Be Inspired: The Commons Hotel

If you like exposed brick, globes, reclaimed wood, industrial lighting, wingback chairs, or color-coded books, prepare to be inspired.  The hotel tour I am taking you on today has all that and more.  I found so much inspiration to share!  So much, in fact, this will be a two-post tour.  Today I will focus on the common areas and the guest rooms.  Tomorrow, I will followup with the in-house restaurant.

The terms Industrial Schoolhouse and Geek Chic are used to describe the style of the new boutique hotel in Minneapolis, The Commons Hotel.  Nestled in the heart of the University of Minnesota campus, The Commons Hotel takes upscale collegiate decor to a whole new level.  I was in awe from the moment I walked in.  I started snapping photos the second I stepped out of the skyway, before making my way down to the lobby to meet my tour guide.  Kelly Commerford, Sales and Marketing Director for the hotel, gave me a thorough tour of the property.

I took tons of photos to share with you.  There were so many inspiring touches in the hotel that can easily be translated into home decor.  Throughout the post I will highlight some tips on how you can Make It Home, Make It You.

The Commons Hotel Lobby

The lobby sprawls across the first floor revealing seating area after seating area to mingle with guests or work quietly alone.

Directly ahead when you enter through the front door, is this amazing “library”.  The wingback chairs circling the fireplace make for my favorite seating in the hotel.

A bookshelf wraps the rounded exposed brick wall.  Playing off the industrial school house style, the curved bookshelves are lined with globes and books arranged by color.  All the books are real and guests are welcome to read them.

 Make It Home, Make It You: Color coordinate your books.  I also like how they limited the colors to just a few.  You can purchase  vintage book sets by color on Etsy.

A chain of highback yellow wing chairs awaits to wrap guests in comfort as they take a moment to check their email or read a book.

The designers thought of every detail.  Other wing back chairs in the lobby are upholstered on the back with custom fabric.  At first glance you think it is just a cool subway style print.  Upon closer inspection, you notice it is names of all the local streets on campus.

Make It Home, Make It You:  Use a fabric printing service, like Spoonflower, to create custom fabric with meaningful locations (cities, streets, countries).  Use the custom fabric for upholstery or to make pillow covers.

The most amazing brass molecule chandeliers hang above this seating area.

I love this fabulous chalk art in the lobby.  Seek the Truth.

Make It Home, Make It You:  Chalkboard art is popular in home decor, but I have yet to see anyone frame it under glass.  Commemorate one of your favorite quotes with chalk and then frame it to make it permanent art.  Try this great technique for painting with chalk.

This is one of my favorite shots of the hotel.  This corridor greets you with an over scale chevron wall design dotted with three large mirrors.  I just love the story captured in each of the mirrors.  The first on the left reflects the window to the courtyard outside, the second captures the beauty of the brick building, and the last showcases one of the more intimate seating areas.  All the while that great chevron wall stripe is drawing your eye up to the tin tile ceiling.

Throughout the hotel there are small vignettes.  One of my favorites was the balloon chairs paired with an oversized mirror and industrial chic chandelier.

Nearby, on the second floor, there are additional seating areas.  This one overlooks the lobby and features a mirrored arched window.

The Commons Hotel Guest Rooms

Wow!  So much inspiration already and we haven’t even stepped foot in one of the guest rooms, yet.   Have you ever been to a hotel with a beautiful lobby, only to find the style does not carry through to the guest rooms?  Well, that is not the case at The Commons Hotel.  The complete renovation of this former Raddison hotel carries into the guest rooms, as does the industrial school house style.

I actually gasped when I saw the argyle wallcovering in the guest rooms.  And, paired with the herringbone carpet…amazing!

All the rooms feature tall gray fabric headboards.  In the king room, the the headboard has a wingback style.  Some of the king rooms are large enough for a small sofa at the end of the bed.

Make It Home, Make It You: Add a cozy seating area to your Master Bedroom.  If you have the space, add a love seat at the end of the bed.  If space is tighter, try adding a reading chair in the corner.  I believe every bedroom needs a place to sit, other than on the bed.

A similar style is carried through to the double room, with similar arched headboards.

Make It Home, Make It You:  To add a timeless, luxurious look to your bedroom, make a DIY headboard with nailhead detail.  Try this detailed tutorial for a tufted headboard with brass nail heads.

The double rooms feature a great industrial cage light over the desk.

I also toured the Penthouse Suite.  It is quaint, but beautifully done.  The Penthouse great room includes a living area, dining area, and bar.

The Penthouse bedroom features a king-sized bed and double doors to a luxurious bathroom.

The star of the bathroom is by far the amazing tub.

All the guest room bathrooms feature this daring dark blue/teal color.  It is stunning.  They also have white subway tiles in the showers with dark grout.  Fits the style perfectly.  The bathrooms all feature historic photography related to the University of Minnesota.

I mentioned before they thought of every last detail…even down to what they leave on your pillow.  You won’t get a chocolate or mint at The Commons Hotel.  Instead you will get words of wisdom.

I was personally blown away during the tour of The Commons Hotel.  I love how the designers chose a very distinctive and unique style for the hotel that gives a nod to it’s University grounds.  They carried the industrial schoolhouse style consistently through the entire hotel for a cohesive experience.  It is absolutely beautiful throughout!

I can’t wait to show you how they incorporated the industrial schoolhouse style into the restaurant.  More eye candy to come tomorrow!