Inside the Villa Inkognito: The Hotel Room Design
Step inside the Villa Inkognito, and you’ll discover a delightful mélange of styles, colors, and textures adding new layers of character to the historic site. Named one of the 21 Best New Hotels Around the World by Architectural Digest in 2023, Inkognito is a design hotel wholly its own. GRECODECO is proud to have designed the interiors of this four-story villa located in Olso, Norway, and loved seeing the final result of our meticulous design process.
The hotel guest rooms were a particularly important part of this process, because we wanted to ensure guests were both very comfortable and inspired. In today’s post, we are exploring the villa’s room design and how our team helped bring these more intimate spaces to life.
Our Design Approach
This historic villa, which architect Thøger Binneballe began designing in 1870, blends Italian Renaissance, Greek classicism, and Italian villa architecture. Our team fell in love with the building’s enchanting effect, and worked hard to accentuate the many architectural details while providing a new take on the interiors.
When we started the research part of the design process, we found old photos of the interiors from the turn of the century. As Adam Greco (GRECODECO’s founder and lead designer) said of these images, “[The interiors were] all done up to look very eclectic and layered, almost Victorian in a way, with potted palms and antimacassars on the armchairs. We thought, rather than taking it back to how the original family furnished it, we would sort of imagine different snapshots through the decades and layer them on top of one another to create something new.” Rather than sticking to a singular time period, we created an eclectic design that layered influences from Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Classic Norwegian, Arts & Crafts, and Japonisme styles.
While this design approach also carried into our bedroom design, we wanted to make these guest spaces feel a little more cozy and intimate. We accomplished this through comfortable furnishings, jewel-toned color palettes, velvet upholstery, and state-of-the art bathrooms in an Art Deco style.
Three Key Features of the Rooms
While there are a multitude of unique details and pieces to choose from, we’ve chosen three of our favorite bedroom features to share with you here.
1. Custom-Made, Whimsical Wallpaper
Our team collaborated with local wallpaper supplier Molo which resulted in custom paper that we are still absolutely obsessed with. Inspired by late 19th-century Japanese art, these wallpapers add a unique charm to each room, reflecting the typical ochre tones of the neighborhood.
2. Custom-Made, Comfortable Beds
Specially designed by GRECODECO, the beds vary in size depending on the room but are all exceptionally comfortable. Each bed is complete with a luxury mattress and intricately carved wood headboard.
3. A Restored Tiled Heater
In one of the suites, we were able to restore a decorative tiled heater adorned with oyster motifs and gilt accents. Although it’s non-functional, this piece serves as a striking historical feature that adds to the space’s character and charm.
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Want to read more about our Villa Inkognito project? Check out our blog post here to learn about how we maintained the historic charm of the building while updating the interiors with colorful, delightfully surprising design.
Learn More About GRECODECO
Founded by Adam Greco in 2017, GRECODECO is a Manhattan-based firm that designs thoughtfully layered commercial and residential spaces worldwide. Our passionate team of designers specializes in research-heavy historic projects that capture and celebrate the essence of various iconic time periods, guiding guests through an elegant and emotional journey of the senses.
Interested in learning more about how GRECODECO can create an immersive guest experience through our bespoke hotel interior design? Please don’t hesitate to inquire with us.