Crosby Street Hotel, New York

Built from the ground up on what was a car parking site in SoBo, the glass and brick Crosby Street Hotel is yet another charmer on the cobblestone streets of downtown Manhattan. You cannot really miss it with a chubby metal cat, named Crosby, of course, playfully hanging out at the entrance.

We like to think that the 12 feet tall feline by Colombian figurative artist Fernando Botero is a teaser to the boutique hotel’s design aesthetics.

Floor-to-ceiling warehouse style windows in each room flood the space with natural light while colourful chintz and printed fabrics sprinkle fun. Every room and suite is one-of-a-kind, designed and styled by co-owner Kit Kemp. Evidently, Kit loves contemporary art and has decorated the hotel with statement artworks. Take for instance, the permanent lobby residents – a metal human head by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa and English artist Justine Smith’s dog sculptures.

We love the fact that the Crosby Street Hotel does not adhere to one single decor era. Instead, it marries a dozen styles – from English, Contemporary and African to Industrial, Rustic and Indian – to create a personality of its own. Reds, oranges, greys, mustards, greens, blues and burgundy find their way into guest rooms, where patterned headboards and armchairs gleefully co-exist with printed curtains and cushions. Contradicting yet complementary, every room’s decor also includes hints of quirk, like the neon colour stools, printed fabric covered tailor’s bust, insects labelled and encased in frames and pieces of fabrics framed as art. Also, turns out Kit’s famous move to make a room cosy and warm involves three simple words – fabric covered walls, a tip we are sure looking forward to exploring in our home.