G.L.A. Hotels has opened Hotel Beauchamps in Paris. G.L.A. president Grace Leo, working with French interior designer Pascal Allaman, was given carte blanche to renovate a dormant hotel, where she mixed expensive antiques with contemporary art.
The interior design plays with both past and present eras. "My vision for Hotel Beauchamps was to create a ‘living’ cosmopolitan hotel, complete with spirit and a literary edge," Leo says. "The hotel tells the story of an imaginative, scholarly arts collector, Baltazar Beauchamps, with a passion for travel. The objects of his travels have an artsy feel to them where sculptures compliment original photography."
The hotel’s 89 rooms are spread across six floors in four categories: standard, superior, luxury, and suites. The bedrooms are decorated in a variety of warm earth tone colors from a contemporary palette of cherry red, chocolate, and gold to a combination of pale yellow and pearl grey to a mix of sand, cedar, and copper. In the majority of rooms, a large canvas reproduction of a Victor Hugo drawing covers an entire wall above the bed. Sitting atop a carpet with a Greek pattern in saffron and khaki tones, a Chinese-inspired lacquered armoire in a russet color contains the minibar and safe.
Velvet, the hotel’s new restaurant, is reminiscent of an old fashioned-bistro that conveys a neighborly feel. The décor comprises black slate floors, wood and glass cabinets, and open wine displays. The center is "table d’hote," a series of higher seating lending itself to a group of six to eight diners, or a single guest dining alone.
The lobby sports a 1930s Far East theme inspired by painter Piet Mondrian. Red and gold serve as the dominant tones, complemented by a large console in purple wood and red lacquer serving as the reception desk. Space is broken up by contemporary artifacts such as statuettes, sculptures, suspensions, and photographs found on purple wood bolsters or hung on surrounding walls. Meanwhile, the library lounge features a central fireplace framed by rosewood bookcases and mirrors. Armchairs and tables surround a 1950s-style sofa, while photographic prints, coral, and exotic travel souvenirs are scattered throughout the library shelves.
