Infinity London

INFINITY (noun): infinite distance, quantity. Knowing no boundaries, very great, not limited by a person or number; time without end; eternity; endless possibilities...

"We received a simple but challenging brief: to create the best suite in London , "explains Jan Wilson of RPW Design, who has just completed the new Infinity Suite at Langham Hotel, London . "With our detailed knowledge of the London hotel market, what would make the best suite in London ? For us the answer was to design a scheme with contemporary opulence, the state of the art technology (the boy's toys) that one so often only finds in hotels in the Far East , high spec lighting and bespoke artwork."

"Contemporary can be comfortable, glamorous and opulent," continues Jan, "and we have used wonderful traditional materials which just get better with age - polished stone and walnut, silk taffeta, velvets and toile - throughout the suite."

The design team started with several advantages. The original suite already had big rooms with high ceilings, large windows and natural daylight - all features that gave the suite an inherent potential from the outset. At 326 square metres and with an entrance lobby, a drawing room, a master bedroom with a dressing room and a vast bathroom; a kitchen, and a second bedroom and bathroom - the Infinity Suite is now one of the largest 5-star luxury suites in London .

Lighting is the one feature that guests complain about the most in hotels, and Jan Wilson has worked in association with Sally Storey of Lighting Design International on the design.
( www.lightingdesigninternational.com ). LDI 's award-winning work can be seen at One Aldwych, The Sandy Lane, Barbados, The Savoy, Connaught, and Aspreys. Sally's extremely imaginative lighting design was controlled with a Lutron lighting system which has been used throughout the suite to provide the guest with a choice of pre-set room scenes, that can in turn be over-ridden for more individual lighting control.

The scene is set with a feeling of theatricality from the moment of entry. The dark and dramatic entrance lobby, "like the inside of a cigar box," says Jan, has walls sheathed in aubergine silk. The eye is directly drawn to the reflective light of the glass sculpture at the end of the lobby and beyond to the drawing room, with its contrasting fluffy, twinkling contemporary chandelier in the sitting room itself. And beyond the chandelier, on entering the large semi-circular room, are the original huge arched windows with planters outside, each planter lit from underneath, thereby extending the perceived space beyond the room itself.

The abstract glass sculpture in the lobby is made from optical glass, which catches the light and holds it. The piece was commissioned especially for the space from English artist, Sally Fawkes a glass maker who has worked with world renowned glass maker Colin Reid before setting up her own studio. It stands on a table made of Macassar, a rare striped timber from the African continent, one of the more expensive timbers in the world.

The dazzling chandelier in the drawing room- a flurry of Polymer Fibre Optics entitled "Flora Cascade" is the work of young Brit talent Sharon Marston ( www.sharonmarston.com ) who was commissioned by the V&A to make an installation for their first ever contemporary lighting exhibition, "Brilliant".

The large bow-fronted room has as its focal point a kimono screen, commissioned for the room from the Infinity Suite's artwork supplier Peter Millard and Associates. The kimono ingeniously parts to reveal a flat screen television and invisible video-conferencing unit concealed in the walnut cabinet work. When the screen is not in use the closed kimono creates a stunning piece of art.

There is a deceptively functional coffee table in the middle of the room by Decca (who supplied the majority of the furniture). It is a generous hollow square and can be accessed from either side to conveniently reach all the state-of-the-art fittings and plugs for video conferencing and laptops. On the table sits a huge ceramic bowl filled with outsized ceramic eggs by Richard Taylor Designs of Notting Hill
( www.i-i.net/richartaylorlorddesigns ).

The palpable feeling of opulence is also evident in the furniture in the drawing room - all of which has been custom made by Decca. Two outsized armchairs, covered in dark aubergine velvet with silver silk cushions, sit opposite a silver armchair, and the cream sofa has been designed to gently curve with the curve of the room.

The furniture is complemented by a standard lamp designed by Jan Wilson and manufactured by Chelsom Lighting, and two iconic flat silver lamps with ivory shades supplied by Porto Romano.

In the Master Suite, the Master Bedroom is deeply luxurious. The focal point is a delicious four poster mahogany bed - which is simple, light and contemporary, but its height - 2.7 metres or approximately 9 foot - gives it a great sense of grandeur. The four-poster bed is dressed in black and white Toile de Jouy and luxuriously deep burgundy velvet. On the inner side of the curtains are reading lights that turn off and on at the touch of the hand.

The mirror on the adjacent wall to the bed provides a traditional touch to the room. In the corner of the room is a spacious oval mahogany desk, and on either side of the chest of drawers are two bedroom chairs - very richly upholstered in sage green and red velvet.

On a contemporary silver chest of drawers stands a bronze lamp in the manner of an Epstein from Porto Romano Lighting in the shape of a matchstick man, whose outstretched arms hold a lamp on either side. The style of the lamp is reiterated in the artwork over the drawer unit - an abstract piece made from map references in and around the hotel's adjacent geographical area - a wonderful detail for the perceptive guest to discover.

The Master Bedroom has separate lady's and gentlemen's dressing areas each with movement sensitive lighting that automatically switches off when the room is not in use. The essence of bespoke quality is captured in the walnut cabinetry which has been individually designed and fitted with personal eye level safes, tie racks, glass fronted drawers, hand-stitched leather handles and ample space for each item of clothing as well as luggage and shoes.

The wardrobe door panels are made of glass backed with distressed silver leaf, a material that along with the walnut joinery is used consistently throughout the suite. Jan Wilson says that its use was fundamental to creating the contemporary opulence of the suite as well as giving a flattering mirrored reflection of the guest.

Here again distressed silver leaf glass panelling and sensitive preset lighting scenes ensure that the guests' reflection is flattering, soft and gorgeous. The lighting can be controlled from the bath via a handset. Glass mosaic and gilt tiles are in four shades - indigo, blue, purple and brown - creating feature walls. A discreet flat screen TV is set into the mirror above one of the two vanity units, small enough not dominate the room but large enough to view from the adjacent chromotherapy bath.

The bath is by the iconic bathroom brand, Kohler ( www.kohler.com ) - an infinity bath which constantly overflows, designed around the concept of chromatherapy. At the touch of a button, the water moves through a spectrum of eight colours, from relaxing to stimulating. The infinity bath, together with the endless possibilities and experiences that can and do happen in such a luxurious suite, was the inspiration for the Infinity Suite's name.

To balance the sumptuousness of the master bedroom, a calming eau de nil palette has been used to create a very restful space in the Infinity Suite's large second bedroom. Ivory wool cashmere and silk mix curtains hang beautifully because of the fabrics inherent sheen and weight. A contemporary lamp in the window from Fine Art Lamps has been chosen for its shape - three dark aubergine fluorescent egg shapes lay haphazardly on their sides. The same Tektura textured wallpaper that is used throughout the majority of the suite rooms is used here, but in a slightly a darker eau de nil shade.

Two extremely tall windows lined with flowing silk beaded muslin enhance the Guest Bathroom's feeling of grandeur. The double-ended bath sits opposite a flat screen TV that is set flush within the wall. Other luxurious touches include the see-through rounded glass corner shower cubicle, and a fabulous half life sized drawing of a horse - an original drawing by Julian Bray who is a resident artist with Peter Millard and Associates.

RPW Design specialises in hospitality design worldwide. The company has a broad client base, and has worked with internationally recognised 5-star names including Gleneagles, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Laguna Niguel , USA , at Claridges Hotel and the Savoy Hotel and also with individual hotels such as the Grand Palace Hotel in Riga , and on the recently completed Swan Hellenic Minerva II Cruise Liner.

"A suite must be beautiful, but it must also work, and everything must be in the right place. It must be surprising. It must feel right for both men and women. Jan has done an amazing job, and the suite is exactly what we were hoping for."

Jan Wilson has the last word on the Infinity Suite:"Ultimately, we wanted to set a new standard in the market, to create the very best suite in London which would anticipate every whim of the very special and discerning guest."