Who better to design a hotel than hoteliers themselves? This simple (yet oddly rare) formula is perhaps part of the reason for the runaway success of Elder & Ash, the award-winning full-service firm founded by Megan Kennedy and Robert Blood. The duo has the real-world background of working most hotel jobs imaginable, giving them an unparalleled view of how to create hospitality experiences worth writing home about. And having devised several stunning New England properties, including the Kennebunkport Captains Collection in Kennebunkport and Blind Tiger in Portland, the travel and design worlds have both taken notice.
We spoke with the duo about their approach to designing these unique properties, how they choose their diverse, textural palettes, their love of vintage (highly relatable content, if we do say so ourselves), and much more. See what they had to say below, and be sure to shop a curation of their favorite Chairish finds.
Shop Elder & Ash's Chairish Favorites
How would you describe your approach to designing your properties? In particular the Kennebunkport Captains Collection? What were the inspirations behind the aesthetic?
The approach is often based around what the market is calling for and what the property has the potential to become. We find initial inspiration in architecture—the way the light hits the rooms, quirks and important details, and existing elements of the building that we like. We pay close attention to the neighborhood and how the building fits into its surroundings. We then study the town and its people to begin to understand the culture and how we can contribute through the design.
How did you incorporate touches of Kennebunkport (or other locations) into the space?
No matter where the property is, we find the local antique store and accessorize this way. In Kennebunkport, we took design cues from other grand homes in the neighborhood and throughout town.
How did you decide on the color palette of the hotel? How does that play out throughout the property?
When we first toured the property, it felt so light and airy—big open rooms with lots of space. It was a beautiful windows-open spring kind of day. We felt in order to preserve the integrity of the home and continue to invite this feeling, we needed to keep the palette light and layered. Fresh feeling but also somewhat opulent. Oftentimes we see opulence played out in rich, more saturated colors, so it was a fun challenge to do this with mostly just whites and woods. The neighborhood in Kennebunkport where the home is situated is a perfect tree-lined village littered with stately 1800’s Captain’s homes, so it was important that we keep it feeling elegant for the sense of place, but also modernized and brought forward.
When designing for inns, hotels, or B&Bs, what do you have to think of that’s different from designing for residential?
Really just a bit more traffic… So what that means to us is understanding how things age, rather than purchasing things that are not intended to age, which always feels a bit too sterile. We always want a residential feel, so we understand that a certain piece will look different over time, and we figure out how to incorporate that evolution into the overall scheme. Like runner rugs, for example—we love a good antique oriental—they are stain friendly, and the wear and tear ends up looking charming. The good ones really do last decades.
We do have to think about functionality quite a bit. We have to make a single room feel like home, so a lot of thought goes into exactly what pieces are used where and why they make sense for the space. We have to be more selective about where we use the color white as a general rule. Really, the best part (and maybe the most different) is that we’re always designing to create a certain feeling rather than a certain aesthetic. Since guests are only with us for a short period of time, we have a bit more opportunity to be bold and take risks.
The interior design of The Kennebunkport Captains Collection has a historic feel mixed with more modern touches. Tell us about that.
It’s always important to us to honor the history of a building, especially in the form of architectural detail. We always let the architecture speak first, and then decide what we can bring to enhance it and enliven the space. We love the look of mixing modern lines with ornate detail… We never really stick to any particular style. We appreciate so many different eras and styles of design, so it’s fun for us to see how we can make them live in harmony.
What was your favorite part about designing the property?
With the Kennebunkport Captains Collection, it was watching the hand-painted mural in the entryway come to life. The gorgeous curvature of the walls and the ornate molding complement the sharper edges of the organic mural so well, in my opinion. I loved watching that vision come to fruition.
With Blind Tiger, it was searching for vintage statement pieces that provided the inspiration for each room. Each room has at least one or two really spectacular, rare, or one-of-a-kind pieces and it was very satisfying for me to mix in modern elements around it to give it an updated look and feel. The more unusual the item is, the more I like it, so it always starts with finding the special things that will help define the character of the room.
Shop Elder & Ash's Chairish Favorites
How did you incorporate antiques and vintage pieces into your properties’ design?
One of our favorite things to do is find a new purpose for older things, or things that could be considered “outdated.” We love to push the boundaries of what outdated means, and we feel like almost any piece can be modernized and lovable with the right balance and complements around it. We have a deep appreciation for the craftsmanship of antiques, especially wooden pieces like dressers, nightstands, tables, etc. When we’re going for a really upscale look, we will usually search for high-end wood accents to help define that vision and work around that. We prefer spaces with personality, so in almost any design, we will find something fun or funky—maybe just an accessory to lighten the mood of the space.
What do you find most compelling about Chairish?
Everything. We’re not huge into trends so it’s refreshing to be able to find things that are slightly offbeat or made by renowned crafts-people and artists. We can always count on our Chairish finds to spark conversation and curiosity, which we love as an outcome.
How does sustainability factor into your design choices and love of vintage?
We just feel like it’s such a shame for furniture pieces to be discarded. We think with the right surroundings and other design elements nearby, virtually any piece of art or furniture can be interesting and feel new again.
Are there any dream vintage/antique “gets” you wish you could have? What’s a dream piece for you? A massive Milo Baughman sectional in a Jack Lenor Larsen fabric or a 1920’s Louis Vuitton wardrobe trunk.
Some Design Favorites…
Favorite way to create a statement-making moment in a room:
Large-scale overhead lighting—even in not-so-large rooms
Favorite iconic piece of vintage design:
Any De Sede piece
Favorite paint color:
Farrow and Ball French Gray in Estate Emulsion paired with Farrow and Ball Off Black. We also use Benjamin Moore Black Panther and Benjamin Moore China White quite often.
Shop Elder & Ash's Chairish Favorites
Favorite designer or artist you most often turn to for inspiration:
I admire Kelly Wearstler, and I love the feeling of Slim Aarons photography as well.
Favorite style icon:
Iris Apfel
Design destination every creative should visit at least once:
Asheville, North Carolina
Best piece of career advice you’ve ever received:
If you pick everything you love, it will all look good together.
Some Lifestyle Favorites:
Favorite vacation destination:
Sonoma
Favorite hotel that’s inspired your work while traveling:
Favorite restaurant:
Earth, in Kennebunk, Maine
Favorite small museum:
Favorite podcast:
Favorite Instagram accounts to follow:
@colinking, @upworthy, and @notaminimalist
Favorite hostess (or thank you) gift:
A coffee table book or cookbook
Favorite flower:
I prefer branches or greenery
Favorite adult beverage:
Paper Plane
Favorite way to unwind at home:
Painting
Favorite entertaining essential:
A good cheese board
Lead image photographer: Read McKendree
