Staying in a hotel just isn’t like home. One room with two beds and a couple of scratchy chairs — maybe a couch, if you’re lucky — is not a place you want to spend your time.
Whether they’re on a business trip, getting settled in a new city, or waiting to move into a new house, more people are forgoing hotels and instead choosing to rent a suite for their extended stay.
Canadian company Premiere Executive Suites has multiple suites in the Halifax area. With full kitchens, large living rooms, and little perks like their own washer and dryer, their suites feel more like homes.
Unlike hotel rooms that sometimes fall victim to pink-and-green floral spreads, Premiere Executive Suites regularly “refreshes” the design of their suites, to keep them feeling homey and current.
Suzanne Saul, co-owner of contemporary home furnishings store Attica, was recently in charge of taking their Bishop’s Landing suite and giving it a new life. The space needed to maintain a modern feel — to fit with the contemporary design of Bishop’s Landing — but still be warm and homelike.
Saul, who is known for her love of clean lines and contemporary sophistication, chose a colour palette of sand, red, and espresso.
“The look is modern, simple, and classic,” she says.
What works for a single businesswoman doesn’t necessarily work for a family of five, so to keep the suite functional for both visiting executives and families, Saul decided to keep the accessories to a minimum.
This meant it was important that her main furniture selections be “very bold.”
“The strong, curved lines of the coffee and side tables dominate the living room,” Saul said. “And the curved geometrical elements are repeated in the roundness of the lamps, the convex mirrors above the sofa, the pattern on the carpet, and the round shape of the dining table.”
For the master bedroom, Saul knew she wanted to keep it feeling open and airy; she decided against using a traditional dresser — which would have taken up valuable floor space — and brought in a loft canopy bed that has built-in storage drawers.
“It has a dramatic design, and the storage makes it a perfect solution for condo living,” said Saul. “I placed it against the wall opposite the door, because I like to immediately face the main piece of furniture when I enter a room, whenever possible.”
From the snuggly sand-coloured living room couch to the cosy eating area, the Bishop’s Landing suite feels just like home … and that’s the idea.
For more information on Premiere Executive Suites, please visit www.premieresuites.com.
For more information on Suzanne Saul and Attica, please visit www.attica.ca.
– Heather Clarke is a Halifax-based writer with a penchant for pretty things.
