To be completely up front, not all of the rooms at Rome's Portrait Suites Hotel are small by city standards. Some of them are quite large, yet they still advertise these spaces as "studios" within a townhouse that's been recently redesigned by Florentine architect/designer Michele Bonan. The idea behind the rooms is a dark, moody aesthetic that can translate really well into small spaces.
The hotel is located above a men's shop on Via Condotti, and its design is inspired by the dark grays and blacks of a tailored suit against the crisp white of a shirt. There are lots of high-contrast details in the rooms, like white frames on a black wall or natural wood furnishings with sleek steel accents.
It's worth noting that the palette is pretty neutral, and textures are what cause the most contrast between surfaces. Black marble complements and contrasts with ebony wood, while mirrored surfaces reflect opaque, woolen fabrics.
We really love the dark walls. Thanks to the choice of materials—particularly painted and stained wood—the colors feel very rich and deep, which helps the walls feel like they're receding. It's a nice, subtle trick that's difficult to pull of but feels great when it works.
For more information on the Portrait Suites Hotel, click here.
HIGH-STYLE HOTELS IN BOSTON:
• The Ames Hotel
• The XV Beacon Hotel
Photos: Portrait Suites, Rome
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Comments (3)
Small spaces with dark colours......gloomy. Stayed in a little room in Paris. It was very small, two people and two suitcases, meant no room to walk around. It had just been renovated and the walls were painted a very dark blue grey. It was so depressing, we couldn't stand it.....even with the view of Notredame. We had booked a week, but after two nights we moved to another hotel, same sqare footage but bright and airy....huge difference.
I love these spaces - Very Chic and Sexy!
Will have to keep this on my list for when I go to Rome next year...
Very helpful post for my AT; thank you. My bedroom is painted a dark brown and similarly arranged as the first picture but for more than a year now I could not decide on curtain color and other styling elements -- now I have made my decision -- I love the green lining of the curtains, the bedside lamps, the leather handles on the bedside tables...beautiful.