2013 gold key AwArds best guest room midscAle | budget | focused service winner the RefineRy hotel new york DESIGNER Stonehill & Taylor THE BRIEF Repurpose a former hat factory into a boutique hotel with 197 New York-style lofts. Uncover the bones of the building to retain an industrial tone. Keep a connection to the 1912vintage structure's layered past (the lower floors were chic shops, while the upper ones were a millinery factory). THE MAGIC New York is one of the few cities in the world where a hotel with rates around $450 a night could still be considered affordable. But the price is the only thing that's not strictly top-drawer. The team at Stonehill & Taylor opened up each of the rooms, creating 12-ft. ceilings and using the exposed ductwork and distressed floors to create a vibe that echoes the building's hard-working past. The FF&E fleshes out that statement with a quirky elegance and nods to the hotel's ultra-glamorous Garment District location. Desks modeled on Singer machines show off a well-turned leg, with the Refinery name imprinted in the cast iron. Buckle details give the headboard a fashionable flavor. Outsize images by local artists are painted directly onto the walls to look like a spontaneous fashion sketch. Guests can get ready for their close-up under the light of floor lamps that resemble photographer's equipment. Even the bathrooms buy into industrial chic with their glass-and-steel pocket doors. THE TAkEAWAY Industrial doesn't mean minimalist. Smarter, not less, is more. Sticking with a restrained color palette gives the design team freedom to speak boldly with memorable shapes and unusual proportions not often found in guest rooms. Window walls add a lightness that balances the metal- and wood-dominated FF&E choices. SourceS ART: Museum Editions; APF Munn; Soho Myriad; BEDDING: Frette; Sarita Handa Export Pvt. Ltd.; CARPET: Signature Hospitality Carpets; CASEGOODS AND UPHOLSTERY: Mark David; DECORATIVE LIGHTING: Siena Design; DRAPERY: Mason Contract; FABRICS: "It's stylish, chic and doesn't try too hard." -Ian Schrager 72 boutiquedesign.com december 2013 rick lew Designtex Group; Kravet, Valley Forge Fabrics; MIRRORS: APF Munn; ROOM SIGNAGE: Non Verbal Communication and Siena Design; RUGS: Le Tissage D'Arcade; WALLCOVERING: Tri-Kes Wallcovering Sourcehttp://www.boutiquedesign.com