The Lansdowne Resort and Spa, a Destination Hotel in Leesburg, Va., revealed the first phase of its multimillion-dollar renovation in April. The project, which was finished in time to celebrate the resort’s 25th anniversary, involved a complete redesign of all 296 guestrooms and suites. The property attracts a balanced mix of weekend leisure guests and weekday group business; therefore, it was critical that the new rooms have residential appeal while also offering technological and functional conveniences. The resort’s location in Loudon County, in the heart of Virginia Wine Country, inspired the design by Monogram Hospitality Interiors at BBGM. Wine-centric elements include a rolling bar cart in the place of an accent table, wine barrel-inspired nightstands, and glasses made from recycled wine bottles. “It is all about creating a strong concept and staying true to the concept,” says Kathryn Mickel, principal at Monogram. “We constantly make sure we are balancing operational needs with aesthetics and checking at each step to be sure the concept is richly represented.”
Red Red Wine
Three key artwork pieces above the headboard, which feature photographic details of the local landscape, introduce color into an otherwise neutral space. Wine-colored throw pillows and grass green bedside lamps also provide a pop of color. “We layered color with minimal highlights of wine and green to tie to the landscape,” Mickel says.
A Sense of Calm
The neutral color palette draws attention to the views and creates the desired sense of calm. The wallcovering is patterned with the look of a subtle grasscloth weave, and the sitting areas feature a specialty wallcovering printed to resemble the bark of the birch trees prevalent on the grounds. “We coined ‘contemporary country’ as the stylistic influence.”
Toasting the Town
The design team derived inspiration from the property’s Northern Virginia country setting and the agrarian culture of the area. “Wine Country is a popular tourist destination and the wine experience is important to the resort,” Mickel explains. “We saw this as a great opportunity to subtly weave the story of the area into the design.”
