San Francisco-based hotel brand Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants is set to open the Kimpton Hotel Enso in the city’s Japantown neighborhood in late fall. Enso, the imperfect Zen circle, is meant to evoke connectivity, strength and embracing the beauty in imperfection.
The 131-room hotel’s design has “echoes of Japanese sensibilities” combined with “West Coast cool.” Los Angeles-based Beleco Design developed a narrative with references to Japanese design elements and culture. Just as with the conceptual meaning behind the hotel’s name, the design embraces depth, texture and imperfection to create a comforting environment, according to Kimpton.
The entryway has an original abstract mural by Portland-based artist Emily Kepulis on the underside of the canopy leading guests down the stairs to the lobby. Nature is immediately introduced to the urban setting with planters flanking the entry doors.
Public Spaces
Upon entry into the living room lobby, the Enso symbol resonates in the circular shape of the sofa bench, which sits in front of a custom-wallpapered wall with geometric shapes inspired by Japanese style. Further nature references in the area include a custom, irregularly shaped area rug reminiscent of a rock formation; a live-edge communal table; a geometric green rug; and a curated plant selection.
The ceiling lights evoke Japanese lanterns while glazed ceramic wall tiles and light fixtures over the front desk are in direct reference to Japanese ceramic traditions. The accent wall by the communal table is made of planks from Japanese whiskey barrels, nodding to the culture’s rich culinary contributions. Lobby artwork will be varied and will feature a piece by one of the great Japanese Nihonga painters of the late 1800s, Watanabe Seitei.
A matcha/green tea station in the lobby has communal seating. The Technicolor Room will host a series of ongoing activations and display rotating art installations. The hotel’s Courtyard will have firepits, seating areas, games and private guest patios.
Guestrooms
The guestroom design, inspired by a modern Japanese home, is meant to promote a sense of calmness. The color palette uses light wood tones, soft off-whites and accents of green in reference to the natural environment. Wheat-colored ceilings evoke the feel of thatched roofing while the carpet is designed as an abstract interpretation of tatami mats, melding both modern and traditional elements of design and Japanese culture.
Blonde wood furniture maintains a lightness to the room, while black accent pieces draw interest. The shapes of the armoire and bistro chairs serve as modern interpretations of more traditional Japanese forms. The traditional Japanese shibori tie-dye technique is referenced on the bed pillow and informs the corridor carpet design, while the indigo color of the cloth can be found on corridor ceilings and as accents on doors and trims.
Texture is utilized throughout to add depth and keep the spaces inviting, as seen in the deeply embossed accent wallpaper with burlap texture and in the bathroom tile with natural irregularities. The green bathroom wall tile evokes the natural world while the gray walls and bathroom floor tile are a nod to Japanese concrete work. Random-pattern textured wallcoverings in the corridor are reminiscent of artisan plaster and origami folds.