Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado in Santa Fe has completed a multimillion-dollar renovation, complete with 65 intimate casitas at the luxury boutique resort. The transformed casitas mark the first guestroom renewal since the resort’s 2008 opening.
Inspired by pueblos, the design blends modern elements with timeless style. All rooms have been enhanced with custom-made furniture, technology, lighting, paint, window treatments, artwork and more.
Langlois Design, a boutique firm focused on sustainability and socially responsible design work, led the renovation. The resort also debuted a landscape redesign embodying the essence of the region’s natural beauty and culture with a focus on sustainability, completed by VITA Inc.
“While doing research for the resort, I looked into the history of Adobe-style architecture and Santa Fe style. During that research, I came across the book ‘Santa Fe Modern: Contemporary Design in the High Desert’ by Helen Thompson, which became a fantastic resource and influence in my design process for this project,” said Nicole Surget, interior designer/owner, Langlois Design.
She added, “The book draws a corollary between ancient Puebloan design and modern design. It mentions, ‘The Puebloans’ guileless pragmatic building style is the unlikely philosophical precursor in this part of the world to the modernist movement.’ This struck a chord with me, as the idea of such simplicity and purity of design is ‘modern.’ This ended up being the concept that all my design decisions stemmed from—taking the design back to a more simple, pure and organic space.”
The design team wanted to pay homage to the natural beauty of the Santa Fe landscape and indigenous cultures, while still connecting back to the ancient designs of the Puebloans, Surget explained. And so, the space was made to be simple, organic and minimal, with touches of native culture.
For example, the area rug offer a modern take on a traditional Southwestern-style flat weave rug. Also, Surget designed a textile piece inspired by a Navajo chief’s blanket that is the main artwork and one of the primary focal points of the casita alongside the area rug.
“To further speak to the artisanal works found in the region, the rooms feature horsehair pottery vases, a piece of Acoma Pottery by Native American artists and throw blankets from Tribe & True,” Surget said. “These Tribe & True blankets are earth-friendly blankets made from 100% post-consumer recycled threads woven by weavers in Mexico. The company also produces silver products from Navajo and Zuni silversmiths, and the company gives back by providing food to Native American communities.”
The designer noted that Four Seasons was great in allowing her to create a space unique to the location, but that still adheres to its high design standards.
“Another quote from the book mentioned above is, ‘timeless beauty in sparse precision as a description of Santa Fe style.,’” Surget noted. “I remembered this as a reference for creating a space that can be considered timeless without being fussy or overdone. I hope the rooms are soothing, relaxing and enjoyable to spend time in while visiting one of the most beautiful and unique landscapes in the world. The goal is to let the landscape and the natural setting of the Southwest take center stage and for the casitas and suites to provide a haven to reflect, recharge and reinvigorate while embracing the local cultures.”
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Source: hotelbusiness.com
