After hiring her for several previous projects, Ayres Hotels, a collection of 20 hotels in Southern California, once again brought in Sue Paley for two renovations: the public space and guestrooms of the Ayres Mission Viejo Hotel & Spa and the guestrooms of the Ayres Chino Hills.

For Mission Viejo, “I was requested to keep a European look updating it with color and adding a few contemporary pieces,” says Paley, principal of Orange County-based CRDS, Inc, adding that her inspiration serendipitously came from a recent trip to France. She infused the spaces with fine art, textiles (leather, nature-inspired), and colors (hues of green and tan) she had seen on her visit, and for the furnishings, blended her interpretation of the European way of mixing carved wood with airy fabrics. “The lobby area sets the tone with soft arch opening to the restaurant and French chairs, where again the sofa is bathed in vert mousse,” she says.

Paley also uses green as the main pop of color in the Chino Hills guestroom. Here, it’s a bit brighter hue and covers an accent wall, which juxtaposes the curved wood headboard. And bold prints-on the floral throw and accent pillows-give a “lighthearted feel” to the rooms.

And like any project, budget and time were the biggest challenges. “The major challenge here was to determine which of our best resources should be used and to keep within budget while following codes, in the short amount of time we had to complete this project,” she says.