How three luxury hotels merged design with location

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Heritage maximalism

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At Rosemead House, Aragon’s in-house senior interior designer Karen Wichert drew inspiration from its traditional interior while mixing in modern elements that maintain its character and elegance. Photo by Rosemead House

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Rosemead House is Aragon Properties’ boutique hotel on Vancouver Island. Part of the redevelopment of The Olde England Inn estate in Esquimalt, the original family home was designed by Canadian architect Samuel Maclure in 1906. The Tudor-Revivalist manor changed hands many times, until Aragon’s president and founder Lenny Moy acquired its four-acre site in 2015. Ten years on and the property’s transformation comprises a hotel with 28 unique guest rooms, a spa, and a restaurant, as well as a residential development called Oakwoods.

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Rather than leaning too heavily into a themed “English manor” esthetic, Aragon’s in-house senior interior designer Karen Wichert drew inspiration from its traditional interior while mixing in modern elements that maintain its character and elegance.

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“The [esthetic] is more of a maximalist style that blends the antiques, the artwork, the wall coverings and the finishes, bold patterns and colours and details,” says Wilchert.

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The palette features classic tones such as ivory, deep greens and blues. No two rooms are the same, and finishes include classic William Morris-patterned wallpaper alongside contemporary textiles to keep the look cohesive rather than overly decorated. Antiques curated from the Savoy and Dorchester hotels in London and clawfoot tubs are seamlessly blended with modern luxe creature comforts such as Duxiana king-sized beds and heated bathroom floor tiles.

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A classic claw foot tub and William Morris wallpaper. Photo by Rosemead House

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The goal isn’t to recreate the room — it’s to recreate the feeling

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We asked interior designer Nikki Renshaw, program director at Vancouver’s Interior Design Diploma and Certificate department at The Cut Design Academy, how to achieve a similar five-star style at home.

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Her advice is to invest in timeless base pieces, not trend driven shapes. “If you’re spending money on a sofa, keep it neutral,” says Renshaw. “Trends change quickly. You don’t want to be stuck with something that dates your space.”

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Instead, layer in personality through pieces that are easy to update, such as cushions, throws, wallpaper or paint, she explains.

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“You’re looking for high-impact, easily changeable ways to transform your space,” adds Renshaw. “That’s where you can have fun with trends.”

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She also suggests maintaining visual continuity between rooms with consistent colours, as keeping sightlines open and uncluttered creates a sense of flow.

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“Make sure that what you can see from one room… supports the look you’ve got going on,” she says. “It creates this feeling of openness and airiness.”

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When mixing heritage with modern, build intentional vignettes — groupings of threes and fives — and leave negative space so the eye can rest, says Renshaw.

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To avoid a period-piece feel, she suggests blending modern elements with heirloom pieces.

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“It should feel like it’s evolved over time. Not like a [theatre] set.”

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