Rachael Gowdridge avoids "generic hotel feel" in The Dean Berlin

Reception of The Dean hotel in Berlin by Rachael Gowdridge

Interior designer Rachael Gowdridge has transformed a 19th-century building in Berlin into The Dean hotel, combining historic features with bespoke details and vintage objects to lend the spaces an eclectic feel.

Gowdridge used the existing features of the former residential building in Berlin's Charlottenburg district as the foundation for her layered design, which introduces surprising materials and bold pops of colour to add character to the spaces.

"This hotel isn't about a single statement," said Gowdridge. "It's about contrast, restraint and moments that make you pause."

"We wanted to avoid the generic hotel feel and instead create spaces that pose questions – places that reveal themselves slowly and reward attention."

Lounge in hotel by Rachael Gowdridge — An intimate library can be accessed via the hotel's lobby

The property is the German debut for lifestyle hotel brand The Dean, with interiors that balance raw materiality and original surfaces against clean-lined contemporary interventions such as expressive joinery and sharply defined thresholds.

Many of the design decisions were made on site as existing layers of the building were stripped back, allowing the architecture to guide the choice of materials and finishes.

Cafe of The Dean hotel — The library is stocked with eclectic design titles sourced from a local bookshop

"The scale of The Dean gave us freedom," Gowdridge said. "Freedom to test, to respond instinctively, and to let the building lead."

The hotel's colour palette draws from the surrounding architecture, combining bold, saturated tones with softer neutral hues to create a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Hallway of hotel in Berlin by Rachael Gowdridge — Colours are used to mark the transitions between different spaces

At the entrance, a deep-red colour-drenched vestibule introduces this chromatic approach, which also extends to the guestrooms, where bold entrances mark the transition from public to private spaces.

The public spaces are designed as places where guests can linger, with a bakery, restaurant and lounge forming a vibrant social hub that is accessible from early morning to late evening.

An intimate library located off the lobby features a vintage Italian sofa alongside bespoke shelving built with striking wood veneer that displays eclectic design titles sourced from a local bookshop.

The 81 guest rooms respond to the narrow proportions and unconventional layouts of the existing architecture with a combination of contrasting details and unexpected materials.

Bedroom of The Dean hotel in Berlin — Gowdridge created custom latex pendant lights for the guest rooms

Wood-floored vestibules lead into carpeted spaces lined with original wall panelling, repainted in a soft mauve hue. Layered textiles create a sense of warmth and intimacy, while bespoke furniture, including simple plywood desks, adds functionality.

The rooms feature crafted details such as veneered bedside lamps and Bauhaus-informed headboards, while bespoke ceiling lights made from latex offer a playful nod to Berlin's infamous nightlife.

Entrance of Berlin hotel by Rachael Gowdridge — She repainted the building's original wall panelling

Independent curator Thom Oosterhof was invited to select the artworks displayed throughout the hotel, which were sourced from local galleries and emerging artists based in Germany.

"At its core, The Dean Berlin celebrates contrast – between history and modernity, rebellion and elegance, roughness and craft," said Gowdridge, who founded her studio in 2021 after spending almost a decade at firms including Martin Brudnizki Design Studio and Ennismore.

Colour-block bathroom by Rachael Gowdridge — Contrasting colours also define the bathrooms

"Every surface and object is designed to hold tension: the past meeting the present, the refined meeting the raw," she added.

The Dean's Berlin outpost joins its existing hotels in Dublin, Cork and Galway, with new locations in Munich and Miami currently under development.

Shower of The Dean hotel in Berlin by Rachael Gowdridge — The hotel is The Dean's first outpost in Germany

Berlin is home to a number of hotels with interesting and eclectic interiors, including The Hoxton Charlottenburg, which references the city's brutalist and art nouveau architecture, as well as the quirky Hotel Bikini Berlin designed by Studio Aisslinger.

The photography is by Dean Hearne.

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