The National Exchange Hotel
38,400 sf
Director of Design, Project Management, Interior/Exterior Design, Custom Furniture
A complete renovation of an 1856 Victorian brick property that stands as one of the oldest continuously operating hotels west of the Rockies.
The design team's intent was to restore the hotel’s original spirit for longtime appreciators who held it dear to their hearts while creating space and comforts for the modern traveler. The concept of timelessness was a consistent touchpoint throughout the project’s conception and execution—original furniture pieces and light fixtures that have been painstakingly brought back to life harmonize with modern pieces and art in a design concept that neither fully modernizes the property nor feels like a time capsule, instead honoring the hotel’s history while hinting toward its present and future.
The main level on Broad street houses the town's beloved National Bar (see next page) and neighbors the newly concepted Lola Restaurant, brought back to life with a brightened space warmed with stained concrete floors and vintage rugs. The custom light fixtures, by Doug Washington Designs and Maxwell Austerweil, arch over back-to-back wood and teal booths; vintage rugs adorn the walls; a private dining room feels like an intimate den, adorned with rich colors and the warm light of a fireplace. The lobby gives way to a grand arrival with its floral wallpaper, tiled floors, playful art, and the hotel’s original, vintage lighting.
Next to the lobby and registration entrance is a new sundry store, The Good Morning Supply Company. Here, we raised the ceiling to its original height, exposed the walls, finding an old arch passage, and created custom shelving for supplies.
The second floor is home to three singular and ornate spaces, each of which we reimagined with an eye toward retaining and amplifying its own unique character: the Grand Lounge & Bar, with its opulent lighting, two-toned inlay wood flooring, perfectly fitted gold velvet sofa, and a dual-serving service bar that refreshes guests with cocktails and tea; the Veranda, with its original, historically preserved railing, planter dividers for the guest rooms, and patio furniture; and the Empire Room, intended to house banquets, weddings, and events all year round, with warm wood flooring and a clean white palette dressed with relics of the property’s history.
There are 38 unique guest rooms on the second and third floors, as well as a few apartments tucked away off the rear courtyard. The team retrofitted each with its own bathroom, new flooring, and both new and vintage furniture/lighting fixtures. The hallways were designed to bring a sense of worldly wonder and playfulness as you walk throughout, noticing historic photographs from the local family that once owned the hotel and eclectic pieces such as framed animals, moths, maps, and more. The William Morris-designed wallpaper throughout the property was hand-picked to acknowledge its past while conjuring an ageless quality—one for which the beloved Morris was so ahead of his time.
Photos by Kat Alves
Design Team: An Ellipsis Design, Doug Washington Designs, Bri Ingram
The National Bar
"She is worldwise, beautiful, mysterious and strong with delicate secrets, hidden details and an endearing quirkiness..."
