absolute departure from the typical hotel
dining room and subsequently, a not-on-theradar dining experience in this part of the
city. The Clement imparts a slight bohemian
atmosphere, but certainly, a well-appointed
environment with the absence of slick design
elements; a welcoming and intimate place
where one may want to experience different
pleasures during one visit, and then other

sketchbook

moods on subsequent visits.”
Here, warm, ochre leather banquettes,
accented by stitching that nods to mid-20th
century sporty roadsters, contrasts with wide
plank oak floors; a feature wall is comprised
of layers and stacks of 900 unglazed ceramic
bowls and vases; and cocktails are sipped at a
long Kenya Black stone-clad bar.
“Art installations are an important
visual statement,” adds George Yabu. “This

is inspired by the idea of Cloë’s downtown
friends helping her out, making stimulating,
site-specific, and unique works, like her
ceramicist friend Pascale. The saffron-ochre
plaster mural [by Moss & Lam] was conceived
as a fantasy view of green spaces from
nearby Central Park to Washington Square,
downtown. If you look closely, you may see a
giraffe or peacock in the composition. Surprise
elements like these will hopefully delight.”

Photos by Michael Weber and Mark Jordan

topping rose house

> A once-grand 1842 Greek Revival mansion
in Bridgehampton, on New York’s East End,
is the setting for Topping Rose House. “We’d
never been in the hotel business before, but
the community, and many studies, said that a
new upscale property was needed, particularly
one that had a small conference and event
space,” says co-owner Bill Campbell. So, he
gave them what they wanted, an intimate
hotel—with a plethora of edgy artwork

(courtesy of the gallery of his wife, Christine
Wächter-Campbell) and a seasonal American
restaurant from chef Tom Colicchio to boot.
This hotel also mark’s Colicchio’s foray as a
hotelier, as he also operates the 22-room inn.
For the design, they sought out an
equally powerful force, New York-based
Champalimaud. The desired aesthetic,
says founder and principal Alexandra
Champalimaud, was “refined, but comfortable,

unfussy, and fresh—more ‘home’ than
hotel.” For something warm and welcoming
that matched the Hamptons lifestyle,
Champalimaud outfitted each cottage, studio,
and mansion room with one-of-a-kind found
objects. Light gray, wide-planked wood floors
meld with white walls, neutral upholstery, and
vibrant accents like printed pillows, graphic
rugs, and handblocked and embroidered
prints. “We fused contemporary and periodappropriate furniture,” she says. “Classic
Winsdor chairs pull up to mid-century modern
tables, while bedside sconces and floor lamps
give the suites a modern edge. Elements
of the outdoors are brought indoors with
custom reclaimed wood beds and chests.” The
intrigue continues in the restaurant, where a
high-gloss aqua lacquered bar adds polished
juxtaposition to traditional millwork, and milk
glass and iron drum pendants reference early
American materials depicted in contemporary
silhouettes. Says Colicchio: “We were trying to
create a little respite, where people could relax
and unwind.”

hospitalitydesign.com October 2013

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