The La Peer Hotel Previews Many Layers of “Unbuttoned Luxury”

By Marco Colantonio

The La Peer Hotel hosted a reception last week at the divine Eric Butterbaugh’sEB Gallery offering a highly stylized and well planned preiew of the sexy-extravagance Kimpton Hotels has planned for the boutique hotel planned to open early 2018.

Located right in the heart of the WeHo Design District – off La Peer Drive, between Santa Monica Blvd. and Melrose (adjacent from Craig’s, and around the corner from Gracias Madre). the La Peer is a “a new luxury design” to the Kimpton brand – billed the new “unbuttoned luxury”.

There will be 105 guestrooms and suites, a 4,000 square foot rooftop event space, poolside fitness center and more than 8,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor dining with lounge spaces.

Conceived with an eye towards modern leisure design, the well-appointed guestrooms and suites integrate style and warmth.

The sneak peak at the intoxicating Eric Butterbaugh’s Floral, Perfumery and Art Gallery

featured lush clusters of Butterbaugh’s signature flower, the rose in “resplendent, haunting” reds and unforgettable “luminous whites”.

Internationally acclaimed Butterbaugh’s was called upon to design florals for Princess Beatrice’s 18th birthday at Windsor Castle, becoming the first American to this honor. In 2006, he was asked to design a calendar for the King of Thailand celebrating his Majesty the King’s Accession to the Throne.

His high profile list of clients includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Demi Moore, Tory Burch, Michael Kors, Madonna, Dior, Valentino, Louis Vuitton, Ferragamo, Cartier, the British Royal Family, Maria Shriver, and Paul McCartney.

The event featured a massive sculptured wood platform bed in ebony with glacial white accents, dressed in pearl linens adorned with a crown of supple red rose. Walls were draped with samples of dramatic black and white wall covering and upholstery fabrics carrying out the floral theme.

The design architect for the project is Moule & Polyzoides.

Interiors will be done by LA-based architect Gulla Jónsdóttir. http://gullajonsdottir.com)http://gullajonsdottir.com/

Award winning, Icelandic-born Gulla Jónsdóttir creates unexpected and poetic modern architecture and interiors.

Known for sensual and dynamic forms that work in harmony with their surroundings, Gulla’s environmental compassion brings unique spatial experiences that respond to nature and surrounding site, echoing the integration of organic beauty and function.

Here credits include Interior Design’s Gold Key Award for Best Spa Design: Paz Spa at Cabo Azul Resort, “Best design of the Year” by Esquire magazine for her design for the Red O restaurant in Los Angeles; Boutique Design’s Best Hotel Design: Cabo Azul Resort; Best Lighting Design: Cabo Azul Resort; Los Angeles Architectural Award of excellence for Red O Restaurant and Hospitality Design Magazine award for Roxbury and Cabo Azul.

The La Peer event also featured savory tastes from Viale Dei Romani, the new Italian concept created by local celebrity chef, Casey Lane as well as signature cocktail with Cynar, aromatic bitters and Peroni.

The trattoria themed restaurant, will offer pastas with an emphasis on seafood, and lots of farm to table produce.

Casey Lane, the former Portland chef runs the kitchen at The Tasting Kitchen in Venice.

Japanese born artist, Kahori Maki’s work was also featured the the La Peer event. Maki has also collaborated with Jónsdóttir on other projects.

Kahori Maki studied Fine Arts at the Art Student League of NY following graduation from Nihon University’s art department in 1992. Kahori is an active freelancer since her return to Japan in 1994, collaborated with various brands and companies. She has produced a wide variety of illustration, installation and painting. Her fascinating work takes inspiration from nature, animal and fashion to create exquisitely dark pieces, a stunning mixture of fantasy & realism.

Anchored between the famed streets of Santa Monica Boulevard and Melrose Avenue, La Peer Hotel is located in West Hollywood’s coveted Design District. The design-forward hotel evokes a cool style that is quintessential West Hollywood and reflects the neighborhood’s incomparable harmony of art, architecture and fashion.

La Peer’s gracious General Manager, Nick Remidio circulated throughout the evening’s festivities, working the rooms with attentive grace and aplomb. He said good night to a very receptive crowd with the following words: “In striving to create what we call Kimpton Moments, our goal will be to inspire ‘Tears of Joy’ through truly thoughtful and creative service experiences for our guests.”