hemi culture
STAY
RuralEngland
GetsEast
LondonHip
WEEKEBARTON
Devon,England
Locatedon the fringes of
dramaticDartmoorNational
Park,WeekeBartonoccupies
a restored16th-century
longhouse—a two-story
granite structure thatwould
haveoncehoused a farming
family (upstairs) and their
livestock (below). You’ll still
findoriginal architectural
features, such as huge granite
fireplaces, exposedbeams,
and a castle-heavy front door,
but theplace isn’t stuck in
thepast. Thepropertywas
openedbyahiphusband-and-
wifeduowhomovedhere
fromEast London’s trendy
Hackneyneighborhood. Jo
Gossett, a former restaurant
manager, is responsible for
the locally sourced communal
meals (wildvenison, Devon
sausages, local ciders) served
at thenine-foot-long slate
table, and graphic designer
SamPerry infuses the space
with the kindof quirkydecor
items youmight findback in
theirHackneyhome: a collage
of pinuppostcards, cowhide
rugs, and kitschyMinistryof
Food tins. Outside, however,
it’s pureBritish countryside,
from the apple and chestnut
trees to theplayful littlepig-
lets and theball-mad springer
spaniel, Coco.
TheFilipinoCapitalGoesFull-OnVegas
NOBUHOTEL
Manila
InMay, Robert DeNiro and celebrity chef
NobuMatsuhisa brought their brand of
Japanese-inspired chic to the Philippines
with the opening of their first AsianNobu
Hotel. The property is part of the new
$1.3 billion City of DreamsManila complex,
which includes three hotels, a livemusic
venue, aDreamWorks-themed interactive
kids’ area, and a casino, and is centered
around a giant golden egg housing two
nightclubs. Designed by renowned
architectural firm the Rockwell Group,
the hotel skews decidedlyminimalist and
Zen-like, resulting in a space that feels
miles away from the hustle and bustle of
the gaming floor. And it wouldn’t be aNobu
propertywithout its signature restaurant,
which here includes nods to Filipino flavors
in dishes like tapsilog, a breakfast of garlic
fried rice, a fried egg, and beef—made, in
this case, withwagyu.
High-TechHospitality inSiliconValley
THEEPIPHANY
PaloAlto,California
Opened last year by the forward-thinking
JoiedeVivreHotels chain, PaloAlto’s
Epiphany is the techie crashpadSilicon
Valleynever knew it needed. Theowners
converteda1970s assisted-living residence
with thehelpof SteinbergArchitects,
McCartan InteriorDesign, andhigh-tech
design firm IDEO (the creatorsof theoriginal
Applemouse). Theybrought in smart design
touches suchas a lobby light installation
made from100Edisonbulbs that ascendor
descend, brightenor dimbasedon themood
in the room. Theentire space is intended
to spark creativity: In themezzanine-level
Tinderbox,whiteboarddesks foldup into
thewalls likeMurphybeds, andhigh-backed
“hoodie” chairs aredesigned toblockout
distractions. Suiteguestshaveaccess to luxe
Master&Dynamicheadphones, described
as “modern thinking caps.” In fact, theonly
signof thehotel’sprerenovationdays is the
six-storymosaicmural of El PaloAlto (“The
BigStick”), the thousand-year-oldCoast
Redwood forwhich the city isnamed. It also
happens tobe the logoof StanfordUniver-
sity, just a fewblocks away.
TheEdisonbulb
installationat
TheEpiphany
The cozydigs at
WeekeBarton
46
DECEMBER2015
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