A case study of three Boutique Hotel 40 Winks

Theres one word for design that follows a formula: boring. Style is about breaking the rules, following your impulses, taking a chance and seeing what works. At least it is to David Carter, a renowned English designer who recently turned his Queen Anne townhouse into a swank boutique hotel in the heart of London. When it was his private residence, Carters eclectic but wellcurate design had always caught the eye of his guests, but after a number of fashion photo spreads were shot there and dozens of Hollywood stars (Orlando Bloom and Helen Mirren, to name a few) graced his halls, he realized the space had real potential as a luxury destination. After 12 years of renovation and decoration, Carter opened up the space as 40 Winks hotel, with the goal of giving creative types the opportunity to stay in a cutting-edge hotel without the five-star price tag. The successful, now-glam hotel is fit for the hottest of style makers but remains a place that feels like home.

For me, the most successful work has a strong emotional resonance. Its not just a question of going out and buying expensive furniture and pictures; rather, its to showcase the things you love, Carter says. So, instead of designing each room to evoke a particular trend, theme or time period, he organized spaces according to mood, blending classic furnishings and old-world touches with the fun, the eccentric and the kitschy.

After 12 years of renovation and decoration, Carter opened up the space as 40 Winks hotel (a British expression for a quick nap), with the goal of giving creative types the opportunity to stay in a cutting-edge hotel without the five-star price tag. The successful, now-glam hotel is fit for the hottest of style makers but remains a place that feels like home.

The hotels music room is mostly used for relaxing and socializing during the day. To add panache to the off-white space, Carter designed many of the elements in the room himself, including the graphic gray rug and the swirling sunburst mirror that hangs above the fireplace. A trompe l'oeil sky, based on a treatment he saw in an old French chateau, creates an enchanting ceiling.

Carter found the poppy Beatles drum set in a London antiques shop. Its the perfect finishing piece for the aptly named music room.

To create drama in a relatively simple bedroom, Carter hand-painted charcoal gray stripes onto the off-white walls. A mirror hanging above the floor-to-ceiling fireplace reflects the walls striking pattern.

. The chaise is understated and elegant, Carter says. The Union Jack is quite tongue-in-cheek. Its the relationship between the two that makes it interesting visually. Im not trying to create museum like interiors that are historically correct and dull. I wanted it to feel happy and joyous.

The double bedroom faces south and is filled with natural light. The neutral walls and accents have a mellow and peaceful effect, but the room is never dull. With floors of whitewashed pine and a collection of interesting objects, such as an antique dress form, the nautical Queen Mary life preserver and a mask purchased in Venice, the room is packed with whimsy. One corner features a lacy corset lamp, designed by Carter, that is also found in several other rooms throughout the house.

The room thus becomes a cocoon like cave; Carter describes it as opium den chic. With its faux bearskin and leopard throws, a dark-green and gold wall treatment and lacy corset lamps, the overdone look is strangely enchanting. Its lovely to have a house where I can explore different atmospheres, Carter says. There are very light rooms that glow and are wonderfully happy. Then there are darker, more mysterious, seductive spaces where you can curl up and read a book or feel cosy and chat.

Carter wanted to create a gilded look in the lush bathroom. He used a goldleaf-covered wallpaper by de Gournay. Instead of installing a glass backsplash to protect the delicate paper, Carter lets the splashes of water that come with normal use of the bathtub alter the paper, creating a come-what-may staining effect.

Wharekauhau (pronounced, furry, as in hurryko-ho) is a New Zealand Manor house lodge in a spectacular location. The site, on the south coast of New Zealands North Island, is a short flight or a 90-minute drive from Wellington, and spans some five thousand acres of land, a functioning sheep station between the Rimutaka mountain range and the waters of Palliser Bay.

The location of Palliser Bay in the lower Wairarapa region

Chateau Wellington is a 4,600 square foot splendidly furnished three-bedroom dwelling. Each bedroom features an open gas fire and en suite with claw foot bath and shower. This luxury home is surrounded with a security wall enclosing private grounds and gardens. A private chef and personal security can be arranged for total privacy and seclusion.

Wharepapa Cottage

Voted one of the worlds best holiday resorts in the 2008 Cond Nast Readers Choice Awards