A couple of months ago, I did a post on the W Hotel in Boston. To say I was unimpressed would be putting it mildly. I’d attended a design/build industry function and we were given tours of the upper floor condominiums and a couple of the hotel rooms. By the time I left, I was literally angry at how depressing the place seemed. And then a swarm of über talented designers had their way with the condos on one floor and they have been transformed, Phoenix-like from the ashes. The above and below pics are the empty shells that are these very high-priced condo units. This is how I saw them.
Kevin Ahearn of Otis and Ahearn and Peter Webster of Webster & Co. had the fabulous idea to turn the entire 20th floor of the building (7 units of differing sizes and configurations) into a Designer Showhouse that will be available for fundraisers, open hour tours, etc. The plan is for these spaces to be up for an entire year – which is an amazing thing, considering most showhouses are up for 2-3 weeks tops. It’s a huge commitment for the designers, vendors and contractors who participated on this project.
My photographer Michael J. Lee was hired to shoot the final projects. That was a lot of shooting – 912 exposures in 56 hours of shooting time! He has shared his gorgeous photography of the finished spaces in this video below, which shows what an amazing job the designers all did in these oddly shaped, empty shells.
I asked Michael to share some of his best images of the photoshoot.
Two of the W Hotel Boston units, by Eric Roseff and Meichi Peng, were featured in the current Design New England magazine.
Design – ridding the world of blah, one room at a time. Photography – capturing the essence of design, and sharing it with the world.
Photography ©Michael J. Lee. Used by permission.
You may also enjoy:
Linda – these are marvellous transformations. I like the idea to let the designers "play" with a whole floor! The best is the last one – with THAT view it would be a wonderful place to relax.
I also like the Peng design- I would like to see more of that room!
Thanks for posting, Petra
wow- isn't it amazing what can be done with a blank canvas!?
I am so glad you included the model (shell) photos and your initial reaction, it just goes to show how a great designer can transform any space! What struck me more than anything else as I became absorbed into each space was the obvious amount of thoughtfulness, creativity, enthusiasm, and not to mention an incredible level of giving on everyone's part! Also I feel it is important to note the level of collaboration not only within each unit but between each unit! Every space was so refreshingly different and each designer honestly respected their "neighbors" design, it was truly wonderful to see!
Thank You Linda for continuously sharing the essence of design with the world!
Michael J. Lee
Blank canvas turned into a masterpiece! Great slide presentation of the favorites! WOW!
Ah designers doing their job well! Interesting there is not much colour in the designs all very earthy toned, is that an East coast trend or simply the showhome ethic?
Amazing!!
Eddie & Jaithan