Rembrandt was born here. The city of Leiden in South Holland is also famous for its university, the oldest in the Netherlands, and its hilltop 11th century castle. There’s now a new talk of the town: a carriage house within view of the castle has recently debuted as Hotel Rumour.
The creative reuse project is the work of Studio Modijefsky, an Amsterdam interior architecture studio that transformed the 1657 structure into, in their words: “a vibrant social hub that can host everything from lively dinners to intimate drinks, private gatherings and dance nights—anything, in fact, apart from a sleepover.” We admire the group’s inventive use of space—both wide-open and confined—in the non-hotel and see many design ideas worth applying at home. Join us for a look—you just might decide to turn your own attic into a dining hideaway or something else entirely unexpected.
Photography by Maarten Willemstein, courtesy of Studio Modijefsky (@studiomodijefsky).
Above: The building’s high ceilings, grand arches, and wooden beams were all preserved. A lineup of custom-designed stools stand at the bar, which has a terrazzo counter along with a base that the designers describe as “funky-patterned veneered wood and brass panels with dark green terrazzo blocks at the foot.”
Above: The room is anchored by wall-mounted wooden benches upholstered in blue-gray leather. Studio Modijefsky notes that bench design was “inspired by the carriages once housed in this building, blending linear and geometric shapes to create a visual dialogue between past and present.” The modernist hanging lights were custom made to fill the space with a warm glow. The cube-shaped plaster wall frieze alludes to the castle battlements within view.
Above: A favorite detail: a banquette gallery wall of prints, paintings, and photos all in simple wooden frames. Children’s art would look good in this mix. Here, the stools are topped with sage-green leather cushions. The beams throughout were stripped of paint to “showcase their natural beauty.”
Above: The attic has been transformed into the Salon Royale, a flexible bar/restaurant/gathering space with a variety of seating options, including custom daybeds. Writes Studio Modijefsky: “The versatility and playfulness of this floor encapsulate the essence of Hotel Rumour: a historic building given new life by a design aesthetic at once playful, refined, and grandiose with a galaxy of details that reveals more of itself on every visit.”
Above: Heavy velvet curtains serve as flexible partitions. The washable velvet was sourced from UK textile house Villa Nova.
Above: Low curtains and art enclose a bar corner.
Above: Also in the attic, The Petite Suite, a private table for 12 tucked under the eaves.
Above: A brick terrace with table fronts the 17th century carriage house. Hotel Rumour is at 13 Burgsteeg in Leiden.
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