Southern Hospitality

Edie Cohen -- Interior Design, 11/1/2009 12:00:00 AM

Decorative vellum bookbindings fill shelves behind the reception desks.

firm: thom filicia
site: atlanta

He may be from upstate New York, but he definitely knows Buckhead. Thom Filicia waxes practically poetic about the premier Atlanta suburb's gracious lifestyle, fetching architecture and gardens, superb restaurants, and terrific shopping. How come? "My brother got married there. From being involved in that, I know who the people are and how they live." Equally well versed in the W brand—the W Atlanta—Buckhead is his namesake firm's third location—Filicia says he gave the area "what it was missing, a place where young people could get excited about gathering." It's country-club chic with a healthy tweak.


The lobby lounge's custom furniture includes a vinyl-covered banquette.

The 11-story 1970's hotel building began life as a Day's Inn. Filicia's re-creation encompasses 240 guest rooms, five suites, the reception area, the lobby lounge, seven event spaces, and the pool area outside. For architectural heft and a sense of history, he gave reception a coffered ceiling, downlit fluted columns, and, behind the three freestanding desks, a faux library of old-school vellum bookbindings. That famous Filicia wit appears in reception's glossy-white antler chandelier as well as the guest rooms' black deer-head motif on throw pillows. And the Extreme Wow suite's Chippendale-esque dining chairs are lacquered University of Georgia red.

 
Custom linen-covered headboards outfit standard rooms. In a standard guest room at the W Atlanta—Buckhead, a chair's cotton upholstery contrasts with vinyl wall covering.

FROM FRONT HALLMARK LIGHTING: PENDANT FIXTURE, TABLE LAMP (GUEST ROOM). JL FURNISHINGS: CHAIR. ARKAY TEXTILES: CHAIR FABRIC (GUEST ROOM), SOFA FABRIC (RECEPTION), STOOL FABRIC, FLORAL PILLOW FABRIC (LOUNGE), LOUNGE CHAIR FABRIC, FLORAL PILLOW FABRIC, CURTAIN FABRIC (SUITE). JIS CONTRACT FURNITURE: CUSTOM TABLE (GUEST ROOM), CUSTOM DESKS (RECEPTION), CUSTOM DINING TABLE, DINING CHAIRS (SUITE). MDC WALLCOVERINGS: WALL COVERING (GUEST ROOM, LOUNGE, SUITE), CEILING COVERING (RECEPTION). ORIGINAL BOOK WORKS USA: BOOKBINDINGS (RECEPTION). SMITH & HAWKEN: CHAISES (POOL AREA). BLACK FOREST DÉCOR: CHANDELIER (RECEPTION). CASILLAS INTERNATIONAL: CUSTOM SOFA (RECEPTION), CUSTOM SCREENS (RECEPTION, SUITE). URBAN ELECTRIC CO.: PENDANT FIXTURES (RECEPTION, SUITE). CIRCA LIGHTING: PICTURE LIGHTS (LOUNGE). IN LINE OVALS: MIRRORS. JUSTICE FURNITURE AND BEDDING: CHAIRS. WELLS INDUSTRIES: CUSTOM ROUND TABLES. STORGIO VENTURA: CUSTOM STOOLS. LOIS INTERIORS: CUSTOM BANQUETTE. VALLEY FORGE FABRICS: SOLID PILLOW FABRIC, BANQUETTE UPHOLSTERY (LOUNGE), SOFA FABRIC (SUITE). KIMBALL HOSPITALITY: BED, BUREAU (GUEST ROOM). DESIGNTEX: HEADBOARD FABRIC, BEDCOVER FABRIC. ARCHIPELAGO: CUSTOM SHAM. CREDIBLE UPHOLSTERY: CUSTOM SOFA, LOUNGE CHAIRS (SUITE). Z GALLERIE: COCKTAIL TABLES. OLY STUDIO: LAMPS. ROSEMARY HALLGARTEN: CUSTOM RUG. THROUGHOUT AI GROUP: ARCHITECT OF RECORD. CD+M LIGHTING DESIGN GROUP: LIGHTING CONSULTANT. UZUN & CASE ENGINEERS: STRUCTURAL ENGINEER. EBERLY & ASSOCIATES: CIVIL ENGINEER. JORDAN & SKALA ENGINEERS: MEP. CATAMOUNT CONSTRUCTORS; FRAZEE: GENERAL CONTRACTORS.