Warren Street Hotel by Kit Kemp Design Studio

The Warren Street Hotel has opened in Lower Manhattan’s Tribeca neighbourhood. Designed by Kit Kemp Design Studio, the hotel, with its hard-to-miss greenish-blue facade and bright yellow top, resembles the sun on a cloudless day, making a cheerful statement among the masonry buildings and cobblestone streets typical of this upscale area.

Kit Kemp spearheaded the design of the hotel’s 69 individually conceived bedrooms and suites, bar, restaurant, drawing room, private dining room and rooftop terrace, alongside her designer daughters Minnie and Willow Kemp.

As the sister hotel to the Crosby Street in Soho and The Whitby in Midtown, it’s the third New York project for Firmdale Hotels – the renowned group founded by Kit and her husband Tim – and their 11th property globally; the Ham Yard and Haymarket hotels in London are among the group’s celebrated portfolio.

Kit’s signature style – contemporary eclecticism meets old-world English charm – defines the interiors.

Kit’s signature style – contemporary eclecticism meets old-world English charm – defines the interiors. She describes the design as “bold without being frantic” with “a really joyful feel”. Woven textiles, patterned wallpaper and ornamental elements converge in a brightly coloured and richly detailed series of spaces, elevated by a collection of original artwork spanning Kit’s favourite established and emerging talents. “We’re very democratic when it comes to hanging art,” she says. “It makes a space much more interesting to mix prominent artists like Sir Terry Frost and Tony Cragg with emerging artists like Vanessa Jackson and Henry Neville Wood.”

All the rooms are generous, with great proportions, and several suites include landscaped terraces. South-facing rooms catch afternoon sun and views of One World Trade Centre, while those to the north enjoy a classic vignette of rooftops, water towers and Tribeca’s famous ‘Jenga Building’. The acoustics are exceptional thanks in part to fabric-lined walls – a luxurious and practical application – and wide timber floorboards are a welcome touch, as are the fully stocked bookshelves and fresh flowers.

All the rooms are generous, with great proportions, and several suites include landscaped terraces.

Every nook is an opportunity to be delighted – from the hand-painted ceramics in The Orangery private dining room to the miniature acrobats dotted around the drawing room and the framed jack-in-the-boxes in the elevator. Kit manages to deliver this level of maximalism with such poise, making fora hotel that feels like a cosy and characterful home with brilliant hospitality to boot.

Interior design by Kit Kemp Design Studio.