Stonehill & Taylor is mixing modern and historic elements in its design of Manhattan’s Refinery Hotel, a former hat-making facility known as the Colony Arcade opening this fall. “Our design was guided equally by historic fact and imagination,” says Christina Zimmer, Stonehill & Taylor principal.  “We thought about how the original tenants lived and worked.  We thought about the owner of the tea room on the ground floor, and the ladies who frequented it as they took a break from shopping on Fifth Avenue.  We thought about the incredible fashions of the time, and how they were made.”  

The design firm has reinterpreted the neo-Gothic details of the façade, while white plaster groin-vaulted ceilings and a 72-foot entry leads guests through a modern arcade to the reception area, outfitted with warm wood and a custom installation of hat-making tools.  Winnie’s Tea Lounge—named after Winifred T. McDonald, an original tenant—boasts rich plaid-patterned wood walls, tea parlor furnishings, and custom gothic-inspired glass partitions.

Inspired by hat-making factories, loft-like guestrooms showcase concrete ceilings and distressed hardwood floors. Sewing machines are referenced in the desks, and coffee tables are reminiscent of old factory carts. A chocolate and white color palette sets the tone, accented by cotton, wool, steel, and leather. Spacious bathrooms bring the opulence with inlaid mosaic stone flooring, polished brass, and antique bronze. The building’s history continues its influence on the rooftop terrace, a public space defined by a fountain and fireplace inside and an open-air lounge outdoors. Meanwhile, salvaged French terracotta floors and a large retractable skylight adorn the main bar area.