{"id":14858,"date":"2018-03-22T18:47:27","date_gmt":"2018-03-22T22:47:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/?p=14858"},"modified":"2018-04-02T18:34:36","modified_gmt":"2018-04-02T22:34:36","slug":"rebels-with-a-cause","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/en\/2018\/03\/22\/rebels-with-a-cause\/","title":{"rendered":"Lenny Kravitz Design at the Bisha Hotel"},"content":{"rendered":"

Swaddled in a black fur coat against the chilly night air, an opera singer is standing on the sidewalk, belting out the Etta James classic \u201cAt Last.\u201d Spotlights behind her illuminate the sky, while a crowd of expensively dressed people gathers around the velvet ropes, vying to get into one of the biggest parties of the season. This isn\u2019t a gala or a movie premiere, however; it is the opening of Bisha, the newest addition to the growing roster of luxury hotels in downtown Toronto.<\/p>\n

The grand scene continues in the packed lobby, whose decorating scheme could be described as \u201cmore is more.\u201d Resembling a Russian oligarch\u2019s townhouse, it features blown-glass sculptures suspended from the ceiling, walls sheathed in black velvet, and flooring in a dizzying optical-illusion pattern of black, white and grey marble tiles. A model in gold body paint beckons visitors into a bar, done up in more marble and velvet, the walls hung with framed Alexander McQueen silk scarves.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/div>\n

While its neighbours \u2014 The Ritz-Carlton, Shangri-La Hotel and the forthcoming Nobu condos \u2014 attract guests with their established reputations, Bisha is a newcomer committed to try twice as hard. From its maximalist aesthetics to some 3,000 pieces of artwork on display (including some by Andy Warhol and L.A.-based conceptual artist John Baldessari), it\u2019s clear that this hotel intends to stand out by virtue of its bold design choices. The boldest of those is located seven stories up \u2014 an entire floor designed by four-time Grammy winner Lenny Kravitz.<\/p>\n

Though primarily known for chart-topping \u201990s hits like \u201cAre You Gonna Go My Way\u201d and \u201cIt Ain\u2019t Over \u2019til It\u2019s Over,\u201d Kravitz has spent the past 15 years establishing himself as a respected interior designer. Since its founding in 2003, New York\u2013based Kravitz Design Inc. (KDI) has lent the rocker\u2019s signature aesthetic to a wide range of projects, including a 47-storey condo building in Miami and product collaborations with Rolex, Leica and CB2.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/div>\n

The company\u2019s aesthetic, Kravitz explains via email, is soulful, elegant, glamorous and organic \u2014 not unlike the artist himself. \u201cEvery project Kravitz Design does is different. We have been very fortunate to do so many projects in various locations using different styles,\u201d he writes. \u201cToronto is a first for us and we were inspired by the spirit of the city and its cultural diversity.\u201d<\/p>\n

To Charles Khabouth, a co-owner of Bisha, Kravitz was an ideal candidate for collaboration. \u201cI like his aesthetic. I like who he is as a person and what he stands for as an artist and tastemaker,\u201d says the nightclub impresario and CEO of hospitality company INK Entertainment, who spent nearly a decade developing Bisha. \u201cThe whole concept behind this brand is not to feel like you\u2019re in this super-high-end stuffy environment \u2014 it\u2019s hip and cool, but it still has the fine elements of a luxurious hotel.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/div>\n

Kravitz states that he was interested in the idea of Bisha after his very first meeting with Khabouth. \u201cThere were many similarities in our aesthetic vocabulary and influences.\u201d Together, they landed on the starting concept that Kravitz describes as \u201cwarmth, intimacy and glamour,\u201d \u2014 specifically \u201970s glamour featuring a mix of masculine organic materials and feminine accents. His favourite touches are the custom wallpaper and bespoke built-in furniture. KDI has worked on hotels in the past, but Bisha marks the first time the firm has had creative control over an entire floor. One of the 14 rooms and suites on the so-called Kravitz floor is a 2,000-square-foot condo with a 1,000-square-foot terrace plus views of the CN Tower through massive two-storey windows. The rooms embody both the Kravitz and Bisha brands to a tee \u2014 black lacquered wood, oversized brass table lamps and orange upholstered settees and headboards.<\/p>\n

While stars of his stature can be unpredictable, the \u201cAmerican Woman\u201d singer was nothing but professional throughout the process, Khabouth insists. \u201cHonestly, I thought he was going to be a lot more difficult, but he turned out to be very accommodating, understanding and, at the same time, super-creative. He has a completely different look on design.\u201d<\/p>\n

With the merging of these two industry rebels on Bisha, anyone looking to party like a rock star need look no further.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

By Jeremy Freed  – *This article originally appeared in INSIGHT: The Art of Living | Spring 2018<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Photos: Simon Berlin; Bisha Hotel<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Swaddled in a black fur coat against the chilly night air, an opera singer is standing on the sidewalk, belting out the Etta James classic \u201cAt Last.\u201d Spotlights behind her illuminate the sky, while a crowd of expensively dressed people gathers around the velvet ropes, vying to get into one of the biggest parties of the season. This isn\u2019t a gala or a movie premiere, however; it is the opening of Bisha, the newest addition to the growing roster of luxury hotels in downtown Toronto.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":14877,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[394],"tags":[409,423,483,757,761,762,763,764],"class_list":["post-14858","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insight-magazine","tag-insight-magazine","tag-insight","tag-insight-the-art-of-living","tag-insight-spring-2018","tag-bisha-hotel","tag-bisha","tag-lenny-kravitz","tag-toronto-luxury"],"yoast_head":"\nLenny Kravitz Design at the Bisha Hotel<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Rock and roll is alive and well at the Bisha Hotel in Toronto and its glamorous rooms, designed by musical artiste Lenny Kravitz.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" 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