Its very name may conjure limpid images of mimosas, cotillions and iced lemon teas, but the 155-room Dewberry – named, in fact, after its Atlanta-based real estate magnate owner – channels its Deep South DNA without ever straying into kitsch.
For that, kudos to the Brooklyn- and Charleston-based Workstead for working up with such disciplined brio the interiors of the Mendel Rivers Federal Building in Charleston’s downtown quarter.
Channeling what the designers describe as Southern Modernism, the spaces are dressed with American and European mid-century flourishes. From the armoires in the bedroom, side chars in mohair to caned panelled ceilings, and sofas swathed in washed linen and midnight blue, to scooped plaster ceiling lights and floors salvaged from a tobacco farm in Georgia, the improbable mix is pulled together with considerable brio.
In the main house-restaurant Henrietta’s, Wes Morton sends out a menu that’s as charmingly eclectic as the hotel’s décor, such as steak frites, vast platters of shellfish and Maine mussels, skate wings and lamb curries.
The building, says Workstead’s Robert Highsmith, was, until its spruce up by architect MacMillan Pazdan Smith and Workstead, derided by locals for its severe monolithic modernism. ‘People are coming around to it now.’ They should.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
334 Meeting Street
-
At Bar Etoile, Scandi-chic meets leisurely Los AngelesThis new Melrose Park joint mixes art-world references, French bistro vibes and an out-of-this-world martini
-
The world's most heavenly destinations for astrotourism in 2025We're in for a big year for celestial events. These are the world's best hotels to see the cosmos as you've never seen it before
-
Printemps' New York outpost blooms with possibility – and enchanting designThanks to designer Laura Gonzalez, this new retail mecca blooms colour, atmosphere and narrative
-
At Bar Siesta in Los Angeles, meals linger and moods perk upThis new Silver Lake hotspot showcases Spain's design, culture, and delectable tinned fish
-
New York’s only revolving restaurant is back in actionLocated inside the New York Marriott Marquis, The View Restaurant and Lounge reopens following a 360 refresh courtesy of The Rockwell Group
-
An Upper East Side townhouse is transformed into a chic French bistroAt Chez Fifi, Sweden’s Joyn Studio has created an elevated setting that transports diners to 1930s Paris
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Granger Hotel: an intimate, maximalist charmer in San DiegoSet in the historic Gaslamp Quarter, Granger Hotel is an oasis of design blending history with modernity
-
West Hollywood restaurant Somni is as comforting as it is whimsicalChef Aitor Zabala relaunches Somni, orchestrating an artful blend of textures, flavours, and techniques for dreamlike dining
