Before & After: Faraway Martha’s Vineyard
For the reinvention of this historic property, the biggest challenge was modernizing and unifying the campus’s eight different buildings, which were constructed across four centuries. As the second location for the Faraway brand, we wanted to keep consistent with the hotelier’s look and style, while maintaining the character of the buildings, and bringing everything into harmony with our firm’s design ethos.
In the original 1742 building, we had to maintain all its classic details, compress the existing office spaces and re-utilize the upper floors for guestrooms. Throughout the renovation, around 10 new guestrooms would be created. We needed to convert the snack shop into a cafe and boutique that would attract locals off the street. The front building (constructed 1972) needed a full gut renovation, sound insulation, and a new layout with double-height ceilings to create a more inviting entry. A second snack shack (built 1920) needed relocating, which meant keeping the historic structure intact on a different part of the property. Finally, two larger buildings (dating to 1890 and 1985) housing most of the guest rooms had to be reworked to accommodate views to the ocean or courtyard.
Front Entrance
On the FF&E front, we were tasked with crafting a vibrant interior that fit the Faraway brand, while tailoring it to Martha’s Vineyard’s iconic design style, all the while maintaining the integrity of the historic buildings on campus. We opened up the lobby with Georgian-inspired bookshelves that reach the ceiling and incorporated fluted stone in the check-in desk and fireplaces that reference the grandiosity of the New England libraries of old.
Lobby & Lounge
We carried the project’s homey sentiment throughout, with warm, midcentury-inspired furnishings alongside antiques in the guestrooms. The rooms have elements of rattan, ceramics, tassels, geometric patterns, and tan leathers – all evoking a bohemian feel that was inspired by artists Carly Simon and James Taylor. Our team specified extensive custom furnishings throughout the guestrooms, including the beds, credenzas, side tables, and lamps. The result is a high-end boutique hotel full of character, which feels neither dated nor overtly modern; where guests feel comfortable while escaping the ordinary.
Guest Suites
A successful overhaul of the site’s master plan resulted in a stunning, well-organized campus where guests can flow intuitively from the lobby to their rooms, and from their rooms to the amenities and restaurants. Here, we brought the pool up to the Court House to be centered within the courtyard.
Court House
Along with the pool relocation, the gym’s intuitive placement gathers Faraway’s core amenities in one area.
