The Maidstone Hotel

the maidstone hotel

I opened the envelope my hand was clutching and drew out a glazed still. It was like the others but it was different, much nicer. The girl wore a Pierrot costume from the waist up. Under the white conical hat with a black pompon on the top, her fluffed out hair had a dark tinge that might have been red. The face was in profile but the visible eye seemed to have gaiety in it. I wouldn’t say the face was lovely and unspoiled. I’m not that good at faces. But it was pretty. People had been nice to that face, or nice enough for their circle.

Farewell, My Lovely – Raymond Chandler

We designed the branding and revisited the identity for the Maidstone to elevate it to a more current and contemporary feel. Maidstone is a luxury hotel in East Hampton that takes its inspiration from the countryside, but brings in elements of fun, colours and bold choices to enhance the experience for their guests.

We selected a classic typographic choice, with notes of whimsy, we took the brand and embraced a fun and relaxed lifestyle that the hotel offers. Direct inspiration for the brand was the classical European hospitality brands from the late 19th to early 20th century; we wanted the grandeur of the typography to be able to tell a story. Similar to the first page of a book the typography tells a strong narrative.

Through hand-drawn illustrations, we were able to add a human touch to the brand. We ensured that the visuals didn’t feel overly developed, with too many details. Reminiscent of Dutch artist Klaas Gubbels’ paintings, whom we think are the perfect blend of abstraction and whimsy. They feel human, honest and almost details from notebooks and notepads during your adventures.

This was a project in collaboration with our close friend Christopher Tuyay.