See Sixty SoHo’s New Design

The New York City hotel 60 Thompson has reopened with a new name—Sixty SoHo—and a fresh look, courtesy of London-based designer Tara Bernerd. "It is always a challenge taking on an existing hotel that has loyalty amongst its guests," says Bernerd. "My overall philosophy for the hotel was perhaps ‘less is more.’ It was important that the redesign was subtle."

For the project, Bernerd collaborated with hotelier Jason Pomeranc, an original co-owner of 60 Thompson, who recently relaunched his hotel company under the name Sixty Hotels. The goal: to refresh the 2001 design by Thomas O’Brien—iconic among boutique hotels—while retaining the downtown sophistication associated with the "Sixty" address.

A discreet iron-fenced entrance leads to the lobby, a high-ceilinged space in which Bernerd created a sense of intimacy through several cocooned seating areas. She layered warm, dark woods, smoked-mirrored walls, and a mix of velvets with midcentury-modern furniture and works by British artist Harland Miller. (The Lobby Bar is set to open in November, followed by an eatery headed up by restaurateur John McDonald in early 2015.)

The 97 guest rooms (including ten suites) incorporate many of the same materials as the common areas, but to quieter effect. Each room is a rich play of textures—wood-plank floors, linen wallpaper, leather furnishings, and mohair accents—in a palette of taupe and deep blue. It’s a slightly softer variation on the hotel’s original urbane theme. Says Bernerd: "It’s an eclectic look that could be reminiscent of a very chic home in Milan, a loft in Notting Hill, or a home in New York." From $459/night; sixtyhotelom

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