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Every year when Labor Day rolls around, Manhattanites begin to swap their beach weekends to instead desert the city in search of the elusive magic of fall foliage. Their destination: upstate New York. The region has become synonymous with woodsy cabin charm, and the many hotels and bed-and-breakfasts in the area never fail to remind us of that fact—antlers line every wall; seats are upholstered in bright red plaid; dining tables are reclaimed wood. But not at Hotel Kinsley.
Designed by Robert McKinley, this year’s most anticipated opening in Kingston, New York, is anything but predictable. In the town’s old bank building, blush paint and banana leaf plants give the hotel’s restaurant an all-season feel. At the bar, oak paneling and indigo floral stools are welcome riffs on typical cottage vibes.
“It’s not a cozy cabin,” says McKinley, who took inspiration from the Hudson River School, the movement of American landscape painters, for the palette, but added some vibrancy (and a whole lot of vintage finds). “We wanted people to feel like the lines were blurred as to what era everything was from and to have a little bit of that whistle call.” At Hotel Kinsley, each guest room has its own unexpected color scheme. We took a peek inside a few of them:
Baby Blue + Burgundy
In this space, a navy Morrocan silk rug and army green linen quilt from Hawkins New York ground the more whimsical details, like soft blue walls and a headboard painted in Farrow & Ball’s Eating Room Red. In lieu of a typical headboards, McKinley had mid-century room dividers painted and upholstered in different hues, each one more surprising than the next.
Marigold + Ballet Slipper
Another room features woodwork in an off-white hue that borders on peachy, partnered with a cobalt rug and a vibrant marigold headboard with a terracotta stripe. The result is a space that feels soothing and energizing all at once.
Moss + Indigo
In what is perhaps the most traditional room of the bunch, the intricate millwork is coated in Farrow & Ball’s Card Room Green, while the headboard is covered in a midnight blue foliage print from Milanese fabric house Dedar. A dusty red Turkish rug anchors the space (as if it weren’t stately enough already).
Plum + Fire-Truck Red
The paneled hallways boast a rich boysenberry hue, while the floors are lined with a fun checkered red-and-white carpet, a combo that’s unpredictable but pairs particularly well with the warm woods of the mid-century furniture. We know where we’re heading for our next getaway.
Discover more color palettes we love: The 3 Color Palettes That Made This Historic Tuscan Hotel Feel New Again We’re Living for the Painted Doorways in Menorca’s Spirited New Hotel 3 Zesty Color Combos We’re Stealing From an Ultra-Cool Roman Hotel