Filed under: Color, Design, etc, Architecture
Joe Termini, The Surf Lodge
At the Surf Lodge, style is an attitude.
When interior designer Robert McKinley created the Surf Lodge, he took a major departure from his previous, more decadent work, including NYC nightlife hot spot GoldBar. He wanted to get away from the city's hustle and bustle, and hoped to open a hotel where guests are likely to kick off their shoes, relax and have some fun, and he succeeded. Located in Montauk, a small surf village at the easternmost tip of Long Island, New York (about 100 miles from Manhattan), McKinley's Surf Lodge is a Jack Johnson kind of place.
Surprisingly, McKinley grew up far from the beach, in the suburban enclave of Westchester, New York. But he was influenced by yearly trips to Coco Beach, Florida. "It was there where I was exposed to surf culture, boogie boarding and LOTS of begging mom for a surfboard," he says. This, combined with years of winter sports as a kid, influenced him to "create a place that relates to the ocean like a mountain lodge relates to skiing and snowboarding. We wanted the hotel to be a place for guests to smile, to feel comfortable laying around the lobby in their swim suits, hear a rare Rolling Stones track while watching the sunset, and on a Saturday evening, dance all night!"
The overall warm, beachy feel is achieved by the hotel's design, which varies from area to area. What holds the design together are certain common elements that run throughout, like pieces of locally collected driftwood. "We collected so much of it from the local beaches, and built all kinds of things -- an outdoor shower, high bar tables, and my personal favorite, the Gilligan's Island-style DJ booth," says McKinley. Surf art and photography pepper the place and include pieces by Patrick Trefz, Joe Termini, Ron Stoner, John Severson and Walter Iooss. In the lobby, guest rooms and restaurant, a retro aesthetic prevails.
When entering the the lobby (above), guests are greeted with a sunken living room, complete with a movie screen showing surf films and a table stocked with board games. "Guests hang out and play board games all the time!" insists McKinley. The globe could be a nod to McKinley's many travels, all which influence his design, or to the international crowd that the hotel attracts. The colorful flippers, hanging from the ceiling in a row, speak for themselves.
McKinley wanted the guest rooms (above) to feel like bedrooms, so he used clean modern lines, natural textures (as seen in the hanging basket chair) and pops of color throughout to achieve a relaxed, fresh look. The surrounding outdoor area played a big part in how the rooms were laid out. Every one has a deck that is only six feet from the water (a lake, not the ocean), and in most, the bed is centered to face outside. "This way, you fall asleep and wake up to a view better than any TV can offer," says McKinley.
The bar area (above) was inspired by Montauk harbor. "It's darker, and feels like a surf shack", says McKinley. "I call it the salty dog room." Old exposed beams, barn wood planking and driftwood are the building blocks for the space. A resin bar top in deep golden yellow creates a moody feel, and gives the space a warm, lived-in look. Colorful surfboards nestled in the ceiling beams and the turquoise bar stools add a bit of brightness and whimsy.
The outdoor areas are inspired by the water they overlook. The deck's overall clean white palette mixed with hints of driftwood, and pops of orange, baby blue and yellow encourage guests to sit and enjoy the water view and sunset. The most intriguing feature of the outdoor dining area has to be the dozens of baskets that hang from the ceiling. "I purchased all of them back in Haiti about eight years ago, originally for the first night club I designed," says McKinley. "We sold it around the same time we were buying the Surf Lodge, and repurposed the baskets here. They're actually giant cauldrons, used to boil down sugarcane."
The restaurant's colorful, beachy vibe is largely due to the "Summer Lovin" wall mural, done by McKinley's friend Vin Ficarra. "It was inspired by 60s surf posters and the artist Peter Max." The aqua floors, yellow and orange director chairs and white-planked walls all evoke the feeling of summer.
So much of what makes the Surf Lodge successful is that its design makes whoever visits feel inspired, relaxed and welcome. McKinley's favorite part about the hotel is that "it feels like a clubhouse, and home away from home. I'm surrounded by friends and people enjoying themselves."