RMS Companies recently unveiled The Lloyd, a boutique hotel located at the former Hotel Zero Degrees in the center of downtown Stamford, CT. From the moment of arrival, a sense of style and warmth unfolds.
“My goal to reinvigorate this somewhat tired building and space was to stimulate the guest upon first impression,” said Bruce Beinfield, principal of Beinfield Architecture. “By gradually introducing a layer of warm natural elements and striking geometric shapes consecutively throughout the guests’ journey, we provide an engaging experience.”
He added, “We sought inspiration from Randy and Claire Salvatore and also several boutique hotels in NYC, particularly Hotel 1 in Brooklyn.”
A warm brown wall cladding system was added to the exterior of the building with an elegant vertical pattern to seamlessly unite the exterior and interior spaces. Upon entry, guests are immediately overwhelmed with a sense of “getaway” from the abundance of organic materials that create an array of warm inviting nooks and intimate seating and dining areas. Honey-brown wood paneled ceiling boards were applied to canopy the large open space while cement board wall panels in natural gray tones provide a sense of stability and balance. Dramatic floor to ceiling drapery has been layered in throughout the entire lounge and library spaces in a soft sand linen texture while furnishings with natural elements such as woven jute, rattan, hair on hide and lamb’s wool were added as an extra layer between this cozy space and the busting city outside.
“Stamford has a large number of corporate headquarters which means a high number of business travelers. We wanted to craft a place for these guests to work, dine and relax in an environment that had the warmth of a home,” Beinfield said.
Landscape Designer, Martha Baker embedded a row of tall fastigiate beech trees to beautify the streetscape, which once pruned, will resemble evergreen columns along the front line of the hotel. Framing the entrance, oversized boxwood shrubs planted in horizontal wide planked Ipe wood boxes were positioned to harmonize the surrounding linear shapes.
“The notable curbside entry design was intentionally curated with a combination of architectural and natural elements as a teaser for the interior feel,” said Baker, Martha Baker Landscape Design.
To set expectations even more, an 8 ft. signature woven wood ball sculpture was commissioned by Brooklyn-based Baker Structures and centered around smaller complimentary boxwood shrubs with linear Hakone grass to create a known location to visit for rejuvenation and balance.
Guestrooms are uniquely appointed with modern West Elm furnishings to offer a sense of style and the comforts of own home. Saddle-brown tufted leather headboards are found in each room against a chic accent wall painted in rich green, creating a natural environment against the soft brown striations of the wood floor. Hints of stone accents with strong charcoal black steel details were layered into the scheme to balance the subdued colors while framed art prints, by a variety of local artists, were selected to complement the tailored gray herringbone upholstery and enhance the crisp white hotel bedding.
