Toronto- and New York-based design firm Yabu Pushelberg approached custom art studio Moss & Lam to add a touch of whimsy—in the form of murals—to the modern interiors of the Pan Pacific London. “The briefing was succinct yet on point: to bring retro nostalgia and extravagant elegance in the heart of London,” says Deborah Moss, principal and creative director of Moss & Lam. To conjure inspiration, Moss turned to Britain’s wellspring of history, art, and literature.

For the mural in reception, Moss drew on a passage from Shakespeare’s Henry V as well as a portrait of Richard Peers Symons by Sir Joshua Reynolds. Depicting a greyhound admiring its master, Moss fantasized about what would happen if the dog left its domestic life, leading to the mural’s name “The Sweet Adventure.” The painting also ties together the East meets West nature of the property with the greyhound encountering a lemur guarding a nest of dragon fruit, both of which are native to Singapore where the Pan Pacific Hotels Group hails from.

Whereas, in the hotel’s Ginger Lily bar, an abstract mural pays homage to the turbulent seascapes of British painter J.M.W. Turner signals a safe harbor for guests. “Both areas required different qualities,” says Moss. “For the reception, a narrative that would draw in guests entering the space. For the bar, something dark and moody.”

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