The Cassia Jerusalem hotel has emerged from a three-year renovation led by Israeli designer Dannah Leitersdorf. The 148-room boutique property returns with artful interiors and modern amenities that promote comfort and inspiration, while paying homage to both its picturesque setting in Mishkenot Sha’ananim and original architecture by Yaakov Rechter. “We wanted the design to highlight, rather than hide, his architectural elements such as the spacious rooms and amazing balconies,” Leitersdorf says. “Another goal of the design was to further connect the city with the hotel by using natural mate ..read more

Modern Japanese concept Taru has debuted as the latest entry to Midtown Manhattan’s fine dining landscape. Crafted by BLANK Design, the intimate eatery is a study in Japanese aesthetics, from contemporary to traditional. The neighboring Baccarat Hotel also informed the design, which poetically draws from the natural world as well. “We started to think of the Baccarat on the upper floor as the sun and the restaurant space on the first floor as the moon; to wit, the light of the moon against sunlight to create splendid moonlight,” says BLANK project director Aki Miyazono. “In the aesthetic expr ..read more

Lawrence Wine Estates has introduced a new tasting room at Ink Grade, a vineyard estate in St. Helena, California. Dubbed the Pavilion by Ink Grade, the design-driven destination stands out in Napa Valley’s convivial landscape with an aesthetic crafted by FDG Design Group that reflects the singularity of the estate. “We were inspired by the location, earth, and organic elements that visually reference the property in a subtle way,” FDG design principal Fatima Silva says. “Tapping into the sensory and visual elements was the basis for the foundation of the design, we wanted to create an intima ..read more

Nestled into the hillside of downtown Charlotte Amalie on the island of St. Thomas, the Pink Palm Hotel debuts at the site of the former Smith’s Fancy guesthouse. Owner Brett Pelton and president of operations Stephanie Carballo led the transformation of the midcentury gem, converting it into an Art Deco-style tropical retreat. “We took inspiration from the 1940s and ’50s use of the property,” Pelton says. “That’s where the inspiration came from to make the property a bit eclectic in the different materials, colors, and motifs used. We also took inspiration from our location—we wanted the Pin ..read more

Valencia-based design studio Masquespacio has fashioned the latest outpost for sushi chain Ichi Station. Reflective of the brand name, the new Milan location echoes the aesthetic of train stations through a futuristic, abstract lens that immerses visitors in light. “When [patrons] enter Ichi Station, they are in their own capsule far away from everything that happens outside,” says Masquespacio creative director Ana Hernández, “like being in a spaceship that takes them to the outer world, eating very colorful and contrasting sushi.” Varying throughout the day, indirect lighting softly casts I ..read more

The Hair Clinic in Valencia, Spain has relocated to a new storefront crafted by locally based design studio Viruta Lab. The Greek goddess Aphrodite served as a muse for the design, as well as the architecture of ancient Greece, which is echoed through a noble materiality, limestone tones, and a lack of polychromy. “Viruta Lab has chosen to immerse itself in ancient Greece, to rescue the beauty of Aphrodite’s hair, the power of her representation as a free woman with long hair and enhance it,” Viruta Lab cofounders David Puerta and Mariz Daroz say. A trio of barrel vaults articulated across th ..read more

TMC Hospitality has announced the arrival of Drift Palm Springs in California. The new boutique property from Drift Hotels, which inaugurated Drift Santa Barbara in February, comes courtesy of Los Angeles creative agency Folklor and locally based o2 Architecture. The hotel fuses Spanish Colonial style with Moorish desert architecture, while interiors are characterized by an industrial-chic aesthetic with midcentury-inspired touches that complements its setting. “Drift was designed for the modern traveler by providing attainable, well-designed accommodations that stand out from the sea of ..read more

Groot Hospitality and Tao Group Hospitality are teaming up to launch Casadonna, a coastal Italian-inspired restaurant, in Miami’s Edgewater neighborhood this summer. The 366-seat Casadonna—a portmanteau of two Italian words translating to “house of the woman”—will be situated within the historic Women’s Club, a Mediterranean revival structure placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Designer Ken Fulk will spearhead the interiors of the new concept. (Fulk also collaborated with Groot Hospitality founder David Grutman on Miami’s Goodtime Hotel, among other projects.) The spac ..read more

Asheville Proper executive chef Owen McGlynn has unveiled his second restaurant in the North Carolina city. Casual eatery and cocktail bar Little D’s infuses a sophisticated sensibility across an interior design by McGlynn’s wife and restaurant co-owner Mindi McGlynn. “The main source of inspiration for the Little D’s design is our daughter,” Mindi McGlynn says. “I wanted the interior to feel somewhat feminine, but still cozy and inviting. Our hope was for guests to walk in and feel a sense of calmness, while also ensuring the space didn’t feel overly dark or closed in. The interior definitel ..read more

On the heels of its recently reintroduced Palihouse West Hollywood, Palisociety has announced plans to debut another unit in the neighborhood this spring. Palihotel Hollywood will transform a midcentury motor lodge into a contemporary hideaway enlivened by the boutique hotel brand’s signature casual but layered interiors that are quintessentially California. “Los Angeles is a city built on distinct neighborhoods and microcosms, each with its own unique personality and point of view, and that’s one of the things we appreciate most about it,” says Palisociety founder Avi Brosh. “Each of our hot ..read more