Complemented by neighboring Hyde Park’s verdant 350-acre expanse, Metropolitan by Como, London was launched in 1997 by Como Hotels and Resorts. The Met, as locals have come to call it, has seen several interior renovations over the past decade by locally based Forme UK, such as a redesign of the Met Bar and multiple event spaces throughout the property. The firm was most recently called upon to refurbish guestrooms and public spaces with “a serene aesthetic that is both contemporary and timeless,” says Linzi Coppick, a design director at Forme UK.
Selecting naturally inspired materials with longevity was paramount for the extensive project, which also included the creation of nine new suites and a reconfigured 10th floor that’s home to the Penthouse and Como suites.
“Our palette was influenced by the natural beauty found within the flora of Hyde Park,” explains Coppick of the lobby, where she juxtaposed upholstery in green and berry hues with rich walnut timber and tamarind green carpet inset in Italian stone flooring. The space’s contemporary look is evident near a slot-like window where chairs and stools of varying heights sit next to suspended retro-style walnut hoops that function as a discreet divider. The recess was carved out with a stone ledge featuring a linear fireplace inside and a level water table on the exterior. “The fireplace adds a visual dimension to the lobby while creating a relaxing, ambient feature,” adds Coppick.
A new reception desk sits in front of an alcove with a central display niche set against distressed two-tone leather panels. The desk is fronted with a light colored geometric stone fascia, illuminated to augment its undulating texture. And behind the adjacent concierge desk, burr walnut paneling creates an inconspicuous storage area.
Corridors and two elevators—one of which newly accesses the top floor—draw upon the lobby’s aesthetic with dark walnut paneling that complements modular leather panels and stone flooring, marrying the public spaces with similarly inspired guestrooms on the hotel’s upper levels.
“We introduced fresh palettes and textures in the guestrooms, which feature a vibrant barley color that is offset against neutral tones and dark timber to create a zesty spring-like ambiance,” explains Coppick, who also incorporated a blend of pale and dark wood in each room.
Guestrooms embody this naturally derived design with a timber-framed bed, which is balanced with headboards upholstered in ochre-colored material and capped with neutral-toned leather. Bedside ledges include etched bronze mirror recesses that “add a soft glamour,” says Coppick.
Completely reimagined, the hotel’s top floor houses the residentially inspired Como suite, which offers a large bedroom, dressing room, and a living space with denim-like upholstered furnishings and rugs with bold geometric motifs set against pale timber flooring. The Penthouse suite features a raised bedroom, separate dressing area, lounge, dining area, work space, and a Japanese-style bathroom with lacquered joinery and rainfall showers set against back-painted glass—creating a spa-like atmosphere.
“We wanted to create natural luxury that exudes quality and a sense of calm and well-being—a holistic balance between work and relaxation,” says Coppick.
