Blur Workshop overhauls W Austin with colourful interiors informed by local culture

Atlanta design studio Blur Workshop has renovated the lobby, amenity spaces and suites of the W Austin, adding rich textures and jewel tones as an homage to the city's outdoor and music culture.

The project is part of a larger rebrand by W Hotels, which includes renovating existing properties such as the W New York – Union Square and opening new locations, such as the W Budapest.

Blur Workshop worked with the W Hotels design team on the project, as well as architecture studio Rockwell Group, which has provided overall design direction for the brand.

The renovation included updates to the hotel lobby, 251 guest rooms and 32 suites, first floor cafe and restaurant, and the addition of an outdoor seating area that overlooks Austin's Lavaca Street.

Blur Workshop said it pulled inspiration from nearby Lady Bird Lake and Austin's historic music scene for the project.

"The W Austin drew inspiration from many sources, but two key elements that dominated the design process were music and nature," the studio told Dezeen.

"Modern Austin is a vibrant mix of music, festivals, nature, art, politics, BBQ, education, and tech. Our goal was to design a space that reflects the Austin of today – while also embracing the future—respectful of the rich history that has made the city so unique."

The studio explains it approached the design of the public spaces "as an event", such as a concert.

Guests enter into the double-height entrance space, which is clad in wood panelling bordered by gently curving corners that pay homage to the shape and feel of a guitar.

To incorporate natural elements, a butterfly-fly wing patterned rug sits in one corner, with the same motif echoed in the "infinity butterfly mirrors" wall art by local artist Jocelyn Marsh.

From there, the space opens up into the Living Room, or "headliner" space, which features a bright orange rug and deep purple hues informed by the Texas sunset.

Pendent lights hang from the ceilings to mimic lighters – now cellphones – held up at concerts.

A speakeasy room called the Blue Room is located off to the side of the space. According to the studio, it was informed by a Steinway Piano and is clad in fiddleback ribbon mahogany veneer, a rich blue padded suede, and granite floors.

From the Blue Room, guests pass into a glass-enclosed café with a wavy, saxophone-informed chandelier and lined with a carved walnut wall.

For the hotel's Serende Restaurant, the studio chose to give the space a distinct personality from the hotel, drawing upon US first lady and Texan Lady Bird Johnson's work with wildflowers.

The restaurant is separated from the lobby by a sprawling "tunnel of flowers" archway, which is made of a patchwork of hide by artist Kyle Bunting.

A glass mosaic wall adorned with birds and trees lines the space, while folding glass doors lead onto a patio.

For the guestroom renovations, Blur Workshop "bathed" them in rich green tones, aiming to mirror views of the nearby lake.

First opened in 2010, the W Austin is located in the city's downtown core within the same block as the event city Austin City Limits Live, which in part drove its music-oriented design.

Upon real estate firm Ryman Hospitality Properties acquiring both buildings in 2022, the hotel began undergoing a renovation.

A renovated spa and pool area is still set to open.

Other recent projects in Austin include a restaurant and bar located within a 130-year-old building by Michael Hsu Office of Architecture, while the city also launched robotaxi services by Tesla.

The photography is courtesy of the W Hotels

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