The new Moxy Hotel in Times Square packs its guests into rooms that start at 150 square feet for a double (that’s less than half the size of the hotel-room average in the US). Part of a rapidly proliferating Marriott boutique chain geared to the young and peripatetic (and cost-conscious), the hotel makes up for a lack of space with well-considered design.
The bespoke interiors are the work of George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg’s Toronto- and New York–based firm, Yabu Pushelberg, which, fresh from completing the Four Seasons in downtown NYC, was charged with giving Moxy visitors “everything they want and nothing they don’t need.” The latter includes closets: They’ve been banished in favor of toe-to-toe beds and peg rails. The results, the designers say, are an antidote to “the lackluster efficiency of other affordable hotels”—and we have to agree.
Have your own tiny quarters? Take a look at the Moxy’s tactics for making the most of every inch.
Above: Since space in each of the Moxy’s 612 rooms is tight, the beds have been conceived to double as sofas and even as work stations (see below).
Canvas twill throw pillows have corner loops, so that when not in use, they can be hung rather than tossed. (As we point out in Remodelista: The Organized Home, it’s just as easy to put something on a hook as it is to drop it on the floor.) Bolsters at the foot of the beds can also be pulled out for creating cushioned lounging and television watching. The rooms are all painted Benjamin Moore’s Intense White.
2. Consider collapsible furniture.
Above: Custom metal lap desks (which can also be used as bed trays) have collapsible legs and leather loops for hanging. They’re part of a custom collection of Yabu Pushelberg foldable furnishings that includes a stool, round table, luggage rack, and mirror. Many are made of, or detailed with, ash, chosen for its pale tones and “because it’s lighter than oak, so can be hung easily.”
3. Install wall-to-wall hooks.
Above: Used for hanging not only furniture and accessories but also clothes (from leather and wood hangers), wall-to-wall peg rails take the place of closets. These are made of ash and each peg has a vertical metal detail, which the designers explain, “elevates the look of the peg system, tying it together with the overall materials palette, and also helps prevent items from sliding.”
Above: Far better than shoving boxes under the bed: at the Moxy, open and closed compartments store shoes, books, luggage, and even a safe. Find ready options in 10 Easy Pieces: Storage Beds.
5. Save space with wall-mounted furniture.
Above: Larger rooms at the hotel come with desks, but they’re wall-mounted, so they have a small footprint (the desk chair tucks underneath), and also serve as bedside tables.
The Replica Phones (with push buttons) were sourced from Ooh La La Factory; $59.99.
6. Counter straight lines with soft touches.
Above: Here and there, the designers inserted curved shapes and edges to “add softness and approachability.” The gym-mat-like headboards are rubber paint-dipped canvas. They’re paired with My Lounge Chairs from Woodnotes—beanbag poufs, which, thanks to leather handles, provide a portable place to flop down.
The round bedside sconce is the Monocle, $415, in a custom color by Rich Brilliant Willing.
7. Steal space from the bath.
Above: Each room comes with a walk-in rain shower with mosaic tiling borrowed from swimming pools. And thanks to the ground-up construction, a sink of Pyrolave, a glazed lava stone from France, could be incorporated straight into each room, allowing space for larger entries. Above: The basins rest on metal frames with integrated storage shelves, trays, and caddies that can be used for bath supplies and also as a bar. The dark tiles, the designers point out, “add dimension to the space.”
The faucets are from Watermark’s Elan Vital 38 collection.
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