Boutique Design - December 2019 - 40

2 0 19 G O L D K E Y AWA R D S

BEST EMERGING CONCEPT
WINNER

HOMAGE HOSPITALITY
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA

THE CONCEPT: Homage Hospitality (inaugural property: The
Moor, a Hausotel by Homage, New Orleans, Louisiana, launched
July 1, 2018)
THE DESIGN FIRMS FOR THE INAUGURAL PROPERTY:

Homage Hospitality; Cowry Moon
THE MUSE: Celebrate African American culture and entrepre-

neurship with a new approach that says "lifestyle" in the context
of people of (all) colors.
THE MAGIC: An eye for detail-whether a statement-making image
of an African boy holding a goat or amenities tailored to the needs
of African American travelers. Homage cofounder Damon Lawrence
and his mother, Karen Lawrence, ceo of Cowry Moon, curated every
item in The Moor to leave a strong human thumbprint.

THE MESSAGE: Layering offers a fresh take on

THE MAVERICK MOVE: An opportunistic, DIY business
model. When an initial project in Oakland, California, got
bogged down, Lawrence and Homage cofounder Marcus Carey
greenlighted a four-room adaptive reuse in New Orleans for
the company's debut. Its success opened a pipeline that now
includes a growing list of coast-to-coast projects.

"authentic." While the hotel's name, motifs and
patterns channel Moorish design-a perfect framework for the rich mix of cultures and subcultures
that is New Orleans, say Lawrence and Carey, there
are clear links to the African continent as a whole
such as carved and painted sculptures of elephants,
giraffes and indigenous people.

FINALIST

BODE

THE CONCEPT: BODE (inaugural
property: Bode, Nashville, opened
November, 2018)

THE CONCEPT: Aiden by Best

Ltd., Seoul
THE MUSE: Fill a need in the upper

middle scale sector for a hip, casual,
neighborhood-inspired hotel that works
for travelers across the demographic and
psychographic spectrum and for owners
and developers who want to reposition,
rebrand or retrofit an existing hotel and
aren't afraid to be creative.
THE MAGIC: Aiden encourages,

okay, insists, that owners/developers integrate a strong sense of place
40

boutiquedesign.com DECEMBER 2019

and purpose. For its Seoul debut,
that sparked the facade's undulating
architectural detail that's intended
to resemble the outline of stacks
of folded towels (representing the
promise of hospitality within). That
sinuous line is the red thread for the
interior decoration.
THE MAVERICK MOVE: Mix and
match. The Seoul property offers an
ultra-modern black-and-white casual
eatery, but shifts the mood to a golden
glow in the rooftop dining room.
SOURCES
HOTELIER: Best Western Hotels & Resorts, Phoenix;
DESIGN FIRM (INAUGURAL PROPERTY): Ewai Co., Ltd.,
Seoul: Kung Soo Lee, chairman: ARCHITECT (INAUGURAL
PROPERTY): Ver-Tex Design, Seoul: Tacksoo Kim, principal:
PURCHASING FIRM (INAUGURAL PROPERTY): BGH
Korea, Seoul

THE DESIGN FIRM (INAUGURAL
PROPERTY): DAAD (Dryden Archi-

tecture and Design), Nashville
THE MUSE: Tailor a new brand
around current group travel habits.
Send a clear socialization-happenshere message with the central Hub,
a café/market/lounge/special event/
gathering space. Answer modern
nomads' demands for hangouts-
from coworking enclaves to firepits.
THE MAGIC: Balance fun and func-

tionality. For the Nashville property,
DAAD warmed up the check-in experience with a multifunctional, woodfronted service counter where the
Bode Ambassador can multi-task

as guest support, concierge, barista
and bartender.
THE MESSAGE: Get guests mingling
by rimming tables with built-in cedar
benches or adding a foosball table to a
premium guestroom. Watch for more
group-friendly design in the three
properties coming soon.
SOURCES
HOTELIER: Bode, Nashville; DESIGN FIRM (INAUGURAL
PROPERTY: BODE, NASHVILLE): DAAD (Dryden
Architecture and Design), Nashville: Nick Dryden, principal;
Cara Green, studio manager; Jamie Sinz, project architect/
designer; Josh Mendez, associate designer; Mary Kate
Edwards, interior designer; PURCHASING FIRM: Bode,
Nashville; GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Phipps Construction,
Nashville; BATH & SPA: Delta; FABRICS: Designtex, HBF
Textiles, KnollTextiles, Pollack; FURNITURE: Emil Erwin,
Kings Upholstery, Sinz Design, Woodcastle; LIGHTING:
Southern Lights Electric; SIGNAGE: Signs Now; WINDOW
TREATMENTS: Source Direct NW

IMOTO ( THE MOOR); COUR TE S Y OF BE S T WE S TERN HOTEL S & RE SOR TS (AIDEN);
LISA DIEDERICH PHOTOGR APH Y (BO DE)

NASHVILLE

PHOENIX

THE DESIGN FIRM FOR THE
INAUGURAL PROPERTY: EWAI Co.,

HOTELIER: Homage Hospitality, Oakland, California;
DESIGN FIRM (INAUGURAL PROPERTY, THE MOOR, A
HAUSOTEL BY HOMAGE): Homage Hospitality, Oakland,
California: Damon Lawrence, ceo; Cowry Moon, Los
Angeles, California: Karen Lawrence, ceo; PURCHASING
FIRM: Homage Hospitality, Oakland, California; ART
& ACCESSORIES: Arhaus; BLK MKT Vintage; Homage
Hospitality; AUDIO/VISUAL & ELECTRONICS: LG; BATH &
SPA: Shea Moisture; FABRICS: Linoto; FLOORCOVERINGS:
Rugs USA; FURNITURE & LIGHTING: Arhaus; Pelican
Furniture; Renaissance Furniture; SURFACING MATERIALS:
Tile Depot; WINDOW TREATMENTS: Ikea

FINALIST

BEST WESTERN HOTELS
& RESORTS

Western (inaugural property: Aiden
by Best Western @ Cheongdam,
Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea,
opened in October 2018)

SOURCES
http://www.boutiquedesign.com
Boutique Design - December 2019

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