So I just started checking out Pinterest.  I know, slow, right? Well, it has lead to a full blown addiction…which is what I suspected, and probably why I held out for so long. Anyway, my favorite latest discovery is the Balthazar champagne bar in Copenhagen, Denmark by Space Copenhagen.  Am loving the wall panelling, those fab chairs and the pink banquettes. I’d be quite happy propping myself there with a glass of bubbles and a few of my girlfriends on a Friday night…

The finish of the upper walls is somewhat visible here, they have been lined with silk moire, a material that was historically used to line the inside of trunks from Louis Vuitton and Moynat.  What is not so visible unfortunately is the lower walls have a leather dado, and below that a custom embossed and screen printed leather with aged timber ribs, inspired by the protective exterior carcass of old luggage trunks.

Meet you at the bar? I’ll have a G+T please…

Last week I had the pleasure of checking out the fairly recently opened The Upper House establishment in Hong Kong- the second installment by Swire hotels (they opened The Opposite House in Beijing late last year). Designed by local rising star Andre Fu of AFSO (who will be speaking at BoDW later this week), the spaces are done in a modern Asian style that is simple, elegant and luxurious. I haven’t seen the guest rooms yet, but the public spaces are lovely. When I checked out Cafe Gray for both mid-afternoon coffee and a late night cocktail it was jam packed. News travels fast in this city. I have to say though I especially loved the Living Room….complete with an open fireplace (a bit of a rarity in this city) that might just have to be added to my favorites list, see previous post on fireplaces here. What you can’t see in this photo is during the day when the drapes are drawn there is an enviable view of green mountain side. What a great place to curl up with a book – any time of the day!

Finally, a bar I’ve actually been to! This is the ‘MO Bar’ at the new Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Hong Kong. This was designed by renowned hospitality designer Adam Tihany – whom I actually met by chance at a seminar here in Hong Kong. I sat down next to him during the break and had no idea who he was. Very charming and funny guy. Anyway, MO is a fantastic bar, and I love the combination of materials he has used, it has a very luxe deco feel with the macassar ebony and the almost Haines-like arm chairs. They make fantastic vodka cocktails, in fact on a Thursday night they do a girls night and provide free Absolut vodka drinks to girls after 9:00pm. Very dangerous!

Here is another one that tickles my fancy, just a shame I didn’t get a chance to visit during my trip in NY. These photos are of the Rose Bar, Jade Bar and private Rooftop (see footage of NY socialite Fabiola Beracasa do a tour of the exclusive rooftop) at the new Gramercy Park Hotel in New York, designed by Julian Schnabel (previously a film maker) for Ian Schrager. Here is an article on him (with more photos) in the NY Times. I love the colours they’ve used, and just how different it is to anything else I’ve seen lately, very new and fresh. And the collection of art is to die for! Check out the photos below, I also recommend checking out the website for photos of the hotel itself, its quite eye catching!

This is another fairly new one, and I particularly like the use of colour and the chinoiserie effect they’ve acheived without it looking tacky or over the top. The Artesian Bar is in London, and was designed by David Collins (who I saw profiled on another blog – Desire to Inspire). I think it looks sophisticated and I’m putting it on my to do list for the next trip to London, whenever that might be…