Couples fighting over the duvet is nothing new, but a London hotel has created a new playful bedroom battle – do you want the maximalist side or the minimalist side of the bed?
Hotels.com has unveiled the So Extra So Chic suite – the world’s first half and half hotel suite split right down the middle of the bed, where one side of the room is a maximalist’s paradise, full of colour, plants and golden accessories, and the other side is minimalist’s dream, dominate by sleek lines and the minimum of fuss.
Unveiled at The Curtain Hotel in Shoreditch, the So Extra So Chic suite offers design aficionados the best of both worlds when it comes to hotel décor.
The battle of the designers see ‘so extra’ stylist Johnny Wujek, the powerhouse behind the likes of Katy Perry and Mariah Carey’s iconic looks, take on ‘so chic’ minimalist fashionista Kaitlyn Ham.
Wujek’s maximalist décor features clashing prints, layered colourful rugs, bright wallpaper, plenty of plants, a flashy cocktail trolley, brass palm and monkey lamps, mirrors and a bold sofa full of cushions.
On the other side of the room, Ham’s minimalist décor features clean lines, calm monochromes a classic Eames lounge chair dominate. Bespoke line-drawing art, a plush wool throw, arched floor lamp and neat little desk finish the look.
Being very nosy, I headed to Shoreditch to give the room a trial run, and being a little ‘extra’ myself, I naturally gravitated to the louder side of the suite, whereas my other half was happy with his minimalist set up.
‘I asked the design denizen, if his side of the So Extra So Chic suite could manifest itself in a celebrity persona, who would it be?’
I did, however, find it hard to resist settling into that beautiful walnut and white leather Eames chair, while wearing the ‘So Extra’ Hotels.com dressing gown, which matched the maximalist bed spread, of course.
After scrolling through the Wujek’s Instagram account, one couldn’t help but notice numerous posts relating to ‘extra’ royalty, Mariah Carey.
Feeling very much like we’re cut from the same pattern-clashing cloth, I asked the design denizen, if his side of the So Extra So Chic suite could manifest itself in a celebrity persona, who would it be?
‘I’d say a touch of Carmen Miranda with a side of Jay Gatsby,’ he replied.
Well, we’re in good company then. Armed with this knowledge, it was time to don one’s floral swimsuit with plunging neckline and gold accents and strut towards the oh-so-very-Instagrammable rooftop pool.
But as a girl that likes a good print and bright colours, I often come a cropper when reaching for my also-quite-bright jacket and realising you really do need some neutrals in your wardrobe.
So I also asked Wujek, when it comes to maximalism, how do you keep the look coherent and how do you know where to draw the line?
‘I like to start all my projects with mood boards, breaking it down to everything from wallpaper to bedding and rugs and lamps,’ he replied.
‘From there you edit and add if needed. I’m a visual person, so love to constantly be seeing things as they’re being created. That goes for when I’m making costumes for stage tours or directing videos. Lay it all out, then edit.’
Kaitlyn Ham, on the other hand, likes to take a more understated approach. Speaking about her minimalist half of the suite, she said, ‘I took inspiration from modern mid-century design to create a space that feels open and calming.
‘All the pieces were chosen for their style and functionality with a focus on quality. The space should feel modern and light yet have an inviting warmth that makes it feel like home.’
The dedicated duo even extended their battle royale to the bathroom, where maximalist and minimalist shower curtains hung side by side, and even the bath mats and soap dispensers got in on the action.
The #SoExtraSoChic hotel suite, exclusive to Hotels.com, is now live at The Curtain Hotel in London, and available to book for one night at a time from now until 29 October 2019 from £250 per night.
MAXIMALIST VS MINIMALIST:
WHERE DO THE BRIT’S STAND?
British travellers like to keep it minimal chic with their holiday wardrobe – almost a third (32%) admit to sticking to clean, crisp styles, compared to just 18% of those that enjoy donning bold prints and clashing colours. Millennial Brits love the minimal trend for being fashionable (15%) and classy (17%).
However, it’s another question when it comes to Brits preferred hotel style – if money was no object, one in five (19%) would choose opulent luxury with plenty of gold, marble and velvet, compared to just 8% that would go for a simpler shabby chic vibe.
‘If money was no object, one in five would choose opulent luxury with plenty of gold, marble and velvet’
Other décor that Brits would like to see in their hotel rooms include: a free-standing bath (35%), a walk-in wardrobe (26%) and incredible lighting (21%).
The So Extra So Chic survey was conducted by One Poll in July 2019, across 300 respondents.
