Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants has opened The Buchanan, a boutique hotel in the company’s hometown of San Francisco. Located where Japantown, the Fillmore, and Pacific Heights neighborhoods intersect, the hotel was erected upon the footprint of the existing Hotel Tomo.
The hotel’s 131 guestrooms, many of which have private outdoor balconies, were designed in the style of a chic urban apartment. The hotel also offers a private courtyard, a whiskey lounge-inspired lobby, and a quiet neighborhood experience.
San Francisco-based Nicole Hollis Interior Design has created an environment that draws on local influences and iconography, while celebrating street life, urban culture, and artistic virtuosity. Bright, white, and open, the design scheme is characterized by classic hardware and linen textiles, curated accessories, chic lighting, and eclectic furniture. The lobby layout is anchored by a feature wall made of reclaimed whiskey barrel staves charred by a traditional finishing process known as Shou-Sugi Ban. In partnership with local ELA Lighting, Nichole Hollis designed an undulating light installation made from whiskey bottles. The lobby space is also characterized by a collection of local art, including a mural by Kelly Ording, inspired by the Bay Area landscape and Japanese illustration techniques, commissioned for the reception area. For the adjacent communal table, local woodworker Aleksandra Zee employed a painted dye technique relating to traditional Japanese Shibori patterns.
The Buchanan’s guestrooms have subtle nods to Japanese culture are expressed through artistic techniques, seen in the Shibori-print accent pillows, Kimono-inspired guest robes, and colorful prints by local artists. Nicole Hollis designed the platform beds, headboards, and casegoods. Bathrooms feature custom vanities with black quartz countertops and matte black metal frames, with luxury fixtures from Waterworks. The overall color scheme features charcoals, bright whites, and highlights of deep forest green and navy.
