It’s no secret that things are hotting up in Downtown LA, least of all with brands like Soho House and The Hoxton due to set up shop. First up though, is the Arts District Firehouse Hotel, a bijou nine-room property inside the neighbourhood’s former fire station that dates back to 1927.
While the exterior remains largely the same, hospitality entrepreneur Dustin Lancaster (of the Hotel Covell in Los Feliz) tasked Sally Breer from local outfit, ETC.etera with overhauling the interior. Staying in line with the building’s historic elements showcased in the original wood and concrete floors, exposed wood-truss ceilings and pressed-tin panels, Breer turned to a collection of vintage and custom-made pieces.
In the lobby, Persian rugs contrast the stark concrete floor and a collection of leather and velvet couches and chairs give the lofty room a warming feel. Each room has its own bright colour palette, which continues to the bathrooms, each lined with hand-painted Clé tiles from artist Deborah Osburn. Elsewhere, the team worked with local LA artisans wherever possible with in-room robes by Clare V and textiles by Block Shop.
In the classic American bar and restaurant Madison Park alum Ashley Abodeely churns out crowd-pleasers like pappardelle bolognese or the Alaskan salmon, topped with charred lemon, capers and dill, on pretty plates by local ceramicist Robert Siegel. §
